Searching for Thaddeus

Thaddeus was a fifteenth-century bishop of Cork who was honored in both Ireland and Italy. He led a remarkable life – he was made bishop twice but never actually served as such, and was beatified in 1895 – but is now all but forgotten. In Searching for Thaddeus, art historian Patricia Curtin-Kelly tells the tale of this remarkable man, and discusses the many works of art – found mainly in churches across County Cork and in Ivrea, Italy – that bear witness to the high esteem in which he was held. The author draws on extensive research in Ireland, Italy and the United States and examines the images of Thaddeus in the context of the Arts & Crafts movement in Ireland and its equivalent in Italy, the Stile Floreale.

Searching for Thaddeus features numerous photographs of the remarkable artworks which celebrate “Blessed Thaddeus”, including paintings, stained-glass windows and reliquaries, and the churches in which they can be seen. It is a highly readable book about a remarkable Corkman who deserves to be much more widely known.