Widow casing

This window frame comes from the Romanesque Benedictine basilica of Sant’Abbondio in Como. It constituted the outermost lintel of one of the choir windows, removed from the northern side because adjacent to the cloister staircase that was modified by architect Giuseppe Tazzini to convert the structure into an episcopal seminary in 1834. These modifications were then followed by a restoration carried out by Serafino Balestra (1863–1874).
The frame was reused until 1936 in the side altar dedicated to the Virgin Mary in the same basilica; it was then deposited in the Civic Museums, and eventually set up in Palazzo Volpi next to another incomplete frame. Unlike the building material of the basilica, which is predominantly the hard grey stone of Moltrasio, this frame’s material presents a greenish-grey tone. It is a schistose stone containing talc that is easier to process. It is quarried from the Valchiavenna valley where it was and still is worked on the potter’s wheel as soapstone for the making of vases. One notable example of Romanesque sculpture made with this material is the monumental baptismal font of Chiavenna dated 1156. Compared to the human figures carved in high relief on that monolith, the abstract interlaced geometric motifs of St Abbondio’s window appear almost flattened. The repertoire they were inspired by derives from the early medieval tradition. Complex interlacing is a widespread presence alternative to the animal and plant motifs of the animated trellis of the other windows of the apsidal area of Sant’Abbondio’s, so solemnised to emphasise the hierarchy of the spaces destined for the monks, compared to the naves illuminated by smaller and simpler single-lancet windows. In all likelihood, the Romanesque masters markedly drew inspiration from the many reliefs of the Carolingian-era enclosure, partially on display in the adjacent room of the museum and originally part of the church’s liturgical furnishings. Not only the ornamental motifs, but also the characteristics of the flattened relief refer to those models. Typical Romanesque models can be found in the reliefs on the inner spiral-section arch supported by two small columns with Classical bases and twisted shafts, where two twines alternate with a plant motif, culminating in a small band crossed by a spiral motif and leafy capitals with palmette motifs.(A. Rovi)