¿Patronazgo en cuestión o cuestión de patronazgo? Ermessenda de Carcassone y el desaparecido frontal de altar de la catedral de Girona : el enigma de su piedra sigilar

Countess Ermessenda of Carcassone is well known for her constant patronage of works of art and architecture throughout the counties over the course of her long co-rule. Her role as artistic patron is best represented by her commission of the nowlost altar frontal of the Cathedral of Girona. Through an exhaustive review of the known sources, both material and documentary, this article calls attention to certain crucial aspects of the frontal such as its commission, appearance and manufacture. By focusing on the seal donated by the countess to decorate and sign the work, longstanding questions about the stone's function within the altar frontal decoration will be addressed in order to shed light on its importance as a key element of female artistic patronage during the central Middle Ages.