ABSTRACT
At the Romanesque church of San Fedele in Como the motif of an enthroned saint in a niche is displayed in the so-called “dragon portal” in much the same fashion that a relief of the Archbishop of Milan (1112–20) was displayed by a narthex portal at Sant’Ambrogio in Milan. Stylistic ties also link the pulpit at Sant’Ambrogio and the dragon portal. This fifth chapter understands the sculpture of the dragon portal as a Romanesque reformulation of Saint Ambrose's Early Christian theology of progressive spiritual transformation at the threshold of heaven. The sculpture of the dragon portal was liturgically activated through penitential liturgy performed to promote the spiritual reformation of the citizens of Como. Further, the sculpture of the dragon portal promoted reform ideals that were important to the canons regular living a communal life at San Fedele.
