How does Veiled Christ elucidate its Legend of the veil?
Over the centuries, the masterly depiction of the veil has acquired a legend, in which the original commissioner of the sculpture, the famous scientist and alchemist Raimondo di Sangro, teaches the sculptor how to transform cloth into crystalline marble. Over the years many visitors to the Cappella, amazed by the veiled sculpture, erroneously believed it to be the result of an alchemical "marblification" performed by di Sangro, a Grand Master of the local Masonic Lodge and an alchemist. He was said to have laid a real veil on the sculpture, and to have transformed this veil into marble, over time, by means of a chemical process.In reality, a close analysis leaves no doubt that the work was entirely produced in marble. This is also confirmed by some letters written at the time of its production. A receipt of payment to Sanmartino, dated 16 December 1752 and signed by the prince, is preserved in the Historical archive of the Bank of Naples and reads: "And you will pay the aforementioned fifty ducats to the Magnificent Giuseppe Sanmartino on my behalf, for the statue of Our Lord in death covered by a veil also of marble" (E per me gli suddetti ducati cinquanta gli pagarete al Magnifico Giuseppe Sanmartino in conto della statua di Nostro Signore morto coperta da un velo ancor di marmo).In other letters, di Sangro writes that the veil was produced from the same block of stone as the statue.
ducat Raimondo di Sangro Naples marble alchemist Masonic Lodge Giuseppe Sanmartino