Church of Saint Mary of the Assumption
Location, Object
Locarno, Canton of Ticino. Church of Saint Mary of the Assumption (chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta or Chiesa Nuova); built and decorated 1630–1636; restored 1899 and 1969–1970. Vaulted ceilings and walls of nave, organ gallery and choir with lavish stucco decorations and fresco paintings, including scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary (main frescoes of walls and ceiling), prophets and sibyls (ceiling), and 28 emblems (transverse arches), some in poor condition.
Emblems (28)
Context
Five transverse arches of the nave, each with stucco decorations and 5–6 painted emblems with Latin mottoes. The emblems frame the main frescoes of the ceiling showing the Holy Family (1st bay), the Marriage at Cana (2nd bay), the Descent of the Holy Ghost (3rd bay), and the Assumption and Coronation of the Virgin Mary (4th and 5th bays).
Authorship, Date
Anonymous, perhaps some local artist(s); mid-1630s. One of the earliest emblem cycles in Switzerland.
Significance
Glorification of the Virgin Mary as Mother of God, Queen of Heaven, Help of Christians, etc.
Source
Unidentified. Some of the picturae are similar to those in the illustrations in Ferro 1623 and other Italian emblem books. The motti seem to be original, but they are partly corrupt.
Literature
Kdm TI 1: 303–307; KF 2: 597; Mondada 1970; Anderes 1998: 127; Besomi/Barelli 2009; Oberli 2021: 188–89, 195–96.
exterior from south.
exterior from west.
interior, central view from entrance (north-west) to choir.
interior, view from choir (south-east) to entrance.
1st bay with organ gallery, Holy Family, and emblems nos. 1–6.
2nd bay with Marriage at Cana and emblems nos. 1–6 (top) and 7–2 (bottom).
3rd bay with Descent of the Holy Ghost and emblems nos. 7–12 (top), 13–18 (bottom).
4th bay with Assumption and emblems nos. 13–18 (top), 19–23 (bottom).
5th bay and choir with Coronation and emblems nos. 19–23 (top) and 24–28 (bottom).
5th bay with Coronation and emblems nos. 24–28.
An oak tree.
VIRTUS HAUD DEFICIT UNQUAM.
A fortified city.
GENITOREM STRINXIT IN ALVO.
Red roses.
VELUT ROSÆ VERNAN[T]ES VIRGINES.
White lilies.
VELUT ALBENTIA LILIA CASTI.
A temple.
HÆC VETUS ARCA NITET.
A cedar with large fruits.
EXPELLIT FORTITER ANGUES.
Clouds [?].
[Motto lost].
A ship at sea; wind blowing in its sails.
AD PORTUM TURGIDA VELA FERUNT.
A double sun.
QUIS NON SPECTABIT ABUNDÆ.
An altar.
HÆC EST VENERANDA PENUS [cf. Paulinus of Nola, Ep. ad Sev. 32].
Jacob’s ladder.
PER TE SCANDIT AB ASTRA CELER.
A mirror.
MACULAS TERGIS AB OMNIA VIRO.
A fortified tower.
HAC VIGILI TUTUS AB HOSSE [recte: HOSTE] MAN[EBIS?].
The sun.
CUNCTA VIGET PER LUCIE[?] PHOEBER [recte: PHOEBI?].
A well.
NULLO SICCABITUR ÆST[U].
A fountain.
NUNQUAM SICCABOR AB ÆSTU.
Heliotropes turning to the sun.
OMNIA SOLE NITENTE VIGEND[…].
The Moon.
VIGOR SIC TIBI SPLENDOR ABEST.
A tree [?].
[Motto lost].
An open fire.
FIDUS SEMPER AT […] CALOR[EM?].
The rising sun.
TENEBRAS AURORA RE[PE]LLIS.
A pearl in an open shell.
PRETIOSA ERO.
A bright star.
HAC EDUCE TUTUS ERIS [cf. Ovid, ars. 2, 58].
A sunflower turning to the sun.
IPSE SE[Q]UAR QUOCUN[QUE] MEABIS.
A white flower [a lily?].
GRATAT ODORUS OD[O?]RE.
A tree [olive tree?].
[…]VA ERIS [rest of motto lost].
Noah’s Ark.
HAC STYGIAS VITAVIMUS UNDAS.
Rain from clouds.
FÆLIX EDDITUR OMNE SOLUM.
Copyright note: Added 2013, updated 2016 and 2026. All photos taken by the author, October 2012 and August 2016. Floor plan reproduced from Kdm TI 1: 301.