GILDED WOODEN RELIQUARY WITH MAJOR RELICS

Neo-Gothic reliquary in carved and gilded wood, of architectural form, resting on four ball feet. The ensemble imitates a chapel or a miniature ciborium, with slender uprights connected by pointed arches, and glazed walls on each side allowing the contemplation of the relics. The interior of the arches is painted blue, a detail of polychromy that evokes the celestial vault and reinforces the idea of a miniature sanctuary open towards the sky. The pyramidal roof is decorated with a scale pattern and rises to a central finial, around which are arranged four finely carved winged angel heads. These angelic figures form a protective crown at the top of the reliquary: they symbolize at once the guardian angels watching over the relics, the heavenly liturgy constantly surrounding the sacred mystery, and, by their number, a possible reference to the four evangelists, pillars of the Christian faith.

The architecture of the reliquary translates on a small scale the language of the great Gothic cathedrals: vertical elevation, pointed vaults highlighted in blue like an inner sky, light passing through the glass and enhancing the sacred treasures. It thus presents itself as a true cathedral in miniature, condensing in reduction the role of the Church as guardian of the relics and mediator between heaven and earth.

The four glazed faces protect and highlight an arrangement of relics placed on a support of white silk, richly decorated with braids and embroidery in gilded metallic thread. The relics are inserted into circular medallions surrounded by decorative radiating motifs, with handwritten labels of the period identifying the venerated saints and objects.

Among them are:

• Relic of the True Cross
  Fragment of the wood of the Cross on which Christ was crucified. It constitutes the most eminent relic of Christendom, directly linked to the central redemptive act of the faith.

• Relic of the Veil of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Ex Velo B.V.M.)
  A portion associated with the veil of the Mother of God, an object of veneration since early Christianity. It evokes Mary’s intimate closeness with the mystery of the Incarnation and her role as protector of the faithful.

• Relic of the Tomb of the Virgin Mary (Ex Sepulcro B.V.M.)
  Fragment from the site traditionally associated with the burial of the Virgin. This relic, linked to the Dormition and the Assumption, recalls the bodily glorification of Mary and her elevation to Christ.

• Saint Francis de Sales (S. Franc. Salesii)
  Bishop of Geneva and Doctor of the Church (1567–1622). His presence in this reliquary highlights the importance of Salesian spirituality, marked by evangelical gentleness and spiritual guidance adapted to all states of life.

• Saint Aloysius Gonzaga (S. Aloysii Gonz.)
  Young Italian Jesuit (1568–1591), canonized for his purity and devotion. Protector of youth, he embodies total consecration to God and holiness lived in the brevity of earthly life.

• Saint Germaine Cousin of Pibrac (S. Germaine)
  French shepherdess (1579–1601), symbol of holiness in humility and poverty. Canonized in the 19th century, she became one of the most popular figures of rural piety and popular devotion.

• Pope Gregory VI (S. Gregorii PP. VI)
  Roman Pontiff, pope from 1045 to 1046, died in 1048, representing the authority of the See of Peter and the apostolic continuity of the Church. His presence within the reliquary recalls the role of the papacy as guarantor of unity and tradition of the Catholic faith.

Good condition of use with its original glass.

PERIOD : 19th century
DIMENSION : 34 cm X 22 cm
SIZE : 13.4" X 8.7"

This 19th-century gilded wooden reliquary preserves a collection of relics of rare spiritual richness. At the heart of the composition are three so-called major relics: a fragment of the True Cross, a direct witness of the Passion of Christ, a portion of the Veil of the Virgin Mary, symbol of her divine motherhood and her closeness to the Incarnation, and a fragment of the Tomb of the Virgin, linked to her Dormition and Assumption. The combined presence of these Marian and Christological relics makes this reliquary an object of devotion of particular intensity, placing the faithful before the very foundations of the Christian mystery.

Around this sacred core gravitate several saints who complete the spiritual meaning of the ensemble. Saint Francis de Sales, bishop and Doctor of the Church, illustrates the power of the word and of spiritual guidance. Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, a young Jesuit who died prematurely, offers the model of purity and youth consecrated to God. Saint Germaine Cousin of Pibrac, a humble French shepherdess, manifests the holiness of the poorest and simplest, proof that divine grace extends to all social conditions. Finally, Pope Gregory VI embodies the authority and continuity of the Church, reminding that holiness is also expressed in the Petrine ministry.

The association of these relics expresses a true theology in action: at the center, the material witnesses of Salvation and of Mary’s glorification; around them, a constellation of saints embodying the diversity of the paths of Christian perfection – the bishop and doctor, the pope, the religious, the consecrated youth, and the sanctified shepherdess. Through this combination, the reliquary presents to the faithful a complete panorama of holiness, ranging from the very heart of faith to its most diverse expressions in the history of the Church.