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Carthusian Choir Stalls and the Misericord in Italy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2012

Joanne Allen
Joanne Allen*
Affiliation:
Joanne Allen, 21 Boley Close, Lichfield WS14 9AR, UK. Email: joanne@postman.org.uk
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Abstract

The majority of choir stalls in Italy lack misericords. Their unusual presence in Piedmont and the Valle d'Aosta most probably reflects their proximity to, and the influence of, northern Europe. This paper reveals that the rare instances of misericords elsewhere in Italy are connected to the Carthusian order. Rather than performing an artistic role, their presence is derived from the specific rubrics of Carthusian liturgy, which legislated in detail on the correct use of misericords. The Cistercians also regulated their use, but a similar correlation cannot be assessed because of the lack of surviving furniture. The Carthusian connection, meanwhile, suggests a purely liturgical function for the carved rests, expanding the study of misericords beyond stylistic and iconographic analyses.

Résumé

En Italie, la majorité des stalles de chœur n'ont pas de miséricorde. Leur présence inhabituelle dans le Piémont et la Vallée d'Aoste reflète probablement la proximité, et l'influence, de l'Europe du Nord. Ce document révèle que les rares exemples de miséricordes présents ailleurs qu'en Italie sont reliés à l'ordre des chartreux. Plutôt que de jouer un rôle artistique, leur présence provient de rubriques spécifiques de la liturgie cartusienne, qui a statué en détail sur l'utilisation correcte des miséricordes. Les Cisterciens ont également réglementé leur utilisation, mais une corrélation similaire ne peut pas être évaluée en raison du manque de mobilier ayant survécu. Par ailleurs, la relation cartusienne suggère une fonction purement liturgique pour les restes sculptés, étendant l’étude des miséricordes au-delà des analyses stylistiques et iconographiques.

Zusammenfassung

Der Großteil der italienischen Chorgestühle verfügt über keine Miserikordien. Ihr ungewöhnliches Vorhandensein in Piemont und im Aostatal ist wahrscheinlich der Nähe zu und dem Einfluss aus Nordeuropa zuzuschreiben. In diesem Referat wird aufgezeigt, dass die seltenen Fälle von Miserikordien anderswo in Italien mit dem Kartäuserorden verbunden sind. Sie erfüllten dort keine künstlerische Rolle, sondern entsprachen den ganz spezifischen Vorgaben der Kartäuserliturgie, wonach die korrekte Nutzung der Miserikordien in allen Einzelheiten festgelegt ist. Auch die Zisterzienser regelten ihre Verwendung, wobei sich eine ähnliche Zuordnung jedoch nicht ermessen lässt, da es an erhaltenem Mobiliar mangelt. Indessen lässt die Verbindung zu den Kartäusern auf eine rein liturgische Funktion für die geschnitzten Lehnen schließen, womit das Studium der Miserikordien über stilistische und ikonografische Analysen hinaus erweitert wird.

Type
Research papers
Information
The Antiquaries Journal , Volume 92 , September 2012 , pp. 307 - 330
Copyright
Copyright © The Society of Antiquaries of London 2012

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