Theatrum canonizationis of blessed Alojzy Gonzaga and Stanisław Kostka, or how art relates the faith

Abstract

The article presents the December 31, 1726 canonization of two blessed Jesuits, Aloysius Gonzaga and Stanislaus Kostka, held in Rome, during the pontificate of Benedict XIII, which is little known in Polish literature. This event led to the erection of monumental scenery, or theatrum canonizationis, in St. Peter's basilica, whose purpose was not only to emphasize the uniqueness of the ceremony but also to instruct participants about the virtues and merits of the new saints. The text analyses and critically develops two main 1726 sources describing that canonization: Racconto istorico di quanto si è operato nella Canonizazione de’ i Due Santi S. Luigi Gonzaga e S. Stanislao Kostka della Compagna di Gesù…, from the Biblioteca Romana ed Emeroteca, and Relazione delle cerimonie et Apparato della Basilica di S. Pietro nella canonizzazione…, in the form of a microfilm held in the National Library in Warsaw.Keywords: st. Stanislaus Kostka, canonization, theatrum canonizationis, st. Aloysius Gonzaga, Benedict XIII