medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Jim, very many thanks for these references. The idea of a 5thC grotto at S.
Maria Maggiore is new to me, I think- though it's a while since I've looked
at my notes, and they are gathering dust somewhere else. Arnolfo's
sculptural ensemble certainly wasn't the first shrine of the Nativity on the
site; there had been an earlier statue of the Madonna and Child (9thC, I
think), and a 13thC altar (from a refurbishment by Innocent III if memory
serves). I really should get back to this, but the Arena Chapel has kept me
busy for more than a decade and just refuses to let me go!
all best
Laura
----- Original Message -----
From: "jbugslag" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: 25 March 2008 21:37
Subject: [SPAM]Re: [M-R] [SPAM][M-R] Grotto of the Nativity in Bethlehem
> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
>
> Laura,
> Two books that are quite useful on Bethlehem are Pierre Maraval, Lieux
> saints et pelerinages
> d'Orient (Paris, 2004) and Clemens Kopp, The Holy Places of the Gospels
> (New York, 1963),
> with good photos of the original grotto. There is also a good section on
> the present church,
> but with an excellent bibliography, in Denys Pringle, The Churches of the
> Crusader Kingdom
> of Jerusalem. A Corpus, Vol. I: A-K (Cambridge, 1993). Also useful for
> the origins of the
> church there is Eusebius, Life of Constantine, trans. Averil Cameron and
> Stuart G. Hall
> (Oxford, 1999).
> Has your research on Arnolfo brought to light anything on a possible
> 5th-century grotto at S.
> Maria Maggiore?
> Cheers,
> Jim Bugslag
>
> On 25 Mar 2008 at 12:22, Laura Jacobus wrote:
>
>> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and
>> culture
>>
>> Dear Jim (and others),
>>
>> If you've got any references to material on the Bethlehem grotto and
>> cult, I'd be very grateful to know of them (esp pilgrims accounts). I
>> have a project on Arnolfo's S. Maria Maggiore shrine which has been
>> 'on the back burner' for many years now, but I haven't abandoned hopes
>> of returning to the subject, and one aspect I'm interested in is the
>> Bethlehem connection. Any leads are welcome, to add to my collection
>> of 'things to do when I have time'.
>>
>> Many thanks
>>
>> Laura
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "jbugslag" <[log in to unmask]>
>> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>> Sent: 25 March 2008 01:29
>> Subject: [SPAM][M-R] S. Maria Maggiore and Apparitions
>>
>>
>> > medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and
>> > culture
>> >
>> >> The spiritual and sentimental image of the reconstruction of a
>> >> "Crib" reminding a venerate occasion, has got its origins since 432
>> >> when Pope Sisto the Third (432/40) created a "cave of the Nativity"
>> >> similar to Bethlehem in the primitive Basilica.
>> >
>> > I'm have been becoming a bit more familiar recently with the Grotto
>> > of the Nativity in Bethlehem -- which actually had a side grotto
>> > opening off it called the Grotto of the Manger -- but this is the
>> > first reference I've seen to Sixtus III creating a "cave of the
>> > Nativity" in S. Maria Maggiore. It seems rather a "Lourdes" sort of
>> > thing to do. Does anyone know anything about this? Also, the
>> > website of the basilica, although correctly naming Sixtus III as the
>> > founder, also recounts the legendary story of Mary making it snow in
>> > August on the precise area where the church was to go. Does anyone
>> > know when this legend began to circulate -- or at least, when it is
>> > first recorded? In a related vein, does anyone know when apparitions
>> > of the Virgin Mary began to appear? Or for that matter, apparitions
>> > of any saints. One of the earliest apparitions I have heard of are
>> > St Michael's apparitions to the bishop of Siponto at Monte Gargano,
>> > in Apulia, which apparently occurred in 493, but this seems
>> > remarkably early, in relation to apparitions of actual saints,
>> > rather than, say, archangels, whose business it is, really, to
>> > "appear" to people. Cheers, Jim Bugslag
>> >
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