Book contents
- Wall Painting, Civic Ceremony, and Sacred Space in Early Renaissance Italy
- Wall Painting, Civic Ceremony, and Sacred Space in Early Renaissance Italy
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- Chapter One “Larger, More Ornate, and More Seemly”
- Chapter Two “A Most Devout Place”
- Chapter Three “Most Holy and Unique in the World”
- Chapter Four Rome in Spoleto
- Conclusion
- Book part
- Bibliography
- Index
Chapter One - “Larger, More Ornate, and More Seemly”
Agnolo Gaddi and the Chapel of the Holy Belt in Prato
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 19 September 2025
Book contents
- Wall Painting, Civic Ceremony, and Sacred Space in Early Renaissance Italy
- Wall Painting, Civic Ceremony, and Sacred Space in Early Renaissance Italy
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- Chapter One “Larger, More Ornate, and More Seemly”
- Chapter Two “A Most Devout Place”
- Chapter Three “Most Holy and Unique in the World”
- Chapter Four Rome in Spoleto
- Conclusion
- Book part
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
Chapter 1 examines Agnolo Gaddi’s work between 1392 and 1395 in the chapel in Prato cathedral, which was built to house the Virgin’s Belt, the most important relic in the city. Primary sources allow reconstruction of the ceremony during which the precious relic of the Virgin’s Belt was displayed to the public. The monumental narratives of the origins of the Holy Belt and its journey to Prato celebrated Prato’s favored status as custodian of the relic. Detailed surviving payments, here published in full for the first time, reveal a narrative of the chapel’s construction and decoration and bring to light how the artist, Agnolo Gaddi, collaborated with Florentine and Pratese artisans in the enterprise. Agnolo’s professional and personal connections with the Pratese Opera, and the social identities of its members, expose a rich network of relationships in which the commission unfolded.
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- Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2025
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