Late medieval Italy witnessed the widespread rise of the cult of the Virgin, as reflected in the profusion of paintings, sculptures, and fresco cycles created in her honor during this period. The cathedral of papal Orvieto especially reflects the strong Marian tradition through its fresco and stained-glass window narrative cycles. In this study, Sara James explores its complex narrative programs. She demonstrates how a papal plan for the cathedral to emulate the basilica of S. Maria Maggiore in Rome, together with Dominican and Franciscan texts, determined the choices and arrangement of scenes. The result is a tour de force of Marian devotion, superior artistry, and compelling story-telling. James also shows how the narratives promoted agendas tied to the city's history and principal religious feasts. Not only are these works more interesting, sophisticated, and theologically rich than previously realized, but, as James argues, each represents the acme in their respective media of their generation in central Italy.
Preface; Acknowledgements; Introduction; Part I. History and Context: Orvieto and the Cult of the Virgin: 1. Defining Orvieto 1190–1370: turmoil, popes, spiritual matters, and a new cathedral; 2. The cult of the virgin and the early veneration of Joseph; 3. The portrayal of Mary and the holy family: artistic precedents; Part II. The Orvietan Setting and the Artists: 4. The cathedral and its artistic programs 1291–1372; 5. Ugolino di Prete Ilario; Part III. Ugolino's Frescoes of the Life Of the Virgin: 6. Joachim, Anna and the Childhood of Mary; 7. A new vision of the holy couple; 8. The infancy of Jesus: incarnation and hypostatic union; 9. The Egyptian sojourn and divine portents; 10. Out of Egypt, into Jerusalem: disappearance, discovery and divine revelation; Part IV. Mary's Transition from Earthly Mother to Heavenly Queen: 11. Gateway to heaven; 12. Prophecy, fulfillment, witness and theology; 13. The Beatific Vision; Part V. Appendix: Bibliography; Index.
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