14 June 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

A 13th-Century Italian Fresco Reveals the Medieval Church’s Use of Islamic Altar Tents

A recently rediscovered 13th-century fresco in Ferrara, Italy, offers significant insights into the medieval practice of utilizing Islamic tents to conceal high altars in Christian churches. This fresco, believed to be the only surviving representation of its kind, provides valuable evidence of a lesser-known Christian tradition.

The fresco, which is only partially visible, was identified by Dr. Federica Gigante, a historian from Cambridge University. It is thought to depict a real tent, now lost, that the artist may have encountered within the same church. The original tent, characterized by its vibrant colors and adorned with jewels, could have been a diplomatic gift from a Muslim leader or a trophy acquired from a battlefield.

Dr. Gigante’s research, published in The Burlington Magazine, posits that a prominent figure, such as Pope Innocent IV—who donated several valuable textiles to the Benedictine convent church of S. Antonio in Polesine, Ferrara—may have been responsible for providing such a tent. “Initially, it seemed implausible and overly exciting to consider that this could be an Islamic tent,” Dr. Gigante remarked. “I dismissed the idea at first but returned to it years later with more experience and a bolder research approach. It is unlikely that we will find another image like this; my belief is that it is quite unique.”

The fresco serves as crucial evidence of the integration of Islamic elements into key Christian practices, including the celebration of Mass. Dr. Gigante noted, “Islamic textiles were associated with the Holy Land, from which pilgrims and crusaders brought back the most precious examples. The existence of artistic continuity from the time of Christ justified their use in a Christian context. Medieval Christians admired Islamic art, often without fully recognizing its origins.”

While it is well-documented that Islamic textiles were present in late medieval European churches, surviving fragments are typically found wrapped around relics or within the burials of notable individuals. Some traces of Islamic textiles can be seen on church walls in Italy and in late medieval Italian paintings. However, depictions of Islamic tents from the Western Islamic world, such as those from Spain, are exceedingly rare, making this fresco potentially the only detailed, full-size representation identified to date.

Dr Federica Gigante examining the fresco in the Church of S. Antonio in Polesine, Ferrara, Italy. Credit: Dr. Federica Gigante
Dr Federica Gigante examining the fresco in the Church of S. Antonio in Polesine, Ferrara, Italy. Credit: Dr. Federica Gigante

Painted between the late 13th and early 14th centuries, the fresco illustrates a canopy over the high altar, transforming the apse into a tent with blue and gold drapery enveloping three walls, topped by a double-tiered, bejeweled conical canopy typical of Islamic design. “The artist invested considerable effort into rendering the textile lifelike,” Dr. Gigante stated.

The background features a blue sky dotted with stars and birds, creating the illusion of an outdoor tent. In the early 15th century, portions of the fresco were painted over with scenes depicting the lives of the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ, which has drawn the attention of art historians who have overlooked the earlier sections. Dr. Gigante first identified the depiction of Islamic textiles during a visit to the church a decade ago, but it required extensive research to confirm that the fresco represents an Islamic tent.

Dr. Gigante argues that the fresco depicts a real tent that may have been physically present in the convent church during the 13th century, serving as a direct reference for the artist. It is already established that medieval churches employed precious textile hangings to obscure the altar, either permanently or during specific liturgical periods. Upon examining the fresco, Dr. Gigante observed that it illustrates the corner of a veil, painted as if drawn in front of the altar. She posits that the actual tent may have been adapted to function as a ‘tetravela’ or altar-curtains.

“If the real tent was only erected in the church on certain occasions, the fresco could have served as a visual reminder of its splendor when it was not present,” Dr. Gigante explained. “The interplay between painted and actual textiles is evident throughout Europe and the Islamic world during the late medieval period.”

Dr. Gigante’s study highlights the walls of the apse, which are adorned with nails and brackets that could have supported a hanging textile. She points to the fresco’s “extraordinarily precise details” as further evidence of its depiction of a real tent. The fabric illustrated features blue eight-pointed star motifs within roundels, originally highlighted in gold leaf, mirroring the golden fabrics used in precious Islamic tents. Additionally, a band with pseudo-Arabic inscriptions runs along the top and bottom borders, while white contours emphasize contrasting colors, reflecting a trend in 13th-century Andalusi silk design.

The structure, design, and color scheme of the tent closely resemble the few surviving depictions of Andalusi tents, including those found in the 13th-century manuscript, the Cantigas de Santa Maria, as well as one of the rare surviving Andalusi tent fragments, the ‘Fermo chasuble,’ attributed to St. Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury.

University of Cambridge

Cover Image Credit: Federica Gigante

Related Articles

In France, a burial with six ankle bracelets was uncovered

22 December 2022

22 December 2022

An individual bedecked in copper jewelry was discovered during the excavation of a protohistoric necropolis in Aubagne, southeastern France. The...

Celtiberian Inscription Found at La Peña del Castro: One of the Earliest Examples of Alphabetic Writing in Northern Iberia

26 February 2025

26 February 2025

La Ercina, León, Spain – Archaeological research at the La Peña del Castro site has unveiled an important discovery that...

Britain’s Longest Ancient Monument ‘Offa’s Dyke’ to be Restored

21 June 2021

21 June 2021

Offa’s Dyke is a long, linear earthwork that roughly parallels the English-Welsh boundary. Offa is also known as the longest...

The Artificial Intelligence Revolution: The Dark Age of Ancient Scrolls Ends

2 May 2025

2 May 2025

Artificial intelligence, often envisioned for future applications, is now playing a pivotal role in unraveling the mysteries of the past....

Precious Roman Gem Engraved with Mythological Figure Discovered in Italian Lagoon

8 August 2023

8 August 2023

During excavations at Lio Piccolo (Cavallino-Treporti), conducted by Ca’ Foscari University, a precious agate stone carved with a mythological figure...

Ming-era two shipwrecks found in South China Sea

23 May 2023

23 May 2023

In the South China Sea, two ancient shipwrecks that date back to the middle of the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) were...

Dog Kajtuś uncovers Poland’s biggest treasure of the past 100 years

21 April 2022

21 April 2022

A dog named Kajtuś discovered the biggest treasure found in Poland in the last 100 years. The treasure was found...

Archaeologists Discovered “Temple of the Emperors” in the Agora of the Ancient City of Nikopolis, Greece

30 May 2024

30 May 2024

The Greek Ministry of Culture declared that fresh discoveries had been made during archaeological excavations at the ancient Nikopolis Agora...

1100-Year-Old Rare Sealed Amphora Discovered on Shipwreck off Türkiye Coast

27 April 2025

27 April 2025

Underwater excavations near Kaş, Antalya, on Turkey’s southwestern coast, have yielded fascinating insights into ancient Mediterranean seafaring and trade. A...

4,000-year-old settlement found during Balasore town India

9 July 2021

9 July 2021

A 4,000-year-old settlement and ancient artifacts have been discovered in the Balasore district, India. The Odisha Institute for Maritime and...

An Amazing Discovery in the 1900-year-old Rock Church, – Sand Dollar Fossil

5 March 2024

5 March 2024

Located in the eastern province of Diyarbakır’s Eğil district, the rock church, the walls of which are decorated with different...

Extremely well-preserved 2000-year-old child’s leather Shoe Discovered During Archaeological Mine Excavations

1 September 2023

1 September 2023

An “extremely well-preserved” Iron Age child’s shoe was discovered in Austria during excavations at Dürrnberg, near the historic town of...

A 3300-Year-Old Canaanite Shipwreck Ever Discovered with All Its Cargo off Israel’s Coast

21 June 2024

21 June 2024

An Energean natural gas surveying vessel operating about 90 kilometers (56 miles) off the coast of Israel discovered a ship...

Archaeologists discovered a dragon made of mussel shells in in Inner Mongolia

26 August 2023

26 August 2023

Archaeologists discovered a dragon made of mussel shells earlier this week in Chifeng, North China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, which...

Rock Ship of Masuda, Japan’s mysterious monolith

17 April 2023

17 April 2023

Located in the Takaichi District of Nara Prefecture, Japan, the village of Asuka is famous for its mysterious stones. The...