Museo Matris Domini
Encyclopedia
The Museo Matris Domini is housed in the oldest section of the Dominican
convent
of the same name, situated in the city centre of Bergamo
, Italy
. It is administered by the nuns of the foundation.
The museum preserves a series of 13th and 14th Century fresco
es which were uncovered in a 1973 restoration of what was thought to have been the old refectory and a small church within the monastery. The reappearance of these paintings was highly significant as they are amongst the earliest surviving examples of wall painting in the province of Bergamo and indeed in Lombardy as a whole.
Outstanding for their pictorial and emotion qualities are fragments from what must have been a depiction of the Last Judgment: the Just, the Blessed, two Angels with trumpets (which are of particular beauty), Saint Peter
Enthroned, and Hell, all attributed to the Master of the Tree of Life.
There is another series of frescoes of great emotive and narrative quality, representing Jesus
among the Doctors, the Baptism
, the Virgin and Child Enthroned, Saint Catherine of Alexandria upon the Wheel, Saint Martin
and the Pauper, Jesus entering Jerusalem, and the Miracle of the reanimation of Napoleone Orsini by Saint Dominic
, showing the young man falling from his horse. These works, together with the Visitation, have been attributed to the so-called First Master of Abbey of Chiaravalle, an anonymous artist active in Lombardy circa 1320-30, and known only through these works, as well as frescoes in San Marco, Milan and in the eponymous Abbey of Chiaravalle.
The Visitation is a particularly striking image because of its freshness and for the expressiveness of the faces of the Virgin and Saint Elizabeth, painted by the Master with great intelligence and sensitivity.
A 16th century fresco depicting Saint Dominic (the patron of the monastery) with other saints is also featured in the museum.
Amongst the five windows, the largest is one depicting the Virgin with the Infant Child.
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
of the same name, situated in the city centre of Bergamo
Bergamo
Bergamo is a town and comune in Lombardy, Italy, about 40 km northeast of Milan. The comune is home to over 120,000 inhabitants. It is served by the Orio al Serio Airport, which also serves the Province of Bergamo, and to a lesser extent the metropolitan area of Milan...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It is administered by the nuns of the foundation.
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
es which were uncovered in a 1973 restoration of what was thought to have been the old refectory and a small church within the monastery. The reappearance of these paintings was highly significant as they are amongst the earliest surviving examples of wall painting in the province of Bergamo and indeed in Lombardy as a whole.
Outstanding for their pictorial and emotion qualities are fragments from what must have been a depiction of the Last Judgment: the Just, the Blessed, two Angels with trumpets (which are of particular beauty), Saint Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
Enthroned, and Hell, all attributed to the Master of the Tree of Life.
There is another series of frescoes of great emotive and narrative quality, representing Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
among the Doctors, the Baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
, the Virgin and Child Enthroned, Saint Catherine of Alexandria upon the Wheel, Saint Martin
Martin of Tours
Martin of Tours was a Bishop of Tours whose shrine became a famous stopping-point for pilgrims on the road to Santiago de Compostela. Around his name much legendary material accrued, and he has become one of the most familiar and recognizable Christian saints...
and the Pauper, Jesus entering Jerusalem, and the Miracle of the reanimation of Napoleone Orsini by Saint Dominic
Saint Dominic
Saint Dominic , also known as Dominic of Osma, often called Dominic de Guzmán and Domingo Félix de Guzmán was the founder of the Friars Preachers, popularly called the Dominicans or Order of Preachers , a Catholic religious order...
, showing the young man falling from his horse. These works, together with the Visitation, have been attributed to the so-called First Master of Abbey of Chiaravalle, an anonymous artist active in Lombardy circa 1320-30, and known only through these works, as well as frescoes in San Marco, Milan and in the eponymous Abbey of Chiaravalle.
A 16th century fresco depicting Saint Dominic (the patron of the monastery) with other saints is also featured in the museum.
The stained glass windows
The Museum also has a group of beautiful polychrome glass windows, oculi, dating from the 14th century and originally from the apse of the sanctuary.Amongst the five windows, the largest is one depicting the Virgin with the Infant Child.