Sant'Elpidio a Sea and the Knights of Malta
Here I am. After more than a month I get to write something in my (our) blog. Meanwhile, However, I also graduated. But that's another story:) In this post I'd like to talk about, however, one of the churches that most fascinate me between those in the city of Ancona: Santa Maria della Piazza. I will focus in particular on the portal, and the meaning of its symbols. Even its history is very interesting, but I hope to discuss it in another post.
Santa Maria della Piazza - Ancona
The site on which stands Santa Maria della Piazza (originally also called Santa Maria del Canneto and then Santa Maria del Mercato) has something of a mystic. In fact, in this place was built as early as the fourth century., A paleo-Christian church, whose ruins are still visible below the current floor. The facade is the work of Master Philip, in 1210, the ornamented as we see it today. The original stone facing (Conero) mixed with irregular pieces from the ancient paleo-Christian basilica, the architect leaned against Czechs stacked four tiers of arches. At the center of the facade è presente il portale a strombo incorniciato da un fregio riccamente scolpito. Sopra il portale, al centro, è la figura della Vergine Orante e a sinistra il busto dell'Arcangelo Gabriele. Il fregio del portale comprende numerose decorazioni di carattere romanico, che si materializzano nella pietra con forme particolari: negli avvolgimenti delle foglie di vite si osservano figure di mostri, di arcieri, di guerrieri e di animali; in alto, al centro, è l'immagine del Cristo. Nel fregio, dunque, sono presenti i classici motivi romanici, che ad un'analisi più attenta, però, risultano ordinati come in un discorso logico dai contenuti simbolici: un discorso di pietra.
The formations were analyzed symbolical of the portal by Prof. James Binnella, an expert on the history of religions and esoteric, which has interpreted the figures of an evolutionary second decoration.
portal Frieze Santa Maria della Piazza - Right Side Lower  |
the right of the portal, the grapevine, the central figure of the building seems to rise up headed by an elephant to a lion and a feline creature, then stop and bloom into a flower, symbol of creation. In succession of these sculptural forms seem to draw the flow of human life: il tralcio di vite simbolo dell'Albero della Vita, nasce dalla terra simboleggiata dall'elefante, per penetrare nel leone, animale bivalente che nel caso assume i caratteri di forza e solarità. Il felino consecutivo significa la vitalità dell'animale nella sua parte più aggressiva, che si nobilita a contatto con il fiore a quattro petali, simbolo dell'intervento divino sulle forme del creato. Con questo intervento la vita terrena diviene imperitura, e infatti dopo il fiore troviamo nei fregi raffigurato un pavone, simbolo dell'immortalità e dell'elemento immortale dell'uomo, l'anima. Il pavone rappresenta l'anima e per questo risulta interposto tra il felino e l'uomo, ovvero tra le due forme di vita che si differenziano per l'elemento immortal. The bunch of grapes in its beak the peacock signifies the possibility of man, by virtue of the possession of the soul, to participate in the Eucharistic banquet. | |
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portal Frieze Santa Maria della Piazza - Right Side High  |
| | Frieze portal of Santa Maria Square - The Centre
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following figures, in axial symmetry with the other of the opposite arc, have human features and, thanks to their attributes (the warrior, the knight, the lute player), expressing the development, as well that intellectual, moral and spiritual. So you go from man to man warrior artist. After a peacock reiterates the immortality of the soul and announced the following item, a human figure holding the gaping jaws of an animal. This image, similar to that of X Arcana of the Tarot, expresses the control and domination of man over his animal nature, which allows the vertical ascent spiritual. At the top of this upward spiral is the axial figure, the Blessing Christ, which regulates the whole flow of life.
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Frieze portal of Santa Maria Square - Upper Left Side | |
Starting then, the downward path that extends towards the bow opposite, there is the harp player, the archer with the arrow pointing to overcome themselves to strive for the gods, the warrior. It traces, in practice, the meaning of contralateral figures with human features, but in the opposite direction, which indicates the decay, the expulsion from Christ.
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| portal Frieze Santa Maria della Piazza - Left Side Lower |
The next shape is a hybrid, a creature half human and half animal, perhaps a centaur, which expresses the fall of man when he dominated the animals and regressive tendencies. Next, we find a being who appears naked and drops down, summed up the loss of human values \u200b\u200band the vertical fall of man because of his animal instincts and his sins. The man seems to want to stick to the branch of the vine, but its fate, resulting in the loss of values, is the fall down. Underneath is still the peacock, which is however opposed, in this case denoting the eternal loss of the soul, and finally we find a lion, which has positive values, but negative: in his mouth disappears the branch of the vine and into he falls man. In this position, therefore, the lion is the symbol of the devil, the evil that destroys what god creates. In overview the branch is swallowed by the lion, but, as with the sun in the eastern dragons of myths, the branch does not die: through the earth, reborn in the legs of the elephant to the top of the arch is situated opposite the ascendant.
The portal is then highlighted a speech on the condition of human life, always torn between good and evil, but also a reference to the cyclical nature of life itself: verticalizzazionedifficilmente can be rationally understood, unless it becomes part of it penetrates into the game cycle to die, knowingly, and then be reborn spiritually.
Fonti : "Guida insolita ai misteri, ai segreti, alle leggende e alle curiosità delle Marche"  , Fabio Filippetti, Elsa Ravaglia, Newton & Compton Editori, 2004. | "Marche"
, AA.VV., Guida Rossa del Touring Club Italiano, 1979. | "Museo Italia vol.6 - Marche Umbria" | , AA.VV., Armando Curcio Editore, 1990.
The course taught by Renata and Iolanda on "crochet balls "!!!!! Mythical !!!!!! 
This is one of my moments dedicated to crochet girls ........ how many laughs !!!!! 
, Fabio Filippetti, Elsa Ravaglia, Newton & Compton Editori, 2004. 
