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Counter-Reformation Reliquary

Type Object Region Europe Time c. 1541–1550

A reliquary made by the Catholic Church in the 1540s under pressure from the Reformation, encasing saintly bones or relics in precious metals, enamel…

Timeline

  1. 1545–1547Trent · TrentAfter the Council of Trent convened in 1545, the Church established regulations for authenticating relics, public display, and guiding pilgrimages, prompting dioceses across various places to produce or renovate elaborate reliquaries in response to Protestant criticism of 'idolatry' and to reinforce Catholic devotional practice.
  2. c. 1541–1550Dioceses of Central and Southern Europe · ItalyIn the 1540s, goldsmith workshops in Nuremberg, Antwerp, and Spain produced large numbers of Baroque-style reliquaries for diocesan churches, encasing relics with perspective enamel and relief narrative decoration, promoting Catholic orthodoxy alongside Counter-Reformation preaching and pilgrimage routes.

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