Frescoes
The fresco cycle in the seven vaulted domes was created by Bartolomeo Altomonte (1694-1783).
The painter undertook this work at the age of 80 and completed it during the summer months of 1775 and 1776. The fundamental theme of this seven-part cycle of paintings is the intimate connection between religion and the arts and sciences.
THE REVELATION
The theme of Revelation as the foundation of the Christian religion is located in the large central dome. At the center of this painting, the personified divine wisdom is enthroned. To her left is Moses, representing the Old Testament, and to her right is a female figure with a tiara, personifying the Church as a representative of the New Covenant. Below them – akin to the foundation of Christian doctrine – are depicted the four Latin Church Fathers.
SCIENCES AND ARTS
In the six adjacent domes on the north and south sides, depictions of various sciences and arts are presented. Each is briefly described here with its respective central theme: The first image near the south entrance is dedicated to the theme of Arts and Techniques. Apollo, the god of poetry and light, is centrally depicted, presiding over the nine Muses. Sculpture, music, and painting are allegorically represented as female figures. The second vault is dedicated to Medicine and Natural Sciences. The central figure is a man dressed in a doctoral gown with the staff of Asclepius, handing a prescription to a female figure personifying Pharmacy. Surrounding this main group are personifications of other natural sciences, such as Physics, Mineralogy, Astronomy, Geography, and Arithmetic. The third fresco represents Theology and Religion. In the center is the personified Theology as a female figure with the sun on her chest. Next to her are the Holy Spirit dove and a woman symbolizing "Truth." Below them, once again represented as women, are the three divine virtues of Faith, Hope, and Love. The Revelation, as the centerpiece and culmination, is depicted in the central dome.
JURISPRUDENCE
The fifth fresco, with its two allegories of spiritual and secular law, represents jurisprudence. Floating above them is a genius holding the scales, the well-known symbol of justice. In the center of the sixth dome fresco, allegorically expressing historical research, there is a winged genius and a female figure pointing to a basket carried by putti, containing a multitude of disordered books, likely symbolizing diverse historical sources. Below, Chronos is depicted as the god of time.
AWAKENING OF THE SPIRIT
The seventh dome concludes this cycle of paintings, honoring the awakening of the mind in thought and speech. At the center of the painting is Aurora, the goddess of dawn. Leading the way is an enlightened torch, meant to dispel darkness and, metaphorically, ignorance. To her left and right stand the personifications of 'Grammar and Dialectic' as fundamental disciplines of language mastery and intellectual activity.
