Saint Anne Portal: Genealogy, Conception, and Christ’s Birth

The Saint Anne portal, located on the south lateral section of the west facade, is a significant feature. It begins with the trumeau, which depicts Saint Marcel. Saint Marcel, a 5th-century saint, is known for vanquishing a dragon that terrorized the prostitutes of Paris, using his crozier, which he holds in his left hand. He was not a martyr.

The Southern Entrance: A Genealogical Narrative

The triangular tympana above the doors of the west facade each narrate a story. The southern entrance specifically tells the story of the conception of Anne (Mary's mother), the birth of Mary, and the birth of Christ. This narrative is a key element of the west facade's genealogical theme, which highlights Christ's royal lineage, including Solomon and David, along with 26 princely ancestors mentioned in Matthew and found in the Gallery of Kings.

The Conception of the Virgin Mary

The frieze depicting the conception of the Virgin Mary is presented as a sculptural play set before Christ's birth. According to the 13th-century chronicler and Archbishop of Genoa, Jacqu of Vajin, in "The Golden Legend":

Anne and Joachim had been married for 20 years without children. Joachim, from Nazareth in Galilee, married Saint Anne of Bethlehem. They were both just and followed the commandments of the Lord. They divided their wealth into three parts: one for the temple, one for the poor and pilgrims, and the third for themselves and their household. After 20 years of childless marriage, they vowed to dedicate any offspring to the Lord's service.

They would go to Jerusalem for the three principal feasts annually. During the feast of Ensenia (the dedication of the temple), Joachim went to Jerusalem with his kin to offer his offering at the altar.

Rejection and Retreat

On the lower lintel, Anne and Joachim are shown entering the temple, represented by a double arcade under an architectural canopy symbolizing the earthly city of Jerusalem. They place their offerings before the Lord, with the scroll of the law unrolled on a stone altar beneath an eternal lamp.

The high priest, a bearded rabbi, rejects their offering, pointing to a text of the law. According to "The Golden Legend," the priest reproved Joachim for being barren, stating that a man cursed in faith or barren should not offer to the Lord. Ashamed, Joachim did not return home, fearing reproach from his family and neighbors. He then went to his herdsmen and stayed there for a long time.

On the far right, Joachim is depicted departing for the wilderness with a friend, carrying his belongings in a kerchief on a staff, and wearing a "Jewish hat," a common iconography in the High Middle Ages.

Divine Intervention

In the wilderness, an angel appears to Joachim, bringing good news. The angel comforts him, stating that his prayers have been heard and his shame seen. The angel explains that barrenness is not a reproach by right, and God, who closes the womb, can open it more marvelously. The fruit born will be a gift from God.

The angel prophesies that Anne will have a daughter named Mary, who will be sacred to the Lord from infancy, full of the Holy Ghost, and will dwell in the temple. She will be born of a barren mother, and from her, the son of a high Lord, Jesus, will be born, bringing health to all people. As a sign, Joachim will meet Anne at the Golden Gate in Jerusalem, where she will be greatly moved by his long absence.

The same angel appears to Anne, who was weeping bitterly and unaware of her husband's whereabouts, relaying the same message and instructing her to go to the Golden Gate in Jerusalem to meet her husband.

In the center right of the lower lintel, the angel is seen speaking to Anne and Joachim from a cloud. In the very center, they meet at the Golden Gate, the eastern entrance to Jerusalem through which the Messiah is prophesied to enter. This meeting symbolizes the opening of a closed womb that will bear the redeemer's mother.

Mary's Betrothal

The events on the left side of the frieze occur approximately 14 years later, focusing on Mary's betrothal. "The Golden Legend" recounts that when Mary was 14, the bishop commanded that virgins who had completed their time in the temple should return home and marry according to the law.

A voice from the oracle declared that all men of the house of David who were unmarried should bring a rod to the altar. The man whose rod flourished and on which the Holy Ghost, in the form of a dove, descended (as foretold by Isaiah) would be betrothed to the Virgin Mary.

On the left, suitors are depicted, including Joseph, an old man on a horse. Joseph, of the house of David, was among them, but being of advanced age, he initially hid his rod. By the bishop's command, Joseph presented his rod, which immediately flowered, and a dove descended from heaven. This confirmed that he was chosen to marry the Virgin. Joseph then married Mary and returned to Bethlehem to prepare his household.

In the temple, on the covered bimah, the rods are shown placed overnight. Moving to the left, an angel appears to touch Joseph, while the rejected suitors look on. To the right, Joseph, a high priest, Mary, Joachim, and Anne celebrate the marriage. Mary, wearing a princess's coronet, inclines her head to the priest but reaches back for her father's hand.

In a subsequent scene, an angel informs Joseph that Mary's approaching maternity is divine, and Joseph kneels to beg forgiveness. Joseph and the Virgin then go hand-in-hand to Bethlehem.

The Birth of Christ

The upper lintel narrates the story of Christ's birth. On the left, the bearded old man is the prophet Isaiah, who foretold Jesus's coming. To his left, the archangel Gabriel announces to Mary that she will conceive and become the mother of Jesus, the son of God. Mary raises her hand, signifying her acceptance of the divine mission.

Next, the Visitation is depicted, where the pregnant Mary visits her relative Elizabeth, who is pregnant with John the Baptist. The two women embrace. The central tableau portrays the Nativity: Mary beneath the coverlet, Jesus in the cradle, animals warming him with their breath, and people observing from a chevron ring, with shepherds outside and angels looking on from above.

The right portion of the upper lintel shows Herod, the ruler of Judea at the time of Jesus's birth, the Magi who observed astrological signs of the birth of the King of the Jews, and the three kings with scepters.

The upper part of the tympanum features the Virgin in majesty with the Christ child, flanked by unidentified religious and secular figures and two censer-bearing angels.

Arch Vaults and Jam Statues

Above the lintels and tympanum, the arch vaults contain 14 angels, 14 patriarchs, and 16 prophets. On the outer rim, there are 16 old men of the Apocalypse with musical instruments and vials, as described by St. John the Divine.

The jam statues around the south portal include: * Left: St. Elijah, Queen of Sheba, Solomon, Peter (holding the keys). * Right: St. Paul, David, the Sibyl, and Isaiah.