On the occasion of his visit to Ajaccio, Pope Francis will be presented, on Sunday December 15, with a chalice made by two Corsican artisans. Here are the secrets of its manufacture.
As tradition dictates, Pope Francis will receive a ceremonial gift on Sunday, December 15, during his visit to Corsica. It will be presented by the mayor of Ajaccio, Stéphane Sbraggia. It is a red copper chalice offered by the municipality. This work is the result of a collaboration between Stéphane Deguilhen, sculptor, and Antoine Cesari, craftsman.
It took more than 80 hours of work for the two artists to create this piece, informs Corse Net Info. “The only specifications were that it was not bulky, and that there was a box in which we could put messages from children intended for the Pope”explains Antoine Cesari with the Parisian in comments reported by the Huffington Post.
This chalice is made from raw materials such as olive tree and bronze. “A friend had a magnificent piece of olive tree that had been drying in his cellar for fourteen years. He agreed to give it to me”remembers Stéphane Sbraggia. The latter shaped the coat of arms of Ajaccio, a column protected by two lions on the coin.
Messages from children on the back of the work
The sculpted ensemble thus represents the city's coat of arms. They rest on a base 33 cm high, just like the piece, i.e. the age of Christ which is often given at his death. At the back, the opening is intended to accommodate messages to the Pope, explains Corse Net Info. Thus, each schoolchild from Saint-Joseph was able to leave their little note in the magnificent work created by the two Corsican artists.
published on December 14 at 5:52 p.m., Hibat Benhalima, 6Medias
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