Saints Dominic Francis hold the Church
Saint Dominic and Saint Francis Holding a Miniature Model of the Sanctuary of As Ermidas. Unknown artist, undated. Oil on wood. Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Hermits (Santuario de As Ermidas), O Bolo, Ourense, Galicia, Spain.
The painting depicts Saints Dominic of Guzmán and Francis of Assisi jointly holding a miniature architectural model of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Hermits at As Ermidas. Dominic is identifiable by the star on his forehead and lily, while Francis bears the stigmata. The composition belongs to the long tradition of pairing the founders of the Dominican and Franciscan orders as symbols of their fraternal relationship and shared service to the Church. Continue reading after advertisement
The model shows a very elaborate church with twin towers and a central façade, but the sanctuary's present Baroque façade belongs to 1713–1726. The sanctuary itself originated in the 17th century and developed into one of the great Baroque pilgrimage sites of Galicia.
The tradition of showing St. Francis and St. Dominic together became enormously popular. They were regarded as the founders of the two great mendicant orders, and their pairing came to symbolize the unity and complementary mission of the Franciscans and Dominicans. Continue reading after advertisement
There's an especially relevant tradition involving St. Dominic, St. Francis, and the Church of St. John Lateran: medieval/early modern legends associated the two founders with the miraculous preservation/support of the Church. The tradition eventually produced countless images of Francis and Dominic embracing or supporting the Church together.
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