The Curious Case of the "Chiarito Tabernacle": A New Interpretation

Abstract

This essay reconsiders Pacino di Buonaguida's triptych of 1340—known as the Chiarito Tabernacle after its patron, the visionary Beato Chiarito del Voglia—by scrutinizing traditional iconographic readings of the central panel in relation to the outer panels, its patron, and its intended female audience. By examining subtle visual clues overlooked by most critics concerning the prominent role of religious women in the work, this essay underscores how the altarpiece served the specific spiritual needs of a group of Florentine nuns. Further, the ritual interaction between beholder and object in the space of the church was constituted through Pacino's use of gilded gesso relief in the central panel. This rare technique materially enhanced the body of Christ, thereby visually reinforcing then‐current notions of Eucharistic devotion and practice for the nuns.