Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Bosom of Abraham

A hermitage was founded here by Géraud de Salles, a friend of Robert de Arbrissel, the of the Cistercian abbey of Fontevrault. In 1119 the hermitage was made an abbey, connected to the Abbaye de Pontigny. The Abbaye de Cîteaux ceded twelve monks to Cadouin for the first settlement of the monastery. Around 1200 the monastery came into possession of the "Saint-Suaire de Cadouin". This was believed to be the facecloth from the tomb of Christ, said to have been brought from Antioch by a priest after the first crusade. This relic made the abbey an important place of pilgrimage on the way to Santiago and brought it great prestige and wealth. Even Louis IX of France ("St. Louis"), Richard I of England ("Richard the Lionheart") and Emperor Charles V ("Charles Quint") visited Cadouin to see the relic. The war of the 14th century let the pilgrimage come to an end and let the abbey decline. In 1357 the abbey was ruined and only two monks stayed to guard the shroud, that was transferred to Toulouse in 1392. This transport of shroud to Toulouse deprived the abbey of donations. The shroud returned and with the strong support of the French Kings, the abbey recovered after 1455. Thanks to royal protection, the cloister was rebuilt in an extravagant way. The abbey was affiliated to the Cistercian order, but not founded by it. This is one reason, that may explain the enormous creativity here, as "normally" the Cistercian art is very sober. Though the authenticity of the shroud was attested in 1644, the abbey did never fully recover after the Wars of Religions. During the French Revolution, the abbey was dissolved and got looted. In 1793 the abbey, apart from the church, was sold as a national property. The mayor of Cadouin hid the shroud during the Revolution until it was returned to worship in 1797. It was the Bishop of Perigueux in the mid 19th century, who "relaunched" the pilgrimage, that prospered again up to 1934. That year, a historian dated the shroud thanks to the presence of decorative bands decorated with a text. An inscription was found in Kufic style, opened by the "fatiha", the Islamic profession of faith, the text then indicates that the veil was woven at the time of Al-Musta'li, the caliph of Fatimid Egypt, at the end of the 11th century. The extravagant cloister has many very interesting carvings. This imaginative work reminded me of Arthur Miller´s "Death of a Salesman", but here the story is a little different - and much older! The salesman has already died. He was still able to place is merchandise below him, his bag hanging from the tree. His soul has left the body and was carried up to heaven by two angels, where it can now be seen, sitting in Abraham´s bosom. Two angels are placed next to Abraham´s head, to back the transfer with music.

In 1927, what is pretty recent, the city "Borgo San Donnino" changed it´s name to "Fidenza", as in Roman times it was known as "Fidentia Julia". The city was named and the Duomo inside the walls was dedicated to San Donnino di Fidenza (aka "Domninus of Fidenza"), who was martyred nearby in 291. Sigeric the Serious, Archbishop of Canterbury, made the pilgrimage to Rome following the Via Francigena around 990. His contemporary records of this journey still exist (and are source for the modern guide books). He reached "Sce Domnine" after 36 days, what is pretty fast for more than 1000kms. The erection of the Cattedrale di San Donnino started in the 11th century, the first consecration took place in 1106, though the building process continued. From around 1200 on Master Benedetto Antelami and his workshop worked here, not only as Master masons. Antelami may as well be the architect of the facade. Frederick Barbarossa had entrusted "Borgo San Donnino" to the Pallavicino family of Piacenza. In 1268 - after a siege - the city was conquered by the troops of Parma, who looted and burnt down it completely. All houses got destroyed at that time just the Duomo was saved, but it was not completed at that time. The building process came to a stop - and was never continued. A detail of the facade, carved by Benedetto Antelami and/or his workshop. The "Bosom of Abraham" above a group of saint ladies.

The construction of the Cattedrale di San Giorgio began in the early 12th century, when the city was taken by Matilda of Tuscany (aka "Matilde di Canossa"). When the new cathedral was consecrated in 1135 it was not completed at all. It was - and still is - located in the center of the city. The lower part of the facade is Romanesque was probably built in the first half of the 11th century. The building process was continued a century later in Gothic style. A "renovation" of the Ferrara Cathedral done in the early 18th century resulted in a demolition. Only the facade and the outer walls survived. The the medieval interior and the apses, that once existed are lost. The portal is attributed to Master Niccolò (aka "Nicholaus"), who (or his workshop) worked as well in Verona (San Zeno) and Piacenza (Cathedral). The upper part of the narthex depicts the "Last Judgement", a popular theme (eg Conques, Autun, Moissac, Sangüesa) here is seen in a delicate style of transition from from Romanesque to Gothic. Souls rise from open graves. Above them Archangel Michael holds a scale doing the "Weighing of the Souls". A little devil tries to hold down the right side. The sinners leave -naked- to the right side, the good souls - nicely dressed to the left. Above all Christ in a mandorla, showing the "Five Holy Wounds". I have added the neighbouring carvings (in a larger scale). To the left the good souls are saved in the "Bosom of Abraham", to the right the poor souls are stuffed by evil devils into the "Mouth of Hell".