Arenys de Mar

Arenys de Mar

Description of the
altar-piece, from to bottom.

The highest part of the crown of the altar-piece is occupied by the Everiasting Father, with two angels at His side, holding the sceptre of the Divine Majesty and the globe.
Inmediately below, Faith is on the left, as portrayed by a matron holding a chalice and a cross,and to the right, Hope, holding an anchor.

The next level down is occupied by four angels, symm-metrically spread out on a balustrade. The two central figures each hold a palm branch. At the two ends, the angel on the right holds a laurel twig and the other, an oak twig. Beneath them, there is a small altar-piece showing the image of St. Zenon, patron saint of Arenys de Mar, dressed as a Rornan soldier, though his hair style, moustache etc. are those of the soldiers of the sculptor's time.

At the next level, from left to right, there is a vaulted niche with a portrait of St. Peter, a large medallion with a relief of the Visitation, another one with a relief of the Adoration of the Magi, and another vaulted niche, with a portrait of St. Paul.
Next we can see a ledge where, from left to right, we can see an angel holding up a tower, and portraying Fortitude,- another has a large jug, as a symbol of Temperance; two more angels act as a reredos, as shall be explained below; another, representing Prudence, bids us to be quiet, and at the right hand end there is another angel, holding up a dressing-room mirror as used in the earliest Baroque period, representing speculum justiciae.

In a privileged place at the centre is the large reredos of Our Lady. The inside of the reredos is a magnificent wood carving in which, in the original project, the intention was to instal an altar at which masses could be held. Later, as the figure of Mary was enlarged, this idea was dropped. Our Lady is portrayed rissing up to heaven, emerging straight out the tomb, and surrounded by angels. The work is an exact replica of the famous etching by Carlo Maratta.

Immediately beneath this level St. Joseph is to be seen in a vaulted niche; there is a medallion with a Presentation of Our Lady in the Temple on relief; another shows the Nativity of Mary, while a second vaulted niche contains an image of St. Francis of Paula.

Pride of place on the lower level of the altar piece goes to the magnificent shrine, whose interior is beautifully sculpted and gilded, with two angels posing in adoration at each side of the base on which the tabemacle is placed. This shrine is the central attraction of the altarpiece, as a result of the fact that most celebrations are of the Eucharist. Outside, just above the shrine, an angel holds up a purple banner, for the ancient flag of Arenys de Mar was purple in colour, as is the banner held by St. Zenon in the same altar-piece.

This shrine is completed by two doors on which the Angel's Annunciation to Mary is painted. It is a beautiful work dating from the beginning of the eighteenth century, and painted by an unknown artist, though based on a etching by Carlo Maratta.

On the lower level, as a predella, four medallions with haut reliefs show scenes of the Passion of Jesus Christ: the Whipping, the Garden at Gesthemane, the Way of the Cross and the Crown of Thorns.

The large gilded soffits on the walls of the presbytery, on each side of the altar-piece, are of much pourer qulity, and were painted towards the end of the eighteenth century, when the lateral sacristies were removed.

Texto de J.M. Pons i Guri