De imagen a cuerpo santo: el crucifijo polimatérico de la Catedral de Ourense (siglo XIV). Historia, usos, recepción

Resumen

This paper studies the medieval sculpture of Christ crucified known as Santo Cristo kept in the cathedral of San Martiño de Ourense in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula. Firstly the analysis will focus on the impact this image has had over the centuries on the sacred topography and spatial configuration of this cathedral, including changes in the naming of altars, alterations to existing volumes, and even the creation of new spaces for worship and devotion. Secondly, the liturgical and ritual uses this crucifix would have had in the late Middle Ages will be investigated, particularly as a visual centrepiece during liturgies commemorating the Cross and its hypothetical manipulation during the dramatized ceremonies of Holy Week. Furthermore, some considerations are devoted to the possible changes in its liturgical reception in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, when the idea of veiling and unveiling the image became central. Finally, the changing status of this image as one of the cathedral's relics will be examined, a reality that can be traced verbatim to the 16th century.