The Ascent to Calvary

From the drawbridge of a fortified gate, the procession leading Christ to Golgotha appears in the foreground. Jesus carries the cross, surrounded by soldiers on horseback in armor, and is followed by an officer pushing him from behind, while other guards further ahead move away the women of Jerusalem, depicted with expressive gestures. In the background, at the top, the head of the procession with the two thieves has reached the foot of Mount Calvary, where other soldiers are present and two individuals are digging holes to place the wood.  Incredible castles are situated atop mountains in a desolate and rugged rocky terrain. The inlay, encased in a simple linear frame of dark wood, is crafted using a mosaic of wooden tiles interspersed with pewter inserts. This technique imparts a metallic appearance to the soldiers' armor and helmets, as well as the tips of the armor and horse harnesses. This method is occasionally employed by Fra Damiano Zambelli and his workshop. To complete the work, the entire surface is adorned with a graphic pattern created by carving grooves which are subsequently filled with dark paste to highlight even the smallest details. This technique, known as profiling, is executed here with a high level of precision and refinement, particularly evident in certain facial features of the characters. The card used in this panel—likely following a design by Francesco Menzocchi from Forlì—is also employed in another piece by Fra Damiano, specifically one of the altarpieces in the choir of San Domenico in Bologna, on which the friar collaborated with assistants during the final decade of his career (Alce 2002, plate 62). The practice of reusing preparatory materials has been documented in wood inlay since the fifteenth century. The inlay in the Palazzo Venezia Museum, despite its poor condition, features a wider range of materials and more intricate details than the version in the choir. Examples include the design of the blocks and stones at the base of the ravelin and the decorations on the armor and harnesses. However, it lacks certain elements, such as the Dominican symbol of the dog seen walking beside Jesus in the Bolognese piece, and the chain connecting the bridge to the lifting beams. The inlay was transferred to the Museum of Palazzo Venezia from Castel Sant’Angelo between November 1919 and May 1920, as indicated by the museum’s archives. It is catalogued alongside another panel by Fra Damiano Zambelli depicting the Crucifixion (inv. 1692), which is slightly smaller. Although it is probable, it cannot be definitively confirmed that both works share the same collection history. Notably, only the Crucifixion is documented in the Roman collection of Cardinal Francesco Saverio de Zelada (Rome, 1717–1801). It likely transitioned from this collection to the Collegio Romano and subsequently to the Museum of Castel Sant’Angelo in the early twentieth century. This movement occurred as part of an ill-fated initiative to establish a museum dedicated to the city of Rome's art from the Middle Ages through to the modern era (Nicita 2009, 275).
The work examined has hitherto not been exhibited.

Lorenzo Mascheretti

Entry published on 12 June 2025

Compromised.

Rome, Castel Sant’Angelo, before 1919;
Rome, Museo Nazionale di Palazzo Venezia, purchased in 1919-1920.

Alce Venturino, Il coro intarsiato di San Domenico in Bologna, Bologna 2002, tav. 62;
Nicita Paola, Musei e storia dell'arte a Roma, Roma 2009, p. 275;
Mascheretti Lorenzo, Ancora “fuori dai cori”. Una tarsia della collezione de Zelada nei depositi di Palazzo Venezia, in Battistini Silvia, D’Apuzzo Mark Gregory (a cura di), Studi in onore di Massimo Medica, numero monografico di «Arte a Bologna. Bollettino dei Musei Civici d’Arte Antica», 9-10, 2024, pp. 114-117.