INSTRUCTIONS SET BY THE CARDINAL BORROMEO AND TABERNACLES IN SPAIN IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY

Abstract

Counter-reformation instructions related to Art set by the Cardinal Borromeo (1577) spread quickly through Spain and Spanish overseas territories. The implementation of these guidelines in rooms aimed at the reserve and exhibition of the Eucharist was particularly significant. The use of a central design, the emphasis placed on their greatness and their placement in prominent locations turn tabernacles into a visual and symbolic point of reference in temples. Borromeo’s instructions related to this matter were finally implemented in the eighteenth century when, under the support of the Academy, the use of marvels, semiprecious stones and high-quality metals became more widespread through the building of these tabernacles.