Vatican City, Italy (Enclave of Rome): Vatican Museums: Pius Christian Museum: Scenes from the Passion
Loading...
Authors
Sheppard, Beth M.
Issue Date
20-May-17
Type
Image
Language
Keywords
Italy , Vatican City , Rome , Vatican Museums , Musei Vaticani , Art Museums , Pius Christian Museum , Museo Pio Cristiano , Early Christian Art , Early Christian Sculptures , Jesus Christ in Art , Christ's Passion in Art , Women in Art , Anastasis in Art , Resurrection Symbols , Sarcophagi
Alternative Title
Abstract
Description
Multiple photos are associated with this record. Please click the links to view all of the items in the series. The photos show signage and images of a columned sarcophagus case within the collection of the Pius Christian Museum, which is part of the Vatican Museums. The Vatican Museums are public galleries that display about 20,000 of 70K works collected by the Catholic Church and the papacy throughout the centuries. The museums were founded by Pope Julius II in the early 16th century. Only the Louvre in France receives more annual visitors than the Vatican Museums. The museums consist of 24 galleries, with the Sistine Chapel being the last room visited. The columned sarcophagus case depicts various scenes from the Passion of Christ: the Cyrenian carrying the cross (which is mostly to the left of the photo); Christ crowned with a wreath of thorns; the symbol of the resurrection; capture of Christ; and Christ before Pilate (half shown on the right of the photo). The symbol of the resurrection is the Christian cross with two superimposed Greek letters (X and P, or Chi and Rho), which are the first two letters to spell "Christ" in Greek. The resurrection symbol and empty cross associates this sarcophagus with the Greek term "anastasis," which means rising from the dead. See the description for this object in the Vatican's catalog at: http://catalogo.museivaticani.va/index.php/Detail/objects/MV.31525.0.0.
Citation
Publisher
License
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0