The restored frieze of Genesis with the original sin and the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Earthly Paradise is once again visible in all its splendor. It is a very precious work with scenes inspired by Genesis (in reversed position: on the left the Expulsion from Paradise and, on the right, the Original Sin), dominated by a branch populated with animals and small figures; part of a larger cycle of stories inspired by the theme of Creation, probably belonging to the first portal of the Cathedral destroyed in the earthquake of 3 January 1117. Scholars agree that the work is of Wilhelmian origin. Professor Adelaide Ricci describes the work thus: “A frieze with two stories of the Creation or Genesis, in the sub-portico of the façade on the left: the scenes, respectively depicting the original sin and the expulsion from the earthly paradise, are reassembled in reading sequence from right to left. Generally this frieze is considered among the main sculptural pieces prior to 1117. Puerari recognizes in it a specific Wiligelmic sculptor, the Master of Genesis, while Gandolfo thinks of an artist of the first Wiligelmic generation working in Modena in the portal known as the portal of the Princes and active in Cremona from 1107 approximately. According to the scholar, the slabs, of a distinctly theatrical style, were placed vertically superimposed, perhaps next to the portal. Piva also refers to magistrates linked to the Modenese Cathedral project. Quintavalle, who also thinks of the Wiligelmic era, underlines the probable belonging to the original portal. Even in this case, a reference to liturgical dramas, especially the Jeu d’Adam which already seems to have inspired the creation of the Prophets“. Cristiano Zanetti also took care of the extraordinary frieze in his “The Cathedral of Cremona. Genesis, symbolism and evolution of a Romanesque building”.
The cleaning and conservation work was entrusted to ConservArt, Davide Cesari’s Lodi laboratory. These works are carried out thanks to the contribution of Inner Wheel Cremona, which will also provide for the publication of the studies and in-depth analyzes on the artefact by Professor Giorgio Milanesi, professor of History of Medieval Art at the University of Parma.
«The bas-relief involved is the only one to have never been restored – explained Don Gianluca Gaiardi, diocesan manager of ecclesiastical cultural heritage and religious buildings –. The opportunity for the restoration comes thanks to Inner Wheel Cremona, which, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of its foundation, wanted to leave a symbolic work linked to the Cathedral of Cremona»
