Mosaic of the “Rivers of Paradise”

On the first floor of what used to be the Episcopalian Palace of the Die region, in the Saint Nicholas Chapel, one can see a mosaic in a perfect state of conservation.  Represented on its quadrangular surface is a synthesis between the idea of Creation and the geographical and cosmic symbolism of the world. In its centre, the twelve circles symbolise the twelve months of the year or the signs of the zodiac. Surrounding them are inscriptions of the four rivers—the Pishon, the Gihon, the Euphrates and the Tigris–which are in turn personified by bearded heads with animal ears. These heads spit out the rivers in three currents, bringing about the birth of the earth’s fauna, its plants, as well as winged creatures battling with each other and other fabulous beasts. Also represented are the planets or stars in the form of rosettes or stylised flowers in a circle. In the same way as in the mosaic of Turin’s Saint-Sauveur and other geographical maps of the time, the figurations of the winds are placed on the edge of a circular ocean surrounding the globe.

This mosaic pavement belongs within the framework of twelfth-century encyclopaedic efforts to develop an image of the world, such as the vision depicted in the rose window of the cathedral of Lausanne. At the time, geography occupied a very particular place in literature, encompassing travel logs, descriptions of the world and philosophical musings. Geography in the Arab world was at its pinnacle with the great geographer ’al-Idrîsî who entered into Western culture via Sicily. And concomitantly compilations flourished, treating not only geography but also cosmology, astrology and other such fields. In medieval churches, the pavement was viewed as the ideal support for this cosmic and geographical idea, as much in the East as in the West. In a twelfth-century description of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, the pavement was compared to the sea, in its scope and shape. In Die, the mosaic serves as a carpet for the altar with both a didactic and symbolic purpose—it was undoubtedly an integral part of the overall iconography of the chapel

A degree of religious symbolism infuses the geographical and cosmic dimension to the world. The four rivers of Paradise (Genesis, 2:10-14) irrigate the universe and give birth to Creation, as much on earth and in the sea as in the air. Here we are faced with a Christian vision of the world, a geography of the sacred whereby the waters mark the limits of the universe and the representation of the winds symbolise the four cardinal points. The Middle Ages sought to promote a spiritual unity and to offer up an harmonious image of the world, envisioned as an organic whole in which each thing occupies its rightful place.

Nevertheless, the mosaic of Die has not yet yielded all of its secrets. The enigmatic presence of curious objects such as a knife, a compass, a key and a carbuncle remain unresolved. H. Desaye associates these instruments with the symbols of the four cardinal virtues: the carbuncle for Prudence, the knife for Temperance, the scissors for Fortitude and the key for Justice. But this interpretation lacks any firm foundation. Likewise, some historians argue that the mosaic was constructed in different stages, based on the obvious variation of styles; Barral i Altet, however, considers that the pavement is homogenous and was made directly on site but very likely by different craftsmen or teams, each one leaving behind their individual imprint.