Subiaco, Sacro Speco, Upper Church, South Transept, Martyrdom of St. Placidus and His Companions
This is one of a set of scenes relating to saints linked with St. Benedict (Sts. Scholastica, Maurus, and Placidus) in the interconnected chapels that form a south transept in the Upper Church of the Monastery of St. Benedict, the Sacro Speco, at Subiaco. The early fifteenth-century paintings are attributed to Ottaviano Nelli, an Umbrian artist, and his circle.
The painting represents a threefold conflation: it conflates St. Placidus, a sixth-century follower of St. Benedict, with the early Christian martyr of the same name from Sicily. In addition, it depicts the scene in a way that suggests that the martyrdom took place at the hands of Muslims, perhaps offering a Benedictine counterpart to images of the thirteenth-century Franciscan martyrs of Morocco, led by Berard of Carpio.(13.11.27/JD with Alexandria Trsek)
D'Emilio photo archive no. s19790627uGalleries:Italy 1420s, Italy 1430s, Scenes of Martyrdom, South Transept, St. Placidus, Wall paintingsKeywords:Prayer, blade, blessing, boat, book, declamation, forceps, fringe, halo, leggings, monks, observation, pliers, poleaxe, portico, preaching, speaking, sword, tongue, tonsure, torturePhoto Location: Subiaco (Lazio), ItalyPhotographer: Dr. James D’EmilioDate of Photo:Device Make: NikonDevice Model: Nikon SUPER COOLSCAN 5000 EDOriginal Dimensions: 5382×3514Picture Orientation: LandscapeGPS Coordinates:Picture Number: 24220
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