kids encyclopedia robot

Scenes from the Life of the Virgin Mary facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Medieval fresco on Duomo of Spoleto
A beautiful fresco showing scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary.

The Scenes from the Life of the Virgin Mary (in Italian, Le Storie della Vergine) is a famous series of paintings called frescos. These artworks were created by the Italian artist Filippo Lippi. You can find them inside the Spoleto Cathedral in Italy. A fresco is a painting done on wet plaster, which makes the colors last a very long time.

The Story Behind the Frescoes

This amazing art project started in 1466. Filippo Lippi had just finished another big painting job at Prato Cathedral. Sadly, Lippi passed away suddenly in 1469, before he could finish the frescoes himself. Some old stories, like those written by Giorgio Vasari in his book Lives of the Artists, even suggest he might have been poisoned.

After Lippi's death, his helpers and students worked hard to finish the frescoes. They completed the entire project in about three months. Lippi was buried right there in Spoleto Cathedral. Even Lorenzo de' Medici, a very powerful leader from Florence, wanted Lippi's body brought back to Florence. But the people of Spoleto said no. They were proud that their new, grand cathedral would be the resting place for such a famous artist.

What the Frescoes Show

The frescoes tell a story through pictures, showing different moments from the life of the Virgin Mary. If you look at them from left to right, you will see these scenes:

  • The Annunciation: This shows the moment when the Angel Gabriel tells Mary she will have a special baby.
  • The Dormition: This scene is in the middle. It shows Mary falling asleep for the last time before she goes to heaven. Even though it's not in the exact order of events, it was probably placed in the center because the cathedral is dedicated to the Assumption of Mary. The Assumption is when Mary was taken up into heaven.
  • The Nativity: This fresco shows the birth of Jesus.
  • The Coronation of the Virgin: This is painted high up in the half-domed ceiling of the apse (the rounded part of the church). It shows Mary being crowned as Queen of Heaven.

Gallery

  • Spoleto049

    Annunciation

  • Spoleto048

    Dormition

  • Spoleto050

    Nativity

  • Filippo Lippi, Coronation of the Virgin, Cathedral of Spoleto

    Coronation

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Scenes from the Life of the Virgin Mary Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.