La cripta e l’ambone della cattedrale invernale di Santa Maria del Popolo di Pavia: alcune considerazioni sulla decorazione scolpita

Abstract

The medieval portions of the double cathedral of Pavia, constituted by the basilicas of Santo Stefano and Santa Maria del Popolo, were demolished between the 19th and 20th centuries, saving only part of the Romanesque crypt of Santa Maria, the minor church. In addition to these few remains, many sculpted pieces are preserved in the local Civic Museums, but the exact original location of many of these is still to be clarified. With the help of the photographic material of the demolitions, it is possible to reconstruct the position of some of these objects, such as the carved decoration of the ambo of the crypt. The sculpted decoration of the crypt and presbytery of Santa Maria represents a coherent core within the construction of the cathedrals. The study of this group of sculptures can tell us much of the reconstruction of XI-XII of these buildings, one of the fundamental moments, as well as the most difficult to understand, of the most important season in the Romanesque architecture and sculpture of Pavia.