Tomb of Antipope John XXIII
The Tomb of Antipope John XXIII was created by Donatello and Michelozzo for the Florence Baptistry. It was commissioned by the executors of Cossa’s will after his death on December 22, 1419 and completed during the 1420s. At the time of its completion, the monument was the tallest sculpture in Florence, and one of very few tombs within the Baptistry or the neighboring Duome.
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The Tomb of Antipope John XXIII was created by Donatello and Michelozzo for the Florence Baptistry adjacent to the Duomo. It was commissioned by the executors of Cossa’s will after his death on December 22, 1419 and completed during the 1420s. At the time of its completion, the monument was the tallest sculpture in Florence, and one of very few tombs within the Baptistry or the neighboring Duome. The tomb monument’s design included figures of the three Virtues in niches, a gilded bronze recumbent effigy laid out above an inscription-bearing sarcophagus, and above it a Madonna and Child in a half-lunette, with a canopy over all. The evocation of papal symbolism on the tomb has been interpreted as a snub to CossA’s successor Pope Martin V or vicarious “Medici self-promotion”, as such a tomb would have been deemed unacceptable for a Florentine citizen. John XX III was acknowledged as pope by France, England, Bohemia, Prussia, Portugal, parts of the Holy Roman Empire, and numerous Northern Italian city states, including Florence and Venice. He was compelled by Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, to convoke the Council of Constance in 1414, although when the threat to his pontificate and possibly his person became apparent, he fled in 1415. The monument is often interpreted as an attempt to strengthen the legitimacy of COSSa’s pontificate by linking him to the spiritually powerful site of the baptistry.
The attribution of its various elements to each of the artists has been debated by art historians, as have the interpretations of its design and iconography. JohnXXIII had a complicated life, legacy, and relationship with the city of Florence. He had a long history of cooperation with Florence, which had viewed him as the legitimate pontiff for a time during the Western Schism. In his capacity as pope, he had designated the Medici bank as the bank’s depository for the papal finances for Florence. In 1402, he encouraged rebellion against Pope Gregory XII, who refused to resign. In February 1419, he was ransomed by the Republic of Florence in an orchestrated orchestrated manoeuvre to put pressure on Martin V, or Giovanni’ Medici, or both. Although he was only given the title of Cardinal of Tusculum, Cossas submitted himself as papal general to Martin V on June 26, 1420, and was rewarded with a cardinal’s hat on June, 26, and June, 28, 1421. In the meantime, the Council deposed John XXII on May 29, 1415 and elected Pope MartinV on November 11, 1417; Martin V proceeded to Florence in 1419. In April 1421, John XXii was deposed by Louis III and imprisoned by Frederick IV, Duke of Burgundy, and he was imprisoned for two years.
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This page is based on the article Tomb of Antipope John XXIII published in Wikipedia (as of Oct. 31, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
