ALTARE // PRIVILEGIATUM

This collection was inspired by my trips to Rome & Naples last year and my love for religious art in all forms. Altare Privilegiatum is the Latin term for a ‘privileged altar’ and can be seen and described in historical Catholic Churches and Cathedrals.

Altare Privilegiatum.

This collection was inspired by a dilapidated church that me and my friend stumbled upon whilst visiting Naples last year. The pieces called ‘Ossis’ and ‘Omnituens’ especially. 

THE CHURCH OF SANTA LUCIELLA ai Librai is one of the many small historical religious sites in Naples. The church has an underground crypt that was used as a burial site. Adherents to the Neapolitan Cult of the Dead often came here to pray. They often offered prayers especially to the “skull with ears,” hoping this anatomical curiosity would act as a messenger between the worlds of the living and dead. The skull lives up to its name—it has two pieces of mummified cartilage, one on either side, which resemble ears.

The church was originally founded in the early 14th century. By the 17th century, the sanctuary was used by a group of stonemasons who dedicated the site to Santa Lucia, protector of sight, as the workers often risked damaging their eyes.

Saint Lucy.

Inside the church, a shrine stands for St. Lucy, the patroness saint for the blind. Lucy means ‘light’ which is ‘lux’ in Latin.

Some of the stories around Lucy say that she had her eyes removed which is why she is often pictured with a silver platter with two eyes on surface. Lucy can also be depicted holding a palm branch which is believed to represent victory over evil.

St. Lucy is also believed to be a healer and a protector against disease. Her stories are pretty dark, which I won’t go into here, but her stories and representations intrigued me and were the focus of some of the key pieces in this collection.