PULPIT

uthors unknown – Wood – Late seventeenth century and 1740s

The Baroque pulpit consists of two stylistically disparate parts. The lower section, namely the preaching platform with its parapet, dates apparently from the late seventeenth century, while the canopy with beveled corners and a gently curved cornice reflects the influence of the high Baroque style and can therefore be dated to the mid-eighteenth century, specifically to the year 1748, as recorded in the town chronicle.

The parapet is articulated with twisted columns that support the shaped cornice of the preaching platform. Between the individual columns are positioned statues of the four Western Church Fathers, whose theological works form the foundation of Catholic doctrine. These are St Jerome (left side), St Ambrose, St Gregory, and St Augustine (at the front).

View of the Chapel of St Anne, period photograph, 1930s

The Holy Four

St Jerome

Jerome was the author of the Latin translation of the Bible from the turn of the fourth and fifth centuries, known as the Vulgate. For this reason, he holds a book as his attribute. He is clothed in cardinal’s vestments, although he never actually held the title of cardinal. At his feet lies a lion, an allusion to the legend according to which Jerome extracted a thorn from the paw of a wounded lion, whereupon the animal became his faithful companion during the time the saint lived in solitude as a hermit.

St Ambrose

Bishop of Milan and one of the greatest authorities of Western Christianity in the fourth century. He championed the independence of the Church, opposed ecclesiastical heresies such as Arianism, and introduced the practice of hymn singing in church liturgy. The most renowned of these is the Te Deum. In this depiction, he is shown without any characteristic attribute (customarily a beehive), clothed only in episcopal vestments bearing a mitre and holding a crosier.

St Gregory the Great

Pope at the turn of the sixth and seventh centuries, Gregory was a diplomat who resolved disputes exclusively through peaceful means. He carried out significant reforms of the liturgy and is credited with the development of liturgical chant, commonly known as Gregorian chant. In this depiction, he is presented with the insignia of papal authority—a cross and a tiara—and is shown blessing with his right hand.

St Augustine

The most significant Christian philosopher of antiquity, Augustine did not convert to Christianity until adulthood, following his encounter with Ambrose, the Bishop of Milan, in the late fourth century. Shortly thereafter, he himself became bishop of Hippo Regius in North Africa. His theological writings form the foundational pillars of Christian philosophy. Although Augustine possesses numerous attributes in Christian iconography (a burning heart, a book, an infant, among others), he is depicted here solely in his role as bishop and is therefore indistinguishable from St Ambrose.