A stone skull in front of a church.
It always amazes me to find these symbols that are ultimately typical of Christian Catholic symbolism.
This skull is the top of a small column at the entrance to the church of Santa Chiara d'Assisi in Matera, Basilicata.
There is an identical one on the other side and, in fact, even the church door has skulls as decorations. I remind you that the skull is the symbol of the memento mori (remember that you must die), the very concept of earthly death.
On the small stele there is also an hourglass, another Christian symbol that indicates the passage of time.
Have you ever seen any statue depicting a skull? Add a comment or go to the bottom of the site to read what other visitors have written.
Photo taken with Canon EOS M100 and lens Canon EF-S 10-18.
Here, exactly, is where the church is located:
The memento mori then became popular in Christian painting during the Counter-Reformation in the context of still life. The most typical example is that of a skull placed next to flowers or fruit. It also became the motto of the Trappist monks.
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