LOCATION: Aosta, Cathedral, window n V (choir window)

DIMENSIONS: window composed by 2 panels; h. 170 cms. x w. 78 cms.

PROVENANCE: the location in the choir next to St. Stephen window (before the last restoration) ( Aosta cathedral 17) is probably not original. The two panels were maybe reassembled in window nIV during the XIX century intervention.

CHRONOLOGY: beginning of the XVI century

AUTHOR: local school

PATRONAGE: unknown

SUBJECT: The Virgin, with long fair hair, wrapped in a blue mantle, is seated on a stone throne, the Child in her arms. She is looking at an open book, holding two carnations in her right hand. Jesus is holding an apple, a eucharistic symbol.
The second panel represents an episode from the life of the emperor Constantine, when he was to win Maxentius (312).

CRITICAL NOTES: Composition and style recalls some Lombard repertoire as well as various paintings beyond the Alps. The upper panel may be compared with the lunette in St. Margaret window. (see Aosta cathedral deambulatory 5)

CONDITIONS: The window has been recently restored. In 1997 the heavily damaged stained glass (several breakings, surface corrosion, lost, overpainted or darkened panels, stop-gaps) was taken down and tranferred to Morandotti’s stained glass laboratory Milan. The restoration, carried out by Laura Morandotti in the years 1999-2001, remade the little figure at the top (signed "L. Morandotti 1999"). Many mending leads have been eliminated and substituted with resins; some tesseras have been repainted or replaced. The whole work has been documented with reports, graphic and photo surveys, also with a scheme of the previous integrations. The Virgin’s face and the uncoloured frame are modern.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: see Bibl. Aosta Cathedral .

PHOTOGRAPHIC REFERENCE: Archivio CVMA Italia – Dono Mons. Garino

EDITOR: Emanuela Linda Cappa, May 2003