Who composed the Stabat Mater?

The Stabat Mater was composed by Jacopone da Todi (c. 1236–1306), an Italian Franciscan mystic, poet, and jurist who studied law at the University of Bologna before abandoning his legal career to join the Franciscan Order. He is also known by his Latin name Iacoponus Tudertinus and his birth name Jacopo dei Benedetti.

What does "Stabat Mater" mean?

"Stabat Mater" is Latin for "The mother was standing." The full title "Stabat Mater dolorosa" means "The sorrowful mother was standing," referring to the Virgin Mary's presence at the Crucifixion.

What is the content of the Stabat Mater?

The hymn consists of 20 stanzas of three lines each, written in medieval Latin. It vividly depicts Mary's suffering as she witnesses her son's crucifixion, emphasizing her maternal grief and solidarity with Christ's passion. The text combines profound theological depth with emotional intensity, making complex spiritual concepts accessible to ordinary believers.

When was the Stabat Mater officially adopted into Catholic liturgy?

The Stabat Mater was officially adopted into the Roman Catholic liturgy in the 18th century, though it had been in use and popular for several centuries prior. It is particularly associated with the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows (September 15) and is also performed during Holy Week.

How many composers have set the Stabat Mater to music?

The Stabat Mater has been set to music by hundreds of composers throughout history. Notable settings include those by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1736), Antonio Vivaldi (1712), Gioachino Rossini (1831/1841), and Francis Poulenc (1950). It is one of the most frequently set texts in Western music history.

What is the literary classification of the Stabat Mater?

The Stabat Mater is classified as a sequence (a form of liturgical chant), as poetry (a literary style characterized by expressive language), and as a literary work (a written creation intended for reading and edification). It represents a unique intersection of religious devotion, poetic expression, and musical composition.

What is Jacopone da Todi's connection to the Franciscan Order?

Jacopone da Todi was a member of the Secular Franciscan Order (Third Order of St. Francis), which allows laypeople to follow Franciscan spiritual principles while remaining in secular life. He played a key role in developing and promoting this aspect of Franciscan spirituality and is recognized as the founder of the Franciscan mystical tradition in Italy.

Where did Jacopone da Todi study?

Jacopone da Todi studied law at the University of Bologna, one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the world, founded in 1088. This legal training provided him with intellectual rigor that informed his later theological and mystical writings.

What other works did Jacopone da Todi compose?

Beyond the Stabat Mater, Jacopone composed numerous other religious poems and spiritual treatises that became foundational texts for Franciscan mysticism. These works explored themes of divine love, human sinfulness, the nature of true holiness, and the soul's spiritual journey toward God. His Italian vernacular poetry influenced subsequent poets including Bianco da Siena.

Why is the Stabat Mater significant in music history?

The Stabat Mater is significant because it represents one of the most frequently set texts in Western classical music, spanning from Renaissance polyphony to modern oratorios. Its continuous musical settings over nearly eight centuries demonstrate its enduring artistic and spiritual power, making it a cornerstone of the Catholic liturgical repertoire.

Stabat Mater

Marian hymn

VisualArtwork literary_work Q210080

Stabat Mater — Unknown authorUnknown author · Public Domain · Wikimedia

Facts

9 properties

Instance of: literary work, sequence^[4]
Author: Jacopone da Todi^[2]
Genre: poetry^[5]
Language of work or name: Latin^[6]
Creator: Jacopone da Todi^[3]
Described by source: Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia, Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary, The Nuttall Encyclopædia, The Catholic Encyclopedia, Granat Encyclopedic Dictionary^[15]^[16]^[17]^[18]^[19]
Has edition or translation: Stabat Mater, Stabat Mater dolorosa, Poesias de Dom Pedro II/70, Wikidata item, Wikidata item, Wikidata item, At the Cross her station keeping, By the cross, sad vigil keeping^[7]^[8]^[9]^[10]^[11]^[12]^[13]^[14]
On focus list of Wikimedia project: WikiProject Christian Hymns^[21]
Title: Stabat Mater dolorosa^[20]

🏷️ Also known as

en Stabat Mater en Stabat mater dolorosa ar ستابات ماتر cs Stabat Mater dolorosa cs Stabat mater dolorosa el Στάμπατ Μάτερ el Ίστατο η Μήτηρ fa استابات ماتر fr Stabat Mater Dolorosa he Stabat Mater he סטאבט מאטר ja スターバト・マーテル ja スタバト・マーテル ko 스타바트 마테르 ko 스타밧 마터 nl Stabat mater dolorosa uk Stabat Mater uk Стабат Матер zh 聖母悼歌

🔖 Identifiers · 20

VIAF cluster ID: 207121585
GND ID: 4182689-9
Bibliothèque nationale de France ID: 16010612v
Catholic Encyclopedia ID: 14239b
Encyclopædia Britannica Online ID: topic/Stabat-mater-dolorosa
Freebase ID: /m/01tsxf
Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana ID: stabat-mater
Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana ID (former scheme): 0063998
Gran Enciclopèdia de la Música ID: 2059
Great Russian Encyclopedia Online ID (2017): 4161932
Great Russian Encyclopedia portal ID: stabat-mater-72b2a0
IdRef ID: 081993404

Show all 20 identifiers +8

Krugosvet article (archived): kultura_i_obrazovanie/religiya/STABAT_MATER.html
Lex ID: Stabat_Mater, stabat_mater
NL CR AUT ID: ph224465
NLP ID: a0000002566323
Online PWN Encyclopedia ID: 3978714
Quora topic ID: Stabat-Mater
SVKKL authority ID: 0371751-Stabat-mater
Topic's main category: Category:Stabat Mater settings

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🔗 Connections

← Has lyrics 8

Stabat Mater, Stabat Mater, Quattro Pezzi Sacri, Stabat Mater, Stabat Mater, Stabat Mater, Stabat Mater, Stabat Mater

Described by source 5

Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary, The Catholic Encyclopedia, Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia, The Nuttall Encyclopædia, Granat Encyclopedic Dictionary

Instance of 2

sequence, literary work

Author 1

Jacopone da Todi

Creator 1

Jacopone da Todi

Genre 1

poetry

Language of work or name 1

Latin

Topic's main category 1

Category:Stabat Mater settings

← Category's main topic 1

Category:Stabat Mater settings

← FactGrid item ID 1

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Summary

Stabat Mater is a literary work^[1].

References

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Direct Wikidata claims

Class ancestry

[1] ↑ Stabat Mater is an instance of literary work (Q7725634) [P31, primary]. Wikidata. wikidata.org.

📑 Cite this page

Use these citations when quoting this entity in research, articles, AI prompts, or wherever provenance matters. We aggregate Wikidata + Wikipedia + authoritative open-data sources; the stitched, scored, cross-referenced view is what 4ort.xyz contributes.

APA 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph. (2026). Stabat Mater. Retrieved November 7, 2026, from https://4ort.xyz/entity/stabat-mater

MLA “Stabat Mater.” 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph, 4ort.xyz, 7 Nov. 2026, https://4ort.xyz/entity/stabat-mater.

BibTeX

@misc{4ortxyz_stabat-mater_2026, author = {{4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph}}, title = {{Stabat Mater}}, year = {2026}, url = {https://4ort.xyz/entity/stabat-mater}, note = {Accessed: 2026-11-07}}

LLM prompt

According to 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph (aggregator of Wikidata, Wikipedia, and authoritative open-data sources): Stabat Mater — https://4ort.xyz/entity/stabat-mater (retrieved 2026-11-07)

Canonical URL: https://4ort.xyz/entity/stabat-mater · Last refreshed: November 7, 2026

Edit History

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21w ago · Jindřich Rubeš · 2026-06-12 view diff on Wikidata ↗

Instance of → —

Author → Jacopone da Todi

Aliases → —

Has edition or translation → Stabat Mater, Stabat Mater dolorosa, Poesias de Dom Pedro II/70 +5

+ 12 other properties edited (see Wikidata diff for full list)

"/* wbcreateclaim-create:1| */ SVKKL authority ID: 0371751-Stabat-mater, [[:toollabs:quickstatements/#/batch/259494|batch #259494]]"

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