The gate of the year

The Vertumnalia

Statue of Vertumnus and Pomona, realized by Laurent Delvaux around 1725, now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
Vertumnus was a divinity associated with the transformation of vegetation and with the changing of the seasons. The legend of the loves of Vertumnus and Pomona narrated how the god, to conquer the affection of the goddess, had changed his aspect several times (Ovid, Metamorphoses, XIV, 609-697). Pomona was also a deity associated with agriculture, who protected the crops and, in particular, the fruit trees. Vertumnus’s main feast was the Vertumnalia, celebrated on October 23, the period of passage from the summer season to the fall.

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Seasonal Cycles

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The Vertumnalia Statue of Vertumnus and Pomona, realized by Laurent Delvaux around 1725, now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Vertumnus was a divinity associated with the transformation of vegetation and with the changing of the seasons. The legend of the loves of Vertumnus and Pomona narrated how the god, to conquer the affection of the goddess, had changed his aspect several times (Ovid, Metamorphoses, XIV, 609-697). Pomona was also a deity associated with agriculture, who protected the crops and, in particular, the fruit trees. Vertumnus’s main feast was the Vertumnalia, celebrated on October 23, the period of passage from the summer season to the fall. [Image: http://theredlist.com/wiki-2-351-861-1411-1417-1418-view-baroque-1-profile-delvaux-laurent.html]