The Votive Monument by Luigi Mainoni

Sometimes, when a danger becomes so severe that it seems life-threatening, human solutions may no longer be enough. In these cases, what is needed is extraordinary help, assistance that comes… from above. This was the case from 1835, when Europe was plagued by a deadly wave of cholera. In that context, Bishop Adeodato Caleffi of Modena called on the population to intensify their prayer and works of charity. Thanks be to God - or thanks to human efforts-  the duchy was largely spared from the contagion. To commemorate this narrow escape, it was decided to commission the Emilian sculptor Luigi Mainoni to create a large votive altarpiece in marbled terracotta, inspired by a Neo-Renaissance style.In the upper part of the work, the Immaculate Virgin appears among the clouds, opening her arms wide in a gesture of welcome toward the prayers rising to her. She is fervently invoked by the patron saints of Modena, Geminiano and Omobono, intercessors for the city—an allusion further emphasised by the silhouette of the Ghirlandina Tower visible in the background below. At the centre, an angel armed with a shield and lightning bolt drives away the personification of cholera: a terrifying demonic figure with bat-like wings, visible in the bottom right corner. On the left, the scene culminates in the triumph of hope: divine light announces deliverance to the prostrate people.Let us now observe the figures around the altarpiece. The base features three children holding garlands laden with flowers and fruit, symbolising the abundance of divine grace. Just above them, the allegories of Rectitude and Constancy flank the Latin inscription commemorating the vow made by the citizens to defeat the cholera outbreak. On either side of the altarpiece stand Saints Roch and Sebastian, traditional protectors against plagues, while the pediment is crowned by the allegories of the theological virtues: Faith, Hope and Charity.