The conservation of The “Articulated Christ” Crucifix in the Church of San Geremia in the Church of San Geremia has been made possible thanks to the generous support of John H. Wilson III and Annasue McCleave Wilson.

The San Geremia Crucifix typically rests on the second altar of the church’s left nave, alongside the holy relics of Santa Lucia, and is revered by Venetian devotees as an acheropita meaning, “not crafted by human hands.” According to legend, the carving of this sculpture began with a Capuchin friar who, nearing his death in the early 1500s, entrusted its completion to a certain Fra’ Colombano Da Mula. Upon Fra’ Colombano’s return to finish the work, he found that Christ had miraculously completed the carving himself.

The miraculous sculpture likely arrived at the church of San Geremia in the early 1600s, where it performed numerous miracles, leading to the construction of an altar and the establishment of a confraternity to honor it. A century later, on the occasion of the 1700 Jubilee, the sculpture was transported to Rome where it was paraded before the Pope. During the ceremonial procession, the sculpture, mounted on a “cross made of the finest crystal,” moved everyone who looked at it to tears.

This exceptionally rare, fully articulated sculpture was likely employed in ceremonies known as the Devozione del Venerdì Santo, which featured dramatic representations enacted during the Good Friday sermon. Notably, the sculpted Christ features movable arms and legs, with the limb joints likely once concealed with leather to give the appearance of flesh and bone. The head can recline and rotate, and is embellished with hair and a beard made from horse hair. The crown, fashioned from braided rope, is anchored by long thorns inserted into the solid head. The carving exhibits remarkable refinement, evident in the intricate detailing of the anatomy and facial features, indicative of its creation in the early 1450s by a woodcarver possibly active in Venice. The original polychrome silk loincloth was later recovered with silver. The wooden cross accompanying the sculpture intricately inlaid with mother-of-pearl and polychromies reminiscent of tortoise shell, and is believed to date to the same period as the crafting of the current silver loincloth.

The sculpture is coated with a non-original dark patina, designed to replicate a bronze effect. Historical records indicate that this patina was applied during the 1700 Jubilee when the sculpted Christ was paraded through Rome in the presence of the pope.

The sculpted crucifix is suffering from several conditions issues that necessitate urgent intervention. The wooden support is decayed and fragile due to an investation of wood-boring insects and mold growth, and the mechanism that allows Christ’s head to be moved is also compromised. Christ’s beard and hair are comprised of sections of horse hair sewn into canvas bands, which have partially detached, also causing the underlying polychromy to detach.

Non-invasive scientific analysis will be utilizied to examine the 18th-century bronze patina and investigate the condition of the underlying original polychromy in order to evaluate if the dark non-original patina can be removed, restoring the original appearance of the sacred object.

Venetian woodcarver [attr.]
Crucifix
1450s, wood and silver
132 x 128 cm

Corner, F. Notizie storiche delle chiese e monasteri di Venezia, e di Torcello. Padova: Giovanni Manfrè, 1758

Favaretto Cortese, Arianna. La Passione lignea veneziana. Statue di Cristo crocifisso tra devozione e drammaturgia (1350-1500), Dissertation, Università Ca’ Foscari

Notizia distinta dell’immenso tesoro spirituale […], Venice: Pinelli 1701