336 Theory as to the Origin of the Crosses 



the chequers and vines, and even the sunoial.can be most readily derived 

 from the ornamental features of churches. And the suggestion for such 

 a face of an obelisk would most naturally come from the carved door- 

 post of a church-portal.^ Such a one we find at the abbey-church of 

 Nonantola, a few miles northeast of Modena, the most important Bene- 

 dictine abbey in Italy next to that of Monte Cassino, at one period 

 a centre of mediaeval learning, and no doubt in constant communi- 

 cation with so important a Transalpine monastery as that of St. Bene- 

 dict at Fleury (St. Benoit-sur- Loire) , whose connections with Eng- 

 land we shall see. Here, at Nonantola, the door-jamb on the right 

 side bears a striking general resemblance to two faces of the Ruthwell 

 Cross, in so far as it contains, in a series of panels,^ representations 

 of Scriptural figures or groups, with Latin legends explaining them. 

 These panels differ in height, as do those on the Ruthwell Cross, and 

 are ten in number. Beginning at the top, they represent : (1) The 

 child in the manger, with the ox and ass ; (2) the washing of the child, 

 from the Apocryphal Gospels ; (3) the Visitation ; (4) the Annun- 

 ciation ; (5) a person whose significance is doubtful (Zacharias ?) ; 

 (6) Joseph warned by an angel ; (7) the Purification ; (8) the i\.doration 

 of the Magi ; (9) the Announcement to the Shepherds ; (10) the flock 

 of sheep belonging to the latter. Not only do the inscriptions occupy 

 the intermediate spaces between the panels, as they do at Bewcastle,^ 

 and in part at Ruthwell,* but the O of the inscriptions is lozenge- 

 shaped,^ as sometimes in those at Ruthwell. The approximate date 

 of the Nonantola carvings, which were executed by Wiligelmus, 

 is 1117.6 



For the vine we need only refer to pages 71—83, where it has been 

 shown that there is abundant precedent for its use, the instances of 

 its occurrence increasing especially in the 12th century. For the 

 Biblical subjects occurring on our two crosses, we may refer to pages 

 46—58; for the legend of Paul and Anthony, to pages 58, 59; for the 

 genr e-sVihiecis of the Bewcastle Cross, to pages 60—71. For genre- 

 subjects in general as treated in the 12th century, it is important 

 to consider such bas-reliefs as those of the cathedral of Piacenza, 

 sculptured at the instance of various trades of the city, and dating 



^ On door-jambs bearing statues, see Enlart, Manuel d'Archeologie Fran- 

 Qaise 1. 295. 



- Cf. the door-jamb of the baptistery at Parma (Venturi, Sioria delV Arte 

 Ital. 3. 305). 



3 See pp. 25, 26, 28. * See pp. 16 ff. ^ ;^ee p. 44. 



^ Cesari, Nonantola (Modena, 1901), pp. 60-61, and frontispiece : Venturi, 

 3. 172 ; see also pp. 50, 81, above. 



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