Page 18 - StCecilia

Santa Cecilia

Statue of St Cecilia

n front of the choir is a moving sculpture by Stefano Mad-
erno of Cecilia’s incorrupt body as it was found when
I exhumed in 1599 on the orders of Pope Clement VIII.
Contorted and yet somehow graceful, the statue is highly unusual
and has great emotional impact.
The pavement in front of the statue contains a round marble
slab with an inscription of the artist’s statement, made under oath,
that Cecilia’s body was found incorrupt:

Behold the body of the most holy virgin Cecilia, whom I
myself saw lying incorrupt in the tomb. I have in this marble
expressed for you the same saint in the very same posture. 11

Marble slab with the sculptor’s declaration

11 In Latin the inscription reads: EN TIBI SANCTISSIMAE VIRGINIS CAECIL-
IAE IMAGINEM QUAM IPSE INTEGRAM IN SEPULCHRO IACENTEM
VIDI EANDEM TIBI PRORSUS EODEM CORPORIS SITU HOC MAR-
MORE EXPRESSI

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