Christ of the Lanterns
Christ of the Lanterns is a large crucifix located in the Plaza de Capuchinos in Córdoba, Spain. Originally called Christ of the Desagravios and Mercy, it was created in 1794 by the sculptor Juan Navarro León at the commission of the Capuchin Diego Giuseppe da Cadice. Its popular name comes from the eight lanterns placed on iron supports that light the sculpture. The monument’s present appearance developed with the construction of a fence in the 20th century and the replacement of the lanterns with darker ones in 1984.
April 2024 © Benjamin Smith · CC BY-SA 4.0
April 2013 © Pedro M. Martínez Corada - www.martinezcorada.es · CC BY 3.0
September 2013 © Martin Haisch · CC BY-SA 2.0
May 1990 © LBM1948 · CC BY-SA 4.0
October 2009 © Turol Jones, un artista de cojones · CC BY 2.0
Identification | |
| Title | Christ of the Lanterns |
| Original name | Cristo de los Faroles |
| Former name | Cristo de los Desagravios y Misericordia |
| Italian name | Cristo delle lanterne |
| Former Italian name | Cristo dell’espiazione e della misericordia |
| Type | Large crucifix |
Historical context | |
| Date created | 1794 |
Creator | |
| Financed by | the Marquises of Ariza and other donors |
| Commissioned by | Capuchin friar Diego José de Cádiz |
| Artist nationality | Cordoban |
| Artist | Juan Navarro León |
Discovery and provenance | |
| Original location | the courtyard of the Convent of Santo Ángel (Capuchinos) |
Physical characteristics | |
| Structure | The Christ figure stands on two octagonal prisms resting on a stone plinth |
| Lanterns | Eight lanterns |
| Pavement | Original cobblestone paving |
Materials | |
| Christ figure material | White marble |
| Cross material | Black marble |
| Lantern support material | Iron |
Appearance | |
| Inscription on cross | A Latin biblical verse translated into Spanish as "And the rock was Christ" |
| Inscription on pedestal | Miserere |
Iconography and meaning | |
| Popular name | Christ of the Lanterns |
| Name origin | The popular name comes from the eight lanterns that illuminate and surround it |
Location and ownership | |
| Current location | Plaza de Capuchinos, Córdoba, Spain |
| Specific setting | Near Cuesta del Bailío |
History and restoration | |
| Restoration | The entire ensemble underwent an important restoration in 2015 |
| Lantern replacement | Replaced with darker, more austere lanterns |
| Lanterns replaced | 1984 |
| Defense of the structure | Ricardo de Montis defended the structure in Madrid and urged that the oil lamps be replaced with electric ones |
| Official response to railings | Mayor José Cruz-Conde, after speaking with the Córdoba Monuments Commission, requested that the railing be removed |
| Railings funded by | An anonymous local resident |
| Railings installed | 1 March 1924 |
| Fence added | 20th century |
Significance | |
| Described as | A place of worship highly preferred in Córdoba |
| Associated procession context | One of the images carried in procession during Holy Week in Córdoba |
| Associated brotherhoods | Brotherhood of Peace and Hope; Brotherhood of Sorrows |
| Key viewing moments | At sunset; on Holy Tuesday with the Brotherhood of the Blood; on Holy Wednesday with the Brotherhood of Peace; on Good Friday with the Brotherhood of Sorrows; during the stations of the cross of those brotherhoods |
| Similarity note | The Christ of Clemency by Amadeo Ruiz Olmos for the Brotherhood of Sorrows processes with great similarity to the Christ of the Lanterns |
| Related procession music | In 2005, a processional march was premiered, composed by the Sevillian Miguel Ángel Font and gifted to the brother costaleros of the Christ of Humility and Patience of the Brotherhood of Peace |