The Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary in Orvieto is one of the most beautiful churches in all of Italy. The four marble bas reliefs on the front facade each intricately and magnificently tell a story from the bible; Creation, Old Testament, New Testament, and the Last Judgement. Visual representations of these stories were the main method for accessing the bible, because few people could read.
The four bas reliefs were each about 20 feet tall and six feet wide and contained hundreds of carved marble figures, telling the stories. Looking at the devil causing the agony of hundreds of suffering souls in Hell on the bas relief for "the Last Judgement" is quite an education.
No comments:
Post a Comment