The Woman of the Apocalypse

"A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of 12 stars. She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth …"

"… And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with 7 heads and 10 horns, and on his heads 7 diadems. His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth …"

"… And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it …"

"… She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne …"

"… the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days …"

… Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven …

"… Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus …"

The panels representing the Woman of the Apocalypse and seven-headed snakeand theWoman of the Apocalypse in the desert come from the absidal stained-glass window behind the choir dedicated to the Book of Revelation and depict the visions recounted in this passage (Revelation 12, 1-6).

The first has undergone extensive restorations: only the bottom part of the drapery of the Virgin (from the arms down), several pieces of the mandorla (almond-shaped frame that surrounds an iconographic figure), and the landscape with architecture at the bottom are originals.

The woman's head, the child and the angel, the dragon, and the assize of the Eternal Father, with kings, prophets, and angels, musicians, are however 19th-century inserts.

The second section also contains various 19th-century inserts: The woman's robe and cloak (central portion), angel heads and a woman, and a tree on the left.

The angels' robes, and the animals (serpent, toad, and tortoise) at the bottom are originals, as is part of the greenery which has been recovered.

The most recent history of the Woman of the Apocalypse in the Wilderness is not known.

The workmanship of the original parts attributes the two windows to a Flemish master, documented in the cathedral from 1544. The design of the images is also attributed to a Flemish master.

Read more on Milan Cathedral Remixed.