[ NOTES ON A STRANGE WORLD MASSIMO POLIDORO Massimo Polidoro is an investigator of the paranormal, lecturer, and cofounder and head of CICAP, the Italian skeptics group. His website is at www.massimopolidoro.com.

In Search of

as Mary Magdalene the lover helped strengthen feminism. In vari- of Christ and did she have a ous novels, Mary Magdalene became Wson by him? This idea—made a femme fatale. Lawrence, author of popular by The Da Vinci Code, Dan Lady Chatterley’s Lover, wrote a story Brown’s wildly successful novel and about Mary Magdalene and Jesus its film adaptation—has stimulated titled The Risen, filled with double , debates, disputes and even some seri- meanings.” ous attempts at historical research in But even the 1800s’ artists were recent years. Today, some claim they fascinated by this woman and por- have found evidence for the fatherhood trayed her in several paintings. of Christ in an ancient preserved “During the decadent era they turned in a Templar church at Tempio di her into a disturbing character, such The fresco in Tempio Ormelle: Jesus holds a baby, but it is not Ormelle, near Treviso in northern . as Salomé,” continues Iannaccone. his son. It actually is a “Dormitio Virginis,” or the death of the Is it true? Virgin Mary, where Jesus, her son, receives her soul in the form “There are many examples in which of a baby. she is represented as a beautiful Portrait of a Woman woman bejeweled, or naked, symbol- The figure of Magdalene—a sinner izing her newfound innocence. An converted by Jesus and turned into example is the ‘penitent’ Magdalenes one of his most devoted followers— by Francesco Hayez, painted in 1825 has always stimulated the curiosity and 1833. But at that time, hundreds and imagination of artists and mystery of women of high society asked to be mongers alike. The hypothesis of her portrayed in the nude or seminude à , being Jesus Christ’s companion was la Madeleine as it was called. They first suggested long before Brown. “It’s liked to represent this way their an idea born in the Parisian ‘coun- youthful beauty and purity.” terculture’ at the end of the nine- , Another example of “Dormitio Virginis” by Jacopo Torriti, in Santa teenth century developed by artists Maria Maggiore (Rome), dating back to the end of thirteeth cen- A Holy Family that were protesters and often involved tury, like the Tempio Ormelle’s fresco. in the occult, who wanted to shake Some believe that it was not only up the conventions,” Mario Arturo decadent and romantic painters who Iannaccone, historian of Christianity, depicted Magdalene, but before them told the author in a personal interview. came the painters of the Renaissance “For example, in 1888, an opera titled and, further back, medieval art- The Lover of Christ was performed in ists. In these ancient works of art, Paris. It was written by Darzens and the Magdalene was not merely a disturb- lover was, obviously, Mary Magdalene. ing woman; she would be depicted In 1896, a book titled The Gospel of lying on a bed, after giving birth to a Mary (Magdalene) was published; it child, while Jesus holds a baby in his Another “Dormitio” in which the soul of Mary as a child in diapers was an important apocryphal work that arms: his son. can be clearly seen.

Skeptical Inquirer | March/April 2016 19 [ NOTES ON A STRANGE WORLD MASSIMO POLIDORO

Even Italian Nobel laureate Dario ally Mary Magdalene can be deduced More important are the studies of so- Fo, the author of a text devoted to from the fact that she wears a red robe, called feminist theology, which aim to Christ and to Magdalene, thinks that traditionally attributed to her, and by re-evaluate the role played by women there might be some truth in the case the presence of a tower behind her, her in early Christianity and therefore also of a not-so-platonic love between Jesus other feature. that of Magdalene: this is an ideolog- and Mary—a hypothesis that Fo sees Is it really possible, however, that a ical, historical, and theological area confirmed in several famous works: painting with such outrageous and he- that is both respectable and culturally “From the cycle of painting by in retical content could have been painted relevant. Where, however, the modern the upper church of , all devoted and its significance remain unnoticed myth of Magdalene has no place.” to Mary Magdalene, where she ascends for centuries? If this interpretation were Also, in The Da Vinci Code, one of , to heaven assisted by the well true, it would be really one of the most the key clues of an intimate relation- before the , to a fresco at the shocking discoveries in the history of ship between Jesus and Mary Magda- , Scrovegni Chapel in ” said Fo in art and, especially, in the history of the lene was sought in the by an interview found on Diego Cuoghi’s Church. Leonardo da Vinci, where an effemi- website. “While portraying Jesus chas- nate figure, with long hair, sits at the right hand of Christ. “This is the apostle John, as any art student knows,” noted Diego Cuoghi, expert of art history and author of On YouTube and in some publications devoted a study on the issue of Ormelle, in a to the occult, it is quite easy to find those who personal interview with the author. are convinced that they have discovered a Leonardo himself wrote clearly in his preparatory notes who that figure rep- twelfth-century fresco depicting a “holy family” resented. Cuoghi continues: “Perhaps it composed of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, will seem trivial, but Christian sacred art is based on the texts of Christian and their child. religion. For this reason, in almost all Medieval and Renaissance Last Sup- pers Giovanni is always represented as young, boyish-looking, and with a hair- less face, unlike the other apostles who ing the money changers from the The Templars and Magdalene look like adults, often bearded; and temple, Giotto also paints a little boy The version of Mary Magdalene— he often has the head reclined on the who, scared, runs to take refuge near who was alternatively seen as the first shoulder or chest of Jesus.” a woman: Mary Magdalene, on whose feminist, sorceress, witch, priestess of a If, then, the one painted by Leon- head stands a halo. That baby, suggests vaguely defined religion of a Mother ardo is not Magdalene, could she be the painter, clings to his mother as if to Goddess—as the true founder of depicted in the fresco at Tempio Or- ask protection from the outburst of a Christianity (or of a Christian alter- melle? , man who had always been seen smiling. native) is actually a very modern myth. Cuoghi says: “First of all it should His father, Jesus.” “It is a reinterpretation of the fig- be clarified that the color red is not a On YouTube and in some publica- ure of this woman that was proposed characteristic exclusive to Mary Mag- tions devoted to the occult, it is quite in the late nineteenth century,” says dalene, but belongs also to the Ma- easy to find those who are convinced Iannaccone. “Since then, Magdalene donna, for example. And the tower is that they have discovered a twelfth-cen- has been charged with new meanings, a characteristic iconography of Santa tury fresco depicting a “holy family” becoming a prism that reflects the Barbara (who was locked in a tower) , composed of Jesus, Mary Magdalene entire spectrum of modern protesters and, again, of the Virgin Mary (also and their child. against traditional Christianity.” called Turris Davidic in litanies).” The fresco in question is located The Da Vinci Code had popularized The iconographic elements that dis- in Tempio Ormelle, on the wall of a the idea of a Jesus bloodline. “These tinguish Magdalene in art, in fact, are medieval church built by the Tem- are modern fantasies often connected different: the jar of ointments in Medi- plar Knights. According to some, the to sacred or graalian bloodlines,” con- eval times, as Mary Magdalene washed church was dedicated to Mary Mag- tinues Iannaccone. “No serious histo- the feet of Christ, and the skull, the dalene, of whom the Templars were rian, caring for his own reputation, ever book, and the crucifix from the six- devout, and the fact that in a fresco took them seriously, simply because teenth century onward. , worn by time a lady portrayed is actu- they lack the necessary foundations. “As for the Templars,” continues

20 Volume 40 Issue 2 | Skeptical Inquirer Cuoghi, “they never dedicated any The painting was refused and the artist liography of texts written by schol- church to Mary Magdalene but only to tried by the Inquisition.” ars who have studied the work of the Virgin Mary, whose cult was pas- A closer examination of the painting this painter, from Toesca and Salvini until Frugoni, Pisani, Wolf, Fornari, sionately widespread by Saint Bernard on the walls of the church of Tempio, one can easily verify that none of Clairvaux, who wrote the rule of then, reveals something quite different. of them went even close to these the Templars and ‘invented’ the term “This is what is called a Dormitio “modern” interpretations—precisely ‘Notre Dame.’” Virginis, or the transit of the Virgin, because they are modern readings, Iannaccone agrees: “The Templars the final episode of Mary’s life as told unhistorical, with no method, which were mostly French and the tradition by some apocryphal accounts but de- totally ignore the sources. Dario Fo collected the jokes of his son Jacopo, of the repentant prostitute landed in picted in many works of art until the a comedian, who clung, I do not Provence became fixed in the tenth late fifteenth century, especially in the know with how much conviction, to century, giving rise to a lively worship that later extended to all of France. Therefore a number of French Tem- plars was certainly devoted to Saint Mary Magdalene, but in the same way What then does the Tempio Ormelle fresco depict, they were of other saints.” if the figure lying in bed is not Magdalene? And why does a man (who is certainly Jesus, A Little Mysterious Fresco What then does the Tempio Ormelle since he is characterized by a crossed cloud) fresco depict, if the figure lying in bed hold in his arms a newborn baby? is not Magdalene? And why does a man (who is certainly Jesus, since he is characterized by a crossed cloud) hold in his arms a newborn baby? Often, those who venture into this churches dedicated to her,” according the inventions of Dan Brown. Before kind of reckless interpretation ignore to Cuoghi. “This scene depicts the Vir- the release of The Da Vinci Code he the entire history of art and interpret gin dying while standing next to her son never spoke about this. the images according to their own per- Jesus, who receives her soul in the form But why today is there so much dis- sonal biases. A famous example of this of a baby in diapers. In other versions, cussion about Magdalene? What’s so kind of behavior is that of those who Jesus is already in heaven, and brings special about this woman to attract the today see flying saucers, aircraft, and with him the soul of the Virgin Mary. ships in Medieval and Renaissance Beautiful examples of the Dormitio can attention of fans of mysteries? paintings (see this column, SI, March/ “Magdalene has been presented as a . be seen in Rome in the apse mosaics April 2014 and July/August 2014) by , in Santa Maria in free woman, aware of her charm, who “Do you really think it possible that, , follows Jesus by her own choice,” con- , Trastevere and in those by Jacopo Tor- in the thirteenth century a painting riti in Santa Maria Maggiore, both dat- cludes Iannaccone. with such a subject (Mary Magdalene ing from the late thirteenth century, the She is a complete female figure, giving birth to Jesus’s son) could be same period of the paintings at Tempio closer to modern sensibilities than, painted on the walls of a church? Do Ormelle.” for example, Mary the mother of you think that the ecclesiastics who Not surprisingly, on the walls of the Jesus or any other women who fol- lowed him. She was called “apostle commissioned the work to the artist same church, dedicated to Our Lady as would not have had anything to say? to the apostles” because she was many of those built by the Templars, very close to Jesus and because I do not think so,” observes Cuoghi. the life of Mary is depicted in fresco she received, according to the “Just think of the many paintings that after fresco. And the cycle ends with Gospels, the announcement of his Caravaggio was forced to do all over the Dormitio, or the death and ascen- Resurrection. Saint Gregory the because they did not meet the stan- sion into heaven of the Virgin. Great wrote in a sermon that he had dards required or what happened with converted to holiness after a lifetime of sin. This (historically uncertain) by Veronese, destined Modernity of Magdalene to the refectory of the Dominican con- proposal was successful. Two or three figures of women mentioned in the vent of Saints John and Paul in Venice, And what about the Giotto’s frescoes that so surprised Dario Fo? Iannaccone Gospels were merged into a coherent where the artist had placed all kind of character, the perfect penitent who, , people, dwarves, acrobats and animals, has an answer: however, had experienced everything ■ as if it were a spectacle at the palace. Leafing through the extensive bib- in life, including free sexuality.

Skeptical Inquirer | March/April 2016 21