medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Of course, there are other ways of preventing touching besides
posting "DO NOT TOUCH" signs. Here's an example from Naples' church of
Santa Maria del Carmine, whose icon of the BVM (known locally as La
Bruna, 'The Dark Lady') has been an object of special Neapolitan
devotion since at least the late fifteenth century:
http://www.napoletanita.it/foto/napoli35.jpg
La Bruna is accessible to all by a set of stairs behind the church's
main altar. That sixteenth-century altar (ascribed -- I have no idea
how accurately -- to Giovanni da Nola) into which she's set is rather
worn at the base where in this view the red roses can be seen. All of
the floral arrangements here have a dual purpose: to adorn her shrine
and to keep people from kissing or otherwise caressing it.
Best,
John Dillon
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