Il Crocifisso dipinto da Zanino di Pietro. Devozione e contesti spaziali

The paper sheds new light on the events that occurred to the painted cross made by the Late Gothic painter Zanino di Pietro at the beginning of the fifteenth century, now set on the triumphal arch in the parish church of San Polo. Firstly, the contribution illustrates the results of the restoration undertaken in 1997, thanks to which the painting has partially regained its former appearance, after the alterations probably occurred during the eighteenth century. In the second part of the essay, the artwork is analysed against the spatial background of San Polo in the Middle Ages. By undertaking a detailed analysis of archival documents, it has been possible to hypothesize it was first conceived as a "crux de medio ecclesie" on the top of a rood screen, then dismantled in the sixteenth century. From that location, the cross was set on an altar under the porch at the entrance of the church. Thus, ri-contextualized, the crucifix became «celeberrimo per devozione» among the worshippers of the parish church.