Re-Covering Christ in Late Medieval Rome: The Icon of Christ in the Sancta Sanctorum

Abstract

The icon of Christ in the Sancta Sanctorum (Rome), known commonly as the Acheropita because of the miraculous nature of its production, had a long-standing and significant position in the cult of images in Rome. Centuries of processional use contributed to the deterioration of the icon and led to frequent interventions aimed at renewing or restoring the representation of the enthroned Christ. Through this process, which helped to ensure the efficacy of the sacred image, the surface of the icon became a site of exchange, a point of mediation between the viewer and the holy personage depicted. One of the most drastic additions to the icon was a gilded silver revetment that covers the figure of Christ up to his neck. This article explores the meaning of the metal cover by examining the images and votive objects that make up its surface; this palimpsest ofaniconic and figurai reliefs creates an intermediary zone that defined the power of the image and evoked a particular response from the viewer. Reflective of a variety of donors, the additions to the icon cover demonstrate the shifting landscape of devotional practice in Rome while at the same time reinforce the continuing significance of the cult image. This article considers the meaning of the revetment not only in the context of the icon's processional use but also in the more restricted and private environment of the papal chapel.