Cross

This type of painted cross, to which the San Damiano Cross belongs—from which the Crucified spoke to Saint Francis of Assisi—originated in Italy, around the XII^th century. These carved crosses traditionally depict the Virgin, Saint John, the Holy Women, or cherubim collecting the Precious Blood in chalices. The Christ depicted here is inspired by Romanesque sculptures from Catalonia and Auvergne, also found in Burgundy and Germany. These Christs in Majesty sometimes have open or half-closed eyes, to signify the Savior’s victory over death.