Medal
Medal
16th century (made)
16th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This bronze medal depicts Gregory XIII who served as Pope from 1572 to 1585. On the obverse side he is shown wearing a tippet, hood and cap. On the reverse side, an angel bearing a sword and cross is shown slaying the Huguenots.
This medal was struck in commemoration of the Massacre of St Bartholomew in 1572, a wave of violence directed against the Huguenots during the French Wars of Religion. This event, the worst religious violence of the sixteenth century, was seen by the Catholic church as a deliverance from the imminent threat of Protestantism. Pope Gregory XIII also commissioned a series of three frescoes in the Vatican to mark this event.
This medal was struck in commemoration of the Massacre of St Bartholomew in 1572, a wave of violence directed against the Huguenots during the French Wars of Religion. This event, the worst religious violence of the sixteenth century, was seen by the Catholic church as a deliverance from the imminent threat of Protestantism. Pope Gregory XIII also commissioned a series of three frescoes in the Vatican to mark this event.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Medal |
| Materials and techniques | Bronze |
| Brief description | Medal, bronze, 16th century, Pope Gregory XIII, angel slaying Huguenots |
| Physical description | Medal, bronze, struck from a die. Gregory XIII (Ugo Buoncompagni) b. 1502: elected Pope in 1572: d. 1585. Obv.: GREGRIVS. XIII. PONT. MAX. AN. I. Bust to left wearing a tippet, hood and cap. Rev.: VGONOTTORVM. STRAGES. 1572. An angel bearing a sword and cross, is slaying the Huguenots. Struck in commemoration of the massacre of St. Bartholomew. |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | Bought 10s 6d. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This bronze medal depicts Gregory XIII who served as Pope from 1572 to 1585. On the obverse side he is shown wearing a tippet, hood and cap. On the reverse side, an angel bearing a sword and cross is shown slaying the Huguenots. This medal was struck in commemoration of the Massacre of St Bartholomew in 1572, a wave of violence directed against the Huguenots during the French Wars of Religion. This event, the worst religious violence of the sixteenth century, was seen by the Catholic church as a deliverance from the imminent threat of Protestantism. Pope Gregory XIII also commissioned a series of three frescoes in the Vatican to mark this event. |
| Bibliographic reference | List of Objects in the Art Division South Kensington Museum acquired during the Year 1893. Arranged according to the dates of acquisition, with appendix and indices. London: Eyre and Spottiswoode, 1894. pp. 164. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 1239-1893 |
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| Record created | January 5, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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