Vigils {rir/ili(F, pfrnocta/innes, Trai'vvxi^^Q) is the term by which are designated in the Romish Church the ceremonies of preparation for the observance of one of the great feasts. It originally designated merely the nocturnal religious services of the early Christians in times of persecution, but afterwards was applied to the services instituted to enforce the idea that the Chris- tian ought to be watchful unto prayer even in the night- seasons, and assigned to the night preceding the recur- rence of a notable feast of the Church. The vigils of Easter and Pentecost were regarded as especially holy in the 2d century, and with the former were connect- ed the holding of the afjapce, or love-feasts, and the cel- ebration of the Lord's supper, while with the latter was associated the sacrament of baptism. Only the faith- ful were allowed to participate in the vigils of those feasts. In the 4th and 5th centuries the Easter vigils were generally chosen for the administration of either sacrament and for the conferring of orders ; and those of Pentecost and Christmas held a subordinate place, baptism not being administered in connection with the latter. In the 12th century vigils were first held in honor of the Virgin Mary.
The celebration of vigils became very splendid after the 4th centnry, but also corrupted with many impro- |)rieties, insomuch that women were prohibited from en- gaging in it. Much opposition against their obser- vance was aroused in consequence, their most promi- nent assailant being Vigilantius {i\. v.). The convents were the principal agencies for perpetuating the insti- tution of the vigils, but the churches gradually ab<il- ished it as a night service, and transformed the services into a fast. This gave rise to the Saturday fast. Vigils were afterwards observed in the forenoon of the day preceding a feast, and were generally adopted. At the present time an occasional midniglit mass is celebrated at Christmas, and a vigil is observed on the evening be- fore Easter, in addition to the forenoon vigil. Vigils precede the feasts of the Annunciation and Purifying of the Virgin, Christmas, Eiiiphany, Easter, Ascension Day, Pentecost, and the days of John the Baptist. All- sahits', and the apostles Matthew, Peter, Jude, James, Simon, Thomas, and Andrew. Some vigils are privi- leged, i.e. have a special service. If connected with a second or third grade feast, the officium is celebrated and the vigil observed in the lamles and the mass. If two priests othciate, one reads the mass for the feast after the tertia, the other that for the vigils after the nnna. Non - privileged vigils simply commemorate the vigil. An occasional vigil is observed in the Protestant
churches, e. g. the Moravians on Good Friday and Easter. See Aus,aiU, A rchduliuiie ; Herzog, Rial- /Ciir cykiop. s. V. ; and the monograi)hs cited by Volbeding, Index Proyrummatum, p. 115, 121.
Vignali, Jacopo, an Italian painter, was born at Florence in 1592. lie was a disciple of iNIatteo Kossel- li. He is most conspicuous in his frescos, as seen in the Chapel of Buonarotti. He also painted good his- torical pictures in the palaces of many of the nobility, and even boasts of noble ]iu])ils. He died at Fl(»renc« in 1664. See Spooner, Bio<j. //est. oftlie Fine Arts,s.\.
Vignerio, Jacopo, a Sicilian painter who tlourish- ecVat iMcssina about the middle of the Kith century. He studied under Polidoro ila Caravaggio, and followed his style. An excellent ])iclure by him of C/irixt Bearing /lis Cross, dated 1552, still exists in the Church of Santa Maria della Scala. See Spooner, Biof/. Hist, of t/ie Fino A lis, s. V.
Vignette (Fr.), in architecture, means a running ornament consisting of leaves and tendrils, such as is frequently carved in the hollow mouldings in Gothic architecture, especially in the Decorated and Perpeu-
Vlgnette.
dicular styles; called also Trail. — Parker, Gloss, of A r- c/iilect. s. V.
Vignier, Nicoi,as, a French Protestant theologian, son of Nicolas A^ignier, Sen. (who himself wrote one or two religious works), was born in Germany about 1575. He studied theology at Leyden, and in 1601 became pastor at Blois. He was secretary to the national syn- ods at Gap d'Alais, deputy (in 1609) to the Assembly of Grenoble, and presided over four provincial synods (the last two in 1638 and 1643). He died at Blois about 1645, leaving several religious works, for which see Hoefer, Noiiv. Biofi. Generale, s. v.
His son Nicolas likewise served the Church at Blois, and died at the age of twenty-four.
Vignola, Giacomo Barozzio da, an Italian architect, was born at Vignola, in JModcna, in 1507. He studied painting at Bologna, but afterwards went to Rome to study architecture, and made it his profes- sion. He spent two j'ears in France with Primaticcio, and then went to Bologna, where he constructed sev- eral fine palaces and other public buildings. He final- ])' settled in Rome, and was appointed architect by Ju- lius III in 1550. He designed the Church of the Jes- uits at Rome, the Caparola palace, and the two lateral cupolas of St. Peter's, of which he succeeded Michael Angelo as the architect. He was the author of T/>e Five Orders of A rcMtecture and Practical Perspective, works which are still among the best authorities on those sidjjects. See Spooner, Bioy. //ist. of the Fine A rts, s. v. " Barozzio."
Vignola, Girolamo da, an Italian painter, flour- ished at Modena in the first half of the 16th century. He was a professed follower of Raphael, and some of his frescos still remain in the Church of St. Piero in his na- tive city. See Spooner, Bioy. flist. oftlie Fine A rts, s. v.