image: A consecration cross, painted on layer of diluted lime plaster applied to the brick wall surf
image: A consecration cross, painted on layer of diluted lime plaster applied to the brick wall surface in the Chapel of the Medical Saints, RomeIn Medieval Europe, one means of distinguishing the sacred from the profane was through the ceremonial consecration or blessing of a local building or plot of land. The consecration of churches was a high point in the history of many communities. Blessings were spoken over both the priests and their instruments of office, which acted both as symbols of their new status and obligations and as a focus for the power and authority of the place with which they were entrusted. -- source link
#church#cross#rome#consecration