By JERUSALEM POST STAFF

A 700-year-old fresco discovered in the convent church of S. Antonio in Polesine in Ferrara, Italy, reveals that luxurious Islamic tents were used to conceal altars in medieval European churches, unveiling a previously unknown chapter in the history of relations between Islam and Christianity.

The fresco, dated to the late 13th or early 14th century, was identified by Dr. Federica Gigante, a historian at the University of Cambridge and the Hanna Kiel Fellow at I Tatti. Her research, recently published in The Burlington Magazine, provides crucial evidence of a medieval church using Islamic tents in key Christian practices, including Mass, and is the only known visual evidence of this practice.

Dr. Gigante came across the fresco in the convent church ten years ago but only recently confirmed its significance after extensive research. "At first, it seemed unbelievable and just too exciting that this could be an Islamic tent," she said. "I quickly dismissed the idea and only went back to it years later with more experience and a braver attitude to research."

The fresco depicts the apse transformed into the interior of a luxurious tent. Drapery wraps around the three walls, adorned with blue eight-pointed star motifs inscribed in roundels, originally highlighted in gold leaf. The scene is topped by a double-tier bejeweled conical canopy, set against a starry sky complete with birds, enhancing the illusion of a tent erected outdoors.

Dr. Gigante suggests that the fresco was modeled on a real tent of Islamic origin, which may have been physically present in the church during the 13th century. "The artist put a lot of effort into making the textile appear life-like," she noted. "We can't be certain but it is possible that a person of high-profile such as Pope Innocent IV gifted the tent."

Historical records support this possibility. In 1255, Pope Innocent IV sent "draperies of the finest silk and gold fabrics" to the convent of S. Antonio in Polesine.

"Tents, especially Islamic royal tents, were among the most prized gifts in diplomatic exchanges, the most prominent royal insignia on campsites, and the most sought-after spoils on battlefields," Gigante explained. "The fresco matches descriptions of royal Islamic tents which were seized during the wars of Christian expansion into al-Andalus in the 13th century."

The walls of the apse in the convent church are studded with nails and brackets, which could have served as structural supports for hanging textiles. Gigante believes that the real tent may have been adapted to serve as "tetravela," altar-curtains used to conceal the altar from view during Mass or specific liturgical periods. "It is already known that medieval churches used precious textile hangings to conceal the altar," she said.

The structure, design, and color scheme of the tent closely resemble the few surviving depictions of Andalusi tents, including in the 13th-century manuscript, the Cantigas de Santa Maria. The textile also features white contours to emphasize contrasting colors, reflecting a trend in 13th-century Andalusi silk design.

Gigante compares the jewels depicted in the fresco with a rare surviving jeweled textile made by Arab craftsmen—the mantle of the Norman King Roger II of Sicily, which was embroidered with gold and adorned with pearls, gemstones, and cloisonné enamel. "Islamic textiles were associated with the Holy Land, from where pilgrims and crusaders brought back the most precious such Islamic textiles," Gigante explained. "Christians in medieval Europe admired Islamic art without fully realising it."

This fresco provides crucial evidence of the influence of Islamic art on medieval European Christianity and indicates a deep appreciation that Christians had for Islamic art, even if indirect. Gigante notes that such depictions are extremely rare and that this might be the only detailed, full-size depiction of an Islamic tent to be identified. "We probably won't find another such surviving image. I haven't stopped looking but my guess is that it is fairly unique," she said.

The fresco was partly painted over in the early 15th century with scenes from the lives of the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ, but parts of the original fresco remained visible. Gigante's discovery sheds new light on the cultural exchanges between the Islamic world and medieval Europe.

"Many people don't realize how extraordinarily advanced and admired Islamic culture was in the medieval period," Gigante remarked. Her research underscores the importance of cross-cultural interactions in shaping medieval art and architecture. "The interplay between painted and actual textiles can be found throughout Europe and the Islamic world in the late medieval period," she said.

Gigante has a history of uncovering artifacts. Last year, she identified the Verona Astrolabe, an eleventh-century Islamic astrolabe bearing both Arabic and Hebrew inscriptions. The convent of S. Antonio in Polesine was founded in 1249 by Beatrice II d'Este. The tent depicted in the fresco might have come into the church's possession through war or as part of a diplomatic gift to the powerful Este family, which brokered alliances between factions supporting the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor.

The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.