Abstract
The early medieval San Sisto icon in Rome, depicting the Virgin with hands
outstretched towards the unseen figure of her son, emphasizes Mary’s role
as an advocate for humankind. From its first documented location in Santa
Maria in Tempulo and through its subsequent transfers to San Sisto, Santi
Domenico e Sisto, and Santa Maria del Rosario, the icon has been closely
linked to the female religious communities that acted as its caretakers. The
San Sisto icon has occupied a uniquely liminal and gendered space as a
protector of both Rome and the cloistered nuns who constituted its primary
audience. This article will explore the materiality of the icon’s surface, the
miracles and votive objects that reconfirmed its power, and its framing during
the Renaissance and early modern periods to examine how the San Sisto icon
helped to visualize the nuns’ presence and reinforce the religious women as
intermediaries in intercession
outstretched towards the unseen figure of her son, emphasizes Mary’s role
as an advocate for humankind. From its first documented location in Santa
Maria in Tempulo and through its subsequent transfers to San Sisto, Santi
Domenico e Sisto, and Santa Maria del Rosario, the icon has been closely
linked to the female religious communities that acted as its caretakers. The
San Sisto icon has occupied a uniquely liminal and gendered space as a
protector of both Rome and the cloistered nuns who constituted its primary
audience. This article will explore the materiality of the icon’s surface, the
miracles and votive objects that reconfirmed its power, and its framing during
the Renaissance and early modern periods to examine how the San Sisto icon
helped to visualize the nuns’ presence and reinforce the religious women as
intermediaries in intercession
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 90-128 |
| Journal | Memoirs of the American Academy of Rome |
| Volume | 67 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2022 |