Corona Gloriae by Helga Vockenhuber
A giant sculpture in the shape of the Crown of Thorns has been placed in the center of the Pantheon in Rome.
Corona Gloriae, created by the Austrian sculptor Helga Vockenhuber, was unveiled on Wednesday, July 2nd, at the Pantheon. While the Pantheon is known among tourists as an ancient temple to all the gods of Rome, it is also the site of the oldest Catholic church in the city, the Basilica of Santa Maria ad Martyres. The installation consists of seven bronze sculptures that, when arranged together, form a broken crown of thorns. It is meant to evoke the story of Christ’s Passion and symbolizes suffering and redemption. However, the crown is broken, symbolizing the ability to overcome suffering and the hope that the idea of redemption inspires. But the crown also symbolizes martyrdom itself, making it an appropriate installation for a major Catholic church dedicated in part to all Christian martyrs. However, the sculpture also interacts with the building itself in an interesting way. The ring of twisted, thorny sculptures has been placed directly beneath the Pantheon’s oculus, a central opening that faces skyward. The sun, therefore, shines directly over the sculpture exactly at noon.
Vockenhuber’s earlier version of the sculpture was exhibited at the Basilica of San Giorgio Maggiore at the most recent Venice Biennale. The two curators who oversaw the installation in Venice, Father Umberto Bordoni and Professor Giuseppe Cordoni, have returned to supervise its exhibition at the Pantheon. The awe-inspiring installation was made possible through the collaborative efforts of the City of Rome National Museums Directorate, the Austrian embassy to the Vatican, and the Catholic Church’s Dicastery for Evangelization. This work is one of many cultural initiatives undertaken for the Church’s Jubilee Year, with the theme of hope resonating particularly well with this piece. In fact, the central idea of hope is one that many will need this year. In a time when the world seems to be delving deeper into chaos, hope is often all one has.
Corona Gloriae will be on display at the Pantheon until September 16th.