 |
| Here people can be seen touching St. Peter's blessed toe nubs |
Since the statue was built, almost everyone that visits it rubs, or sometimes even kisses, his toes and feet. People do this while praying to him, begging him to be merciful and open the gates of heaven for them. Because of this, St. Peter's toes are worn thin, they are just one smooth surface instead of individual toes. St. Peter is holding keys (to the kingdom of heaven) close to his chest while his other hand is raised in blessing. On the day of the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, which is June 29th, they decorate St. Peter's statue. Part of medieval tradition, it is decorated with an amice, alb, tiara, stole, red cope, and a ring.
 |
| St. Peter's Statue dressed up for the Feast of Saints Peter & Paul |
http://stpetersbasilica.info/Statues/StPeter/StPeter.htm
http://www.wga.hu/html_m/a/arnolfo/2/10peter.html
Very interesting. You got to wonder why there always seems to be a perception for a statue to bring luck, or mercy in this case, particularly by rubbing toes, shoes, head, hat, etc.
ReplyDeleteI can only imagine how long it must have taken Arnolfo di Cambio to create the statue, with that much quality and attention to detail. Though I do wonder how the tradition of kissing and rubbing St. Peter's feet began.
ReplyDeleteWhat happened to the rest of the bronze statues from this period? I wonder exactly how much attention this statue gets everyday from individuals wanting to touch his toes.
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that people believe that statues bring luck. Even non-religious statues can have this thought. Rather compelling that they dress up the statue, and I also wonder how the kissing of the feet began. Great post!
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the rubbing of the feet has anything to do with the symbolism of Jesus washing the feet at the Last Supper or if it is just proximity and that is all the visitors can touch. I do agree with Stacie's comment and also wonder why the people thing the statue brings good luck, or rather if they think of the statue as a shrine to St. Peter. Great post!
ReplyDeleteI'm thrilled you all are discussing a medieval artist (yes, some names were known) and quite famous. It takes a few minutes of waiting in line at St. Peter's to walk past the statue, and there is a certain intimacy gained by touching the statue that medieval pilgrims evidently also touched, that perhaps replicates the rituals associated with being close to relics and other objects of great historical value. I do think some people walk by and just do it because it it something to do--huge tour groups--but those in the historical know are aware of its significance. Even though many things were changed from the Middle Ages in the 1500s, this was something deemed worth keeping, evidently due to its sacredness. To answer Jessica's question, bronze statues were frequently melted down to make cannons (see Dakota's post)! Most people touch it and do not kiss it anymore, but I will be on the lookout this summer.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting to think about just how many people would have to rub the foot of the statue to cause this. When looking at the title of the post, I first had the perception that the artist made a mistake but the truth is so much more compelling.
ReplyDelete