The Co-cathedral of the SS. Salvatore in Montalcino

Immaculate Conception

The co-cathedral contains many treasures, among them two splendid altarpieces, the fruit of the early activity of the Sienese painter Francesco Vanni, The Immaculate Conception and Saint John the Baptist in the Desert.
The first altar in the right aisle holds The Immaculate Conception, dated 1588. The canvas, originally placed over the altar of the Immaculate Conception in the ancient Romanesque church, was commissioned to Vanni by the cathedral provost Fulvio Bucelli. The work is distinguished not only by the bright colors and delicate forms typical of Sienese painting of that period, but also by its complex Marian symbolism. The Virgin is placed in a beautiful miniaturized landscape where every element is rich in meaning. Starting from the lower right corner, we see the “spotless mirror” (Wisdom 7:26) that refers to her Immaculate Conception; the lily (Song of Songs 2:1-2), emblem of purity; the spring, symbol of life; the “enclosed garden” (Song 4:12), a sign of her virginity; the morning star (Rev 22:16), since Mary, in her holiness, is the first fruit of Christ’s salvation; the door of Heaven (Gen 28:17) and the stairway to Paradise (Gen 28:12-13), in that she is the path of access to her Son; the ivory tower (Song 7:5), symbol of her perpetual virginity; the tower of David (Psalm 60:4), a reference to Mary’s fortitude; the temple of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35), of which she was the instrument and dwelling place; the “sealed fountain” (Song 4:12), symbol of divine motherhood; the mystic rose (Wisdom 2:8), in that she is Queen of God’s garden, which is the universe He created. Mary, as a figure of the Church, bears the signs of the “Woman” of the Apocalypse: the crown of twelve stars, a reference to the twelve tribes of God’s people, and the moon beneath her feet, a nuptial symbol since she is the divine Bride. She steps on the head of the dragon, emblem of Satan, as foretold in the Protoevangelium. The painting also present a strong Trinitarian symbolism: Mary holds her Son, conceived at the behest of the Father through the Holy Spirit.