Virgin and Child

Umbrian-Abruzzese context

Originally part of a tabernacle with now-lost painted shutters, the Virgin and Child from Museo Nazionale di Castel Sant’Angelo is depicted seated on a throne in a hieratic and frontal pose, holding the blessing Child with her left arm. Dated to around the mid-14th century, the artifact is the work of an artist from the Umbria-Abruzzo area and is marked by a pronounced expressionism in the facial features, clearly reflecting a legacy of late 13th-century styles. During the 15th century, the original features were concealed beneath actual masks made of painted papier-mâché, likely crafted to update the physiognomy of the figures in line with the evolving artistic styles and tastes of the time. The faces of the Madonna and Child were revealed only following a restoration carried out by the Istituto Centrale per il Restauro in 1987.

Of the original tabernacle structure, only the gabled backdrop, painted with cross-inscribed circles, and the base, decorated with trilobed arches alternating with trefoil perforations, remain. Conceived more as a relief panel than a fully three-dimensional sculpture, the statue belongs to the tradition of Marian representations enthroned with the Child, placed within tabernacles, and intended to decorate altars. This type of wooden artifact is typical of central Italian artistic production and enjoyed popularity in Abruzzo during the Middle Ages, likely due in part to the presence of workshops specialized in all stages of production, from carving to painted decoration.

The sculpture, acquired in 1928 by Museo Nazionale di Castel Sant’Angelo from the archpriest of the small town of Nespolo Sabino — located on the southern outskirts of the province of Rieti and bordering the province of L’Aquila — shows strong affinities with similar wooden sculptures preserved in the collection of the National Museum of Abruzzo. These connections are tangible evidence of a period of great artistic vitality in the region between the 12th and 14th centuries. Among the most notable parallels are the wooden Madonna and Child from the Church of Santa Maria di Picenze (AQ), now housed in the exhibition path of the National Museum of Abruzzo, as well as similar wooden works from the Church of Sant’Agostino in Penne (PE) and from the town hall of Pizzoli (AQ), all dated between the mid-13th and mid-14th centuries.

These works, characterized by striking expressive intensity, reflect the deep connection between Marian devotion and local traditions, often intertwined with ancient pagan fertility cults. The wooden Madonnas of Abruzzo show the iconography of the Sedes Sapientiae, the Virgin enthroned with the blessing Child. Their display allows for a rediscovery not only of the artistic refinement of these masterpieces but also of their theological and cultural significance, which played a crucial role in the religious and social life of Abruzzese communities.