16 - The stucco crucifix of Saint Peter's reconsidered

Summary

In 1908 Giuseppe Cascioli discovered a long-forgotten crucifix under the New Sacristy of Saint Peter's basilica in Rome. Iconography is helpful in attempting to contextualize the Saint Peter's crucifix, particularly with respect to the double effigy of the apostles Peter and Paul at the lower end of the cross. The apostles are turned slightly towards each other. Peter is situated on the left, and Paul on the right of the rectangular panel. They carry their gilded attributes, the key and the sword. During the Middle Ages, the crosses of Old Saint Peter's may have served as exemplars for western European donations of silver and gold monumental crucifixes. Old Saint Peter's would emerge as another reference point besides the tradition-rich Golgotha, whose memorial crosses were models for numerous donations of crucifixes during the Middle Ages, including, amongst others, the Georgian silver monumental crosses from the early and high Middle Ages.