The Co-cathedral of SS. Marziale and Alberto in Colle Val d'Elsa

Eigh Altar

The altar, point of convergence of the whole house of Christian worship and the attention of the faithful, is consecrated by anointment with the Holy Chrism, which makes it a symbol of Christ, the cornerstone placed by God as the foundation of the Heavenly Jerusalem. Its form recalls the table of the Last Supper, which marked the institution of the Eucharist as a memorial of the Lord’s Passion, Death and Resurrection. Thus it is also a nuptial symbol on which is presented the sacrifice by which Christ, the bridegroom, made a gift of himself to his bride, the Church, who is redeemed mankind. The wedding symbolism is expressed, among other things, by the whiteness of the embroidered cloths covering the table. Inside the altar are kept relics of martyrs and Saints, who with the sacrifice of their lives completed the sacrifice of the Lord.
The marble high altar now in Colle Co-cathedral was offered by the people and clergy to Bishop Francesco Niccoli in 1935 as a gift for the twenty-fifth anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. On the front is the symbol of the lamb of the Apocalypse with the banner of the Resurrection, indicating that this table is the place where Christ’s sacrifice and victory over death are perpetuated. Originally, the altar was made of alabaster and was donated in 1629 by Grand Duchess Mary Magdalene of Austria together with the Crucifix.
During the celebration, on the altar are placed the chalice and paten made of precious metals, which contain the blood and wine that become the body and blood of the Lord during the consecration.
Some objects used in the past in liturgical celebrations in the Co-cathedral are now in the Civic and Diocesan Museum. One of the most important chalices is without doubt the one dedicated to Saint Albert, made in the fifteenth century by a Florentine goldsmith, decorated with figures of Saints and the Holy Nail. Noteworthy too, in the museum, are four silver chalices belonging to the ancient treasure of Galognano, an important testimonial to the existence of a Christian community in the sixth century AD.