Giotto and the Purgatory: the difficult mission to save a usurer´s soul
Fátima Regina FERNANDES and Michelle MASCHIO
Original title: Giotto e o Purgatório: a difícil missão de salvar a alma de um usurário
Published in Paradise, Purgatory and Hell: the Religiosity in the Middle Ages
Keywords: Avarice, Giotto, Injustice, Purgatory, Usury.
The institution of the Purgatory provides a third way for the destination of the souls after death. It was driven by the appearance of the new social stratum, associated with trade, and translated the need of change, because each time more, the ideas and explanations of simplistic character were refused and the society turned against the antagonistic models. In 1303, Giotto is invited to paint a fresco cycle for Enrico Scrovegni, paduan usurer and son of the recently deceased Reginaldo Scrovegni; mentioned by Dante due to his extreme avarice. Enrico, after the death of his father, maybe had thought something to hurry Reginaldo’s arrival in Paradise. From the Scrovegni Chapel, with its extensive and varied iconographic cycle, we want to focus our attention on the fresco, whose theme is Injustice.
To be here and now. Study of the time and the space in the Viatge al Purgatori nomenat de Sant Patrici written by Ramon de Perellós i de Roda (c. 1350-1424)
Héctor ALAMINOS RAMIRO
Original title: Ser aquí y ahora. Estudio del tiempo y del espacio en el Viatge al Purgatori nomenat de Sant Patrici de Ramon de Perellós i de Roda (c. 1350-1424)
Published in Returning to Eden
Keywords: Medieval Time-Space, Purgatory, Ramon de Perellós.
This paper analyzes the temporal and spatial dimensions of the work of Ramon de Perellós referred to his journey to Saint Patrick’s Purgatory. Firstly, real, and imaginary-marvellous spheres are studied by separated to detach its meanings. Afterwards its contents are synthesized to obtain a panoramic view. Finally, these ideas are extrapolated to its historical context. By doing so, some conclusions are developed with the aim of connecting this work with the general transformations that take place in the Christian society of the medieval Western Europe.
