“Crucifixion” Fra Angelico, c.1427, San Domenico, Fiesole, Florence.
Fra Angelico painted the crucified Christ many many times. But this one is different. First, over Christ’s head he usually just put the capitals INRI, but here there is the full title “Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews” in Hebrew, Latin and Greek (Jn 19:19-20). Secondly, Christ’s head leans forward. In all the others he leans his head to the side. Thirdly, Fra Angelico almost always places someone below the cross. In this fresco there is no painted figure, rather it was the living community of friars who gathered below the cross in the chapter room of San Domenico in Fiesole. This fresco was painted over in about 1510, and only discovered again in 1982. The friars met in chapter to discuss their life together and their mission and to make decisions. In San Domenico they did this at the foot of his cross. At the Holy Ground Lecture, when asked to name the most striking of Fra Angelico’s works, our speaker, Fr Michael Dunleavy OP, named this one for that very reason. Fr Michael had lived for 6 years in San Domenico.
The Catholic Chaplaincy serves the students and staff of the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Napier University and Queen Margaret University.
The Catholic Chaplaincy is also a parish of the Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh (the Parish of St Albert the Great) and all Catholic students and staff are automatically members of this parish.
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