St Bartholomew

A shocking statue in Milan's cathedral testifies to the power of faith and the cost.

This is the Catholic Frequency Podcast. Follow us online at catholicfrequency.com.

If you ever visit the Cathedral Of Saint Mary And The Martyrs in Milan, Italy, you'll see a statue like no other in Christendom, Saint Bartholomew flayed. It was first carved in 1562.

The statue depicts the apostle Bartholomew standing, draped in his own skin. It's a grotesque depiction of his martyrdom, and it serves as a visceral reminder that some truths are worth dying for. When the statue was first created for the Milan Cathedral, it was initially deemed too disturbing to be placed inside the church. So the statue was banished to the courtyard. Only many years later after its creation was it brought inside, where its unsettling power could serve a theological purpose rather than merely just shock.

But why would an artist create something so unsettling? To answer that, we must meet the man behind the martyrdom, saint Bartholomew. Who was he? One of Jesus' twelve apostles, saint Bartholomew was martyred in Armenia, flayed alive for converting the king's brother. Yet even in this unimaginable torment, Bartholomew defied his executioners who stripped him of his skin, but not his conviction.

Medieval texts claim he preached while being skinned alive, continuing to witness to the very men whose knives were slowly removing the very surface of his being. His faith sustained him through the butchery, and his extreme sacrifice inspired artists like Marco della Grate centuries later. The extreme martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew fascinated Renaissance artists. In 1541, Michelangelo painted Bartholomew as one of the many characters in the famous last judgment scene inside the Sistine Chapel. In Michelangelo's depiction, Bartholomew is holding his skin like a limp cloak, a haunting image.

But there was another Italian artist who would go much further than Michelangelo. His name was Marco de Agrate, and he found himself living in an age of upheaval as the Protestant Reformation took root. Reformation leaders were reveling in attacking everything about the Catholic church, including the veneration of saints, and this sparked the artist to respond with art so vivid it defied denial. Here was Bartholomew, a man who gave everything for his faith, and he was worthy of veneration. Where Michelangelo showed skin as a discarded cloak, Da Agrate shows Bartholomew cradling his own flesh, the flayed face staring back with eerie consciousness.

The depiction of Bartholomew's exposed muscles took amazing skill to craft, but it wasn't merely artistic mastery. It was a theological argument. Protestant reformers like Martin Luther rejected saintly veneration. They wanted to depict martyrs as humble witnesses, not triumphant relics. Da'Agrate's response, a visceral rebuke.

Faith embodied, not erased. Compare this to Protestant martyr portraits where the focus is on stoic resolve, not physical suffering. Catholic counter reformation art weaponized corporal realism. If protestants preached faith alone, Da Agrate showed what faith cost. He depicts saint Bartholomew in a pose that transforms the horror of martyrdom in a way only Christianity can.

Bartholomew stands not as a broken victim, but as a composed witness. One hand cradling his flayed skin like a preacher's robe, echoing the accounts that he preached while being flayed in Armenia. Modern visitors often miss a profound detail. The flayed face appears peaceful, almost smiling. This reflects the accounts of how Bartholomew's faith transformed pain into ecstasy.

The survival of the sculpture is quite remarkable. During Napoleon's seventeen ninety six invasion, many Duomo treasures were looted, but the flayed apostle was deemed unworthy for its lack of beauty. The very grotesquery that shocks preserve this masterpiece. Today, the statue serves unexpected audiences. Medical students study its anatomy, while theologians ponder its representation of a Bible verse, Colossians three nine, which talks about putting off the old self.

All that gaze on the grotesque statue of Saint Bartholomew seem drawn to touch its feet, which are worn smooth by centuries of pilgrims' touches. It's a testimony that this gruesome depiction somehow comforts, challenges, and converts even now. If you're ever able to go to Milan and visit the cathedral and stand before this masterpiece sculpture, there's a question to ask yourself. It's especially poignant in our era of digital avatars and perfected online identities. It's the question Bartholomew might ask you himself.

What will you shed to remain faithful to Christ? This is the Catholic Frequency Podcast. Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube, and support our work by subscribing to us on the x social media platform for just $5 a month.