The Cross of Cardinal Trambley
The Making of Conclave
The cross symbolizes the hope of receiving forgiveness for one’s sins and reconciling with God.
It is embellished with four citrine quartzes which, due to their golden hue, the ancients believed to be a materialization of the Sun, a reference to divinity.
The bas-relief is inspired by the glazed terracotta altarpiece by Andrea della Robbia, dated 1481, located in the Sanctuary of La Verna (Tuscany).
It depicts the crucifixion with the Virgin Mary and Saint John at the foot of the cross.
Christ is sustained in the hour of trial by God the Father and His angels. Above, the Holy Spirit descends from heaven, between the Sun and the Moon, in reference to the sudden darkening of the sky at the moment of Jesus’ death.
Beneath the cross, the skull of Adam recalls the tradition that the first human being was buried with a seed in his mouth, and from that tree the wood of the cross was later obtained.
The piece was worn by American actor John Lithgow.
