7 October

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In the footsteps of Ignatius: Ignatian iconography in Pamplona Cathedral

Alejandro Aranda Ruiz
Chairof Navarrese Heritage and Art

The representations that Pamplona Cathedral houses of saints of the Society of Jesus are not very numerous, practically all of them being reduced to Saint Francis Xavier. This should come as no surprise, given the saint's very special connection with Navarre in general and with the cathedral in particular, as he was a native of the land, patron saintof the kingdom with San Fermín since 1657 and an elected canon of the Pamplona cathedral since 1536.

It is not surprising, therefore, that the representations of Saint Ignatius are reduced to four, of which only one was made by and for the cathedral, the other three coming from the old high schoolde la Anunciada in Pamplona, from where they arrived after the expulsion of the Jesuits in 1767. This makes it necessary to begin the tour by making a short visit to reference letterto the promoter or final recipient of most of the representations of Saint Ignatius preserved in the cathedral: the Jesuits and their high schoolin Pamplona.

The high schoolde la Anunciada in Pamplona

The arrival and establishment of the Jesuits in Pamplona is well known, as well as the difficulties that the religious went through due to the civil service examination of a certain part of the elites of the capital, headed by the City Council, who looked askance at the arrival of a new order that could overshadow the schools that the consistory ran. However, the support of the Viceroy Marquis of Almazán, the Bishop of Pamplona and the Countess of Lerín, as well as of Saint Teresa herself, ended up facilitating the definitive establishment of the Jesuits in Pamplona, and the foundation was officially erected in 1580. For this purpose, the military man Juan Piñeiro de Elío, lord of Eriete and Ipasate, donated to the Jesuits a house with its orchard and an annual income of 500 ducats. In 1598, the City Council gave its schools to the Jesuits, committing itself to construct a building annexed to the fathers' houses. Thus, in this place the Jesuits would end up building a magnificent high school with its church articulated around a central courtyard. The high school de la Anunciada gave its name to the street, Calle Compañía. After the expulsion in 1767, the building became seminar episcopal, barracks, municipal storeroom , headquarters of the church of Jesus and Mary and the parish of San Juan of the cathedral. It is currently a pilgrims' hostel and the headquarters of the Official Language School.

Between 1580 and 1767, the high schoolde la Anunciada became a veritable beacon of culture from which the Society of Jesus radiated countless contributions to the society of its time, including the teachingof the youth of Pamplona and Navarre for a century and a half, the trainingof what until the 19th century was the official history of Navarre with the annals of the kingdom of Navarre written by the Jesuit fathers Moret and Alesón, the teachingof the catechism or compendium of Christian doctrine with the essayof a multitude of versions in Spanishand Basque and preaching in the form of missions, the introduction and promotion of devotions such as the Eucharist, the Immaculate Conception, St Francis Xavier and St Ignatius of Loyola or the Heart of Jesus, and the promotion of the numerous cultural assets that the high schooland its church treasured in the form of paintings, sculptures, altarpieces and sumptuary arts.

Texts and engravings: the sources of Ignatian iconography

reference letterBefore embarking on our journey in search of the footsteps of Saint Ignatius, it is necessary to make a brief reference to the main sources that served to build up the image of Saint Ignatius. essayImmediately after his death in 1556, the Society showed great interest in producing a text on the life of the saint and in creating an official image of him. The aim was not only to preserve reportof the history of the Society and its founder, but also to promote his canonisation and spread devotion, which contributed to the prestige and glory of the congregation. It was not only a religious question, but also one of propaganda and legitimisation, especially in a context in which so many religious orders were flourishing.

One of the most important texts was undoubtedly the life of Saint Ignatius, written by Pedro de Ribadeneyra in 1566 at the request of the third general of the Society, Saint Francis Borgia. The first Latin edition appeared in 1572, and the first edition was published at Spanishin 1583.

However, in a society where the majority of people could not read, the impact of these texts in spreading the life and figure of Saint Ignatius would be limited. It was therefore necessary to have images. This brought with it the need to create an iconography, that is, an image whose characteristics made it possible to identify him. Traditionally this was done by means of attributes taken from the life of the saint, such as his martyrdom: St Lawrence the grill (where he was roasted), St Barbara the tower (where she was imprisoned), St Agatha the breasts (which were cut off), St Andrew the cross on a pole (where he was martyred). As we shall see, Saint Ignatius will also have attributes created for him: the cassock and cassock or priestly vestments, the Eucharistic sun, the book of constitutions, the flag or military accoutrements.

The peculiarity with respect to other saints is that, in addition to attributes, the Society will ensure that the representations of Saint Ignatius are as truthful as possible. This is what is known as vera effigies or true image, that the representations of Saint Ignatius should not be in the abstract, but should reproduce the real physical characteristics of the personage, especially his face. This image was created from the death mask that was removed after the death of the founder and of which several plaster copies were made. The face obtained here was later copied in portraits such as the one made by Jacopino del Conte in 1556 - the year of the saint's death - and by Alonso Sánchez Coello in 1585. These portraits would later be reproduced in engravings and disseminated throughout the world.

Alongside the portrait, the episodes from the life of Saint Ignatius, collected among others by Ribadeneyra, also began to be translated into images that were reproduced, multiplied and disseminated thanks to the technique of engraving. One of the most important editions was the series of engravings drawn by Rubens and produced by the engraver Jean Baptiste Barbé, the first edition being published in Rome in 1609 on the occasion of the saint's beatification. In addition to the engravings by Rubens and Barbé, a large number of engravings were produced by other artists, mainly Flemish.

The works kept in the cathedral

Sculpture of St. Ignatius of Loyola, ca. 1620

Made in gilded and polychrome wood, it is paired with another of Saint Francis Xavier, of identical size and similar formal characteristics. This second sculpture by the patron saintof Navarre was related by Fernández Gracia to the 500 ducats that in 1620 the archdeacon of the Cathedral Chamber, Don Juan Cruzat, gave to the Presidentof the high schoolof Pamplona for a sculpture of Saint Francis Xavier, beatified the previous year. It is quite possible that the respectable sum of 500 ducats was finally earmarked not for one but for two sculptures. The commission was made in Valladolid, a leading artistic centre at the time, especially in the field of sculpture, from which high schooloften imported works. The sculptures are related to the style of Gregorio Fernández, one of the best sculptors in Castile at the beginning of the 17th century, and from a stylistic point of view they are situated in the transition between the Romanism of the late 16th century and the naturalism that would emerge in the 17th century. It is a sculpture of large, rounded volumes. As was customary, the head seems to have been carved separately and fitted into the body. It is also notable for its rich polychromy, especially in the gold border with brush-tip decoration that we see on the border of the mantle and on the hem, sleeves and collar of the cassock. The sculpture is complemented by a silver diadem.

In terms of iconography, the saint wears a cassock with a kind of short, narrow sash or sash and carries a wide-brimmed cloak over his shoulders. The former soldier is shown standing, with his head turned backwards, looking up to the sky. The face shares the characteristics of the so-called vera effigies, depicting Ignatius at a mature age, bald and bearded. It incorporates two of the main attributes that have usually accompanied his iconographic representations from the earliest times: the Eucharistic sun and the book of the Constitutions of the Society of Jesus. Of the two, the most important is the Eucharistic sun, as it is not only an attribute of Saint Ignatius, but also the emblem and symbol of the congregation he founded. Thus we see the anagram of the name of Jesus formed by the first three letters of his name in Greek translated into the Latin alphabet (IHS) surmounted by a cross and accompanied at the bottom by the three nails of the Passion. These elements are inscribed in a circle surrounded by straight, flaming rays, giving rise to a monstrance like those used to display the Sacred Form.

There are two reasons for using this attribute: first, because in the biography that Saint Ignatius dictated during his lifetime at the request of some of his close collaborators, the chronicler says that the holy founder used to see God in the form of the sun, especially when he had to make a decision; and second, because it symbolises the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, reaffirmed by the Council of Trent after Luther and Protestantism had questioned it. The Jesuits, regarded as the soldiers of the Church, stood up to the Protestants as the main defenders of Catholic doctrine, a fundamental part of which is the theology related to the Mass and the Real Presence. St. Ignatius rises with this attribute into a symbol of the work of the Society as the flagship of the Catholic Reformation. It also underlines the role of God as the inspiration for the work of St. Ignatius and the Jesuits.

Sculpture of St. Ignatius, ca. 1712-1713

Made of gilded and polychrome wood, the sculpture stands out precisely for its rich polychromy which, unlike the previous image, here invades the whole of the cassock and mantle with vegetal elements, scrolls and the emblem of the Society. From the iconographic point of view, the image is practically identical to the previous one. The saint, erect, with one knee slightly bent, dressed in cassock and mantle, holding a Eucharistic sun in one hand, which has now disappeared, and the book of constitutions in the other. The face conforms to the characteristics of the vera effigies.

The peculiarity of this work is that it is the only one of the representations of Saint Ignatius that we are going to see made by and for the cathedral. Specifically, it was sculpted next to the altarpiece for which it was intended: that of Santa Águeda or Santa Bárbara. Its author, Fermín de Larraínzar, commissioned positionfor this altarpiece by the Cathedral Chapter between 1712-1713, and it was gilded and polychromed by Pedro de Ecay in 1714.

In contrast to the previous sculpture, here Saint Ignatius can be read in relation to the other saints and blessed placed on the altarpiece. In fact, this altarpiece is a compendium of the doctrine defined by the Council of Trent and promoted by the Counter-Reformation in the face of Protestant heresy. In the first section, Saint Ignatius is placed next to Saint Philip Neri, a saint with whom he was canonised in the same ceremony in 1622. The two flank the 17th-century Romanist Christ of the Chaplains. In the second body, the titular saint, Saint Agatha, whose devotion and popularity had medieval roots, is identified in the centre. However, the martyr is flanked by saints who embody the values of the Counter-Reformation: Saint Charles Borromeo, whose heroic behaviour during the plague of Milan was used as an example of how works are necessary to be saved and not faith alone, as the Protestants maintained, and Saint Francis de Sales, founder of the Order of the Visitation and promoter of a spirituality more accessible to the faithful. In the attic we also see, flanking another medieval devotion, Saint Barbara, two saints very typical of Counter-Reformation devotion: Saint Peter of Alcántara and Saint Rita of Cascia, who at the time the altarpiece was made had the status of blessed. At the ends are Saint Michael and the Guardian Angel.

Jesuit saints and blessed with the Trinity and the Immaculate Conception, second quarter of the 17th century

As in the altarpiece we have just left behind, we see Saint Ignatius accompanied by other saints, but this time from his own order. The canvas belongs to the Flemish school of the second quarter of the 17th century and is signed by a painter named Vannyck. The artist reproduced several engravings in paint, including the one that illustrated the title page of Elegiae, written by the Jesuit Provincial of Toulouse, Arnaldi Bohyraei (1618).

Thus, the centre of the painting is reservationfor the representation of the Trinity: God the Father with the dove of the Holy Spirit in the upper part and Christ Crucified in the middle, occupying most of the composition and surrounded by the legend taken from the Gospel of John: EGO SVM VITIS, VOS PALMITES. It is worth mentioning the particularity that the cross is not in the form of a log or a tree, but in the form of vine branches from which bunches of grapes hang. The Crucified Christ is also accompanied by the anagram of the IHS, surrounded by vines, and by a chalice with a bunch of grapes.

Four Jesuit saints and blessed are located in medallions in the four corners: Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Saint Francis Xavier and the then Blessed Aloysius Gonzaga and Saint Stanislaus of Kostka, the latter three carrying branches of lilies in allusion to their virginity. For the virtue of chastity, Saint Aloysius is crowned by an angel and Saint Stanislaus receives communion from the hands of another angelic being, as narrated in a chapter of his life; finally, in the centre of the lower part, the Immaculate Conception, dressed in red in allusion to the incarnation and in blue in allusion to the queen of heaven and accompanied by the moon at her feet, as described in the Apocalypse.

It is clear that the work is inspired by depictions of Jesuit saints adoring the name of Jesus in the form of an anagram or in the form of the Infant Jesus. However, in this case both the composition and the message are more profound, and can be considered a developmentof the adoration of the name of Jesus whose anagram appears in the centre. In contrast to other representations, the cross that crowns the letter H here takes on gigantic proportions, becoming an authentic crucified Christ who, accompanied by the Father and the Holy Spirit, is transformed into the Holy Trinity. But Christ also appears crucified on a vine, surrounded by branches, vine leaves and bunches of grapes, accompanied by a chalice and the legend: I am the vine, you are the branches. Consequently, the four Jesuit saints are not simply worshipping the Trinity, but Christ truly present in the Eucharist. The painting sends the viewer a clear message of the Catholic doctrine of the real presence and sacrificial character of the Mass, as re-updateand re-presentation of the sacrifice of the Cross.

Together with the theology of the Eucharist, the Immaculate Conception was one of the great disagreements between Catholics and Protestants, who denied the belief that Mary was conceived free of original sin. Bearing in mind that the Jesuits were, with the Franciscans, the great defenders and propagators of this mystery of faith, we see the presence of the Immaculate Conception as a vindication of Mary's clean conception and her role in the work of salvation.

Vision of the Storta, 17th century

This is the last Ignatian work on the tour, with the particularity of representing Ignatius in the context of one of the episodes of his life. The composition and conception of this painting are typically Baroque, with two apparently contradictory realities, one heavenly and the other earthly, occurring quotationin the same space. Thus, on the right of the painting we see Saint Ignatius kneeling. He can be identified by his face and clothing. The arch in the background, with two figures, leads us to suppose that Saint Ignatius is inside a building. The darkness of the interior in which the saint from Guipuzcoa finds himself contrasts with the luminosity of the celestial space which occupies the left and upper part of the painting and in which we recognise, in the foreground, on the left, Christ standing with the cross on his shoulder, looking at Saint Ignatius, with whom he seems to be conversing. Above him, amidst clouds and the heads of angels, is the first person of the Trinity, God the Father, characterised as an old man and carrying the ball of the world, a sign of his universal empire. The Eternal Father looks at Christ while pointing his hand at Ignatius.

Well, this canvas represents one of the episodes in the life of Saint Ignatius, specifically the one in which the saint, on his way to Rome in 1537, on entering a church, had a vision of Christ who, with the cross on his shoulders and in the company of God the Father, promised the saint to be propitious to him in Rome: Ego sum Romae propitius ero. The painting reproduces quite literally the text in which Ribadeneyra narrates the episode. Ignatius is alone in a church, with two people waiting for him outside, whom we identify as Fathers Pedro Fabro and Diego Lainez. Christ appears to him with the cross on his shoulders and, as the text says, God the Father turns to Jesus and points to Ignatius, reproducing with the gesture of his hand what the text says that "he commended him and his companions and handed them over to his powerful right hand".

For this painting, the artist who painted it in the 17th century, whose name we do not know, must have been inspired by one or more engravings rather than by Ribadeneyra's text, which he copied to a greater or lesser extent Degree, as we have seen in the case of the previous painting. Thus, for example, the image of God the Father seems to have been copied from an engraving of the same subject by Cornellis Galle (1610). Likewise, the arrangement of Christ indicates the possible Valladolid provenance of this canvas. Christ is not depicted as he appears in the engravings that reproduce the scene of the Storta, with the cross on his shoulders or seated on a kind of throne of clouds. Christ appears standing with the cross resting on his shoulder, exactly as he does in the relief that depicts this same scene and which Gregorio Fernández sculpted for the altarpiece of Saint Ignatius in the Royal Church of Saint Michael and Saint Julian in Valladolid.