Statuette of Saint Francis of Assisi
Description
Santiago de Compostela, Attributed to Vicente Flamengo, Ca. 1425. Gilded silver, enamel, and gemstones
The Franciscan habit, as well as his characterization and the attributes that he carries in his hands, the skull, and the cross identify the image of Saint Francis of Assisi belonging to the group of statuettes of devotion from the oratory of Archbishop Lope de Mendoza. Likewise, in a hole open in the habit, his wound on the side can be seen; also, he has stigmas on his hands and feet. It is one of the two pieces in the set, together with Saint Dominic of Guzmán, attributed to the Italian silversmith Vicente Flamengo, active in Compostela. According to tradition, Saint Francis would have gone on pilgrimage to Compostela in 1214, receiving the apostolic revelation in the cathedral for the expansion of the Order and then founding the Compostela convent in Valdedeus.