A Warlord In The Cathedral
Warlords fascinate many of us because we think they are knights without fear and reproach. Do you like riddles? Here you will find one you can try to solve with me. Whose portrait is this?
I write quite often about warlords, knights, and castles here. Today I want to show you another one that seemed very familiar. I saw a remarkable portrait among the 15th-century frescoes in the Ivrea Cathedral. The handsome young man in full armor seemed very similar to Amadeus VI. (read this article about him: Once Upon a Time, a Brave Count Built a Fortress)
But I think I have to remember some rules to follow during your summer walks.
Summer is nice. We wait for it all year long. And forget about the adequate protection when it comes. But it’s important, especially because we live in a period of climate change. Here, in Italy, I see tourists who don't even think about it and then have health problems or problems with their gadgets.
I think the same can happen anywhere, so before I tell you a new story, I want to remind you of some essential protection rules from my personal experience.
Important sun protection tips
Wide-Brimmed Hats. A stylish and effective way to shield your face, neck, and ears from the sun. Look for hats with a brim of at least 3 inches (ca. 8 cm) for optimal coverage. There are hats with UV protection in the shops. Prefer them.
Bandanas. A versatile accessory that can be soaked in water and worn around your neck or on your head. You can use it to dry sweat. This not only helps keep you cool, but also provides an extra layer of sun protection.
Wear T-shirts with half-sleeves. Under the sun, it is better to cover up as much as possible. Especially, in places like southern Italy, where temperatures in August easily reach 50 C°. My tour guide friends in Pompeii told me that they remained in bed for days after working under the sun in August even though they were properly protected. The sun is really very heavy in summer here.
Sunglasses. Invest in a good pair of sunglasses that block 100% of UVA and UVB rays. This protects your eyes and the sensitive skin around them from sun damage.
Stay Hydrated. Carry a water bottle. The main squares in the towns and villages in Italy often have drinking fountains, and there are springs in the mountains, but that's not a given. You can't always find them. So it's useful to have a bottle of water in your backpack. At least a little bottle. Lately, I've started to like collapsible silicone bottles. Quite convenient.
Finally, sun protection is needed for everything important that you have in your backpack: gadgets, water, and everything that can be damaged by the sun. Buy small picnic cooler bags as a “pocket” and put all of them in there. Yes, they take up space, but it is much more pleasant to drink more or less cool water and not boiling hot, and the cell phone, video camera, or various batteries cost much more. Especially, if you have to leave them on the beach.
Now, we pass on to today’s story.
A warlord in the crypt
The cathedral of Ivrea is an antique building, and you enter the antique part when you pass the naves. A walkway runs around the current altar, and then you descend into the crypt.
In the center of the crypt is a sarcophagus of the quaestor Caio Atecio Valerio reused as a funerary urn for the relics of San Besso. Bishop of Ivrea Warmondo welcomed the relics of Saint Tegolo and Saint Besso in the year 997.
Saint Besso was a saint much venerated in the Alps for many miracles. In that period, people believed that the more relics of the saints the city had, the more it would be protected, and for this reason, every governor tried to get at least some of them in their towns. So the bishop of Ivrea brought relics of two saints to his church because the locals believed he was supported by divine forces.
But Warmondo still had a problem: Arduino, Marquis of Ivrea, the first king of Italy, was too grumpy and independent.
(read my articles The Courage of The Resistance of Arduino, Italy's First King, and Boudoir for the Count's Private Use about this warlord)
Warmondo wanted to prove this way that the main authority here is the representative of the church and not the warlord.
At that time, there was no ceiling above the crypt. There was only the surrounding walkway: numerous pilgrims visited the town, and they could circumambulate the sarcophagus with the relics of the saint and see it directly from above.
The bishop demonstrated to all how strong the church is and how protected it is by the saints, while the rebellious marquis was excommunicated every time he did something against his enemy bishop.
I discovered the story you read above trying to understand who was the knight in the photo below.
I started with coats of arms, but I couldn't find out whom they belonged to. The fresco was created after 1426 by Giacomino da Ivrea and represents Saint Besso, a Roman legionary martyr, and protector of soldiers.
Interesting is how this soldier is dressed, his face which should be a portrait, and his haircut. I find him similar to the duchies of Savoy, but the coat of arms is different.
The circular halo shows that the person was dead at the moment…
Other figures from the same series nearby have “normal” yellow halos. Why does this character have such a strange halo?
I spent hours looking for it, but I still do not have answers.
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