Saint Thomas
Author: Unknown
Date: 16th century
Material: Polychromed limestone
Dimensions (cm): H 53 x W 21 x D 15
Author: Unknown
Inventory No.: MAS E 158
Sculpture of Saint Thomas who, despite having belonged to a mendicant order, the Order of Preachers or Dominicans, is wearing richly decorated clothes. He is tonsured and his single attribute is a closed book in one of his hands, since he is compared to a Doctor of the Church.
Saint Thomas Aquinas, entitled as the wisest of the saints and the holiest of the sage, was born in a noble family (Count of Aquino’s son) in 1225 in the castle of Roccasecca, in Naples, Italy.
He enrolled at the University of Naples, established by Frederick II, where he was in contact with the Order of Friars Preachers founded by Saint Dominic of Guzman and he decided to follow a religious life. Against his father’s will, Thomas entered the Dominicans and he moved to Paris, where he attended the University of Theology, being Saint Albertus Magnus’s pupil, who was impressed by his intelligence. He completed his studies in Cologne and he returned to Paris, where in 1256, he became a professor of Philosophy and Theology. He was called the “dumb ox” on account of his shyness and humbleness.
He died in March 1274, in the Cistercian Fossanova Abbey, when, on the pope’s request, he headed to the Council of Lyon.
He conciliated Christianity with the Aristotelian vision of the world in order to provide the Christian doctrine with a scientific, philosophic and theological basis.
He is considered to be one of the greatest intellectual figures of the Church. His master piece – Summa Theologiae – made him earn the title of Doctor Angelicus, Prince of Schools, Light of the Church. The Dominicans consider him to be the fifth Doctor of the Latin Church.