Photos of the Rare Medieval San Viglio Painting Pinzolo

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Photos of the Rare San Viglio Painting Pinzolo, Italy. A Rare Cautionary Italian Fresco known as The Dance of Death . Photographer Paul E Williams.    (TIP – use the icons below the slideshow for thumbnail photos and info)

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Photos of the Rare San Viglio Painting Pinzolo, Italy.

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Photos of the Medieva Church of San Vigilio in Pinzolo (Saint Vigilius of Trent) “Dance of Death” fresco ( Danza macabra ) by Simone II Baschenis.

The Baschenis family were well known for the religious paintings they made in the Bergamo area. The Medieval preoccupation with the imminent end of the earth with the second coming of Christ, carried on into the Gothic and early Renaissance periods.

The Medieval Fear of Dying in Sin

The Roman Catholic church made great use of this frear by selling the idea that sin would lead to long periods spent in purgatory, where the deceased would be tortured to purge them from sins. The Popes then sold indulgences which lessened the time spent in purgatory. These were sold for individuals before death or for departed members of families to lessen their time in purgatory.

San Viglio Painting Pinzolo

It is against this backdrop that the San Vigilio in Pinzolo painting of Simone II Baschenis should be viewed. The “Dance of Death” ( Danza macabra ) is a powerful visual reminder that death awaits all of us.

Description of the Dance With Death Painting

The Mural opens on its left with a skeleton on the throne, bearing a sceptre and the crown and playing a bagpipe. These skeletons are playing the music which is the backdrop to “Dance of Death” ( Danza macabra ) and suggests that they are playing with our fate on earth.

The mural continues for another 21 meters with a long procession with 40 figures. To the right of the skeletons playing music is a depiction of the crucification. Christ is depicted on the cross with an arrow in him that has been fired by a skeleton with a bow. This suggests that because Christ was a man he suffered the same fate of death that we all will.

After Christ is a Pope pierced by a spea. Next to the pope is a Cardinal, a Cleric and a Monk all of whom have succumbed to the arrows of the skeletons. This tableau is a reminder to the hierarchy of the church that even they are not immune from death.

The Dance of Death procession continues with a depiction of a king then nobility followed by knights and soldiers and a beggar man with no legs. Between each figure are skeletons holding bows and arrows, banners with writings on them or a shovel to dig a grave.

After the beggar man there are figures of women ending with a small skeleton and a cherub. To the far right a skeleton on a horse is riding into the procession holding a bow and arrow ready to fire.

The procession ends with the Angel Gabriel and the devil discussing the fates of the those in the procession as to whether they go to Heaven, Purgatory or Hell.

Rare Painting in Italy

The San Vigilio Pinzolo Dance with Death painting iconography was widespread in the Nordic countries, France and the Iberian Peninsula, but less frequently on Italy. A notable example in Italy can be seen at Clusone called the Oratory of the Principals by  Giacomo Borlone de Buschis made between 1484 and 1485