Volterra Cathedral
The Cathedral of Volterra or the Cathedral of the Assumption ( Italian Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta ) is a church in the Tuscan town of Volterra . The cathedral of the Diocese of Volterra was built in the Romanesque style at the beginning of the 12th century . It leads the patronage of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and bears the title of a minor basilica .
history
From the 9th century there is evidence of a St. Mary's Church in Volterra, which was destroyed in the 1117 earthquake . In its place, today's cathedral was built, which was consecrated by Pope Calixtus II in 1120 and expanded in the second half of the 13th century. The striking facade is divided into three parts by square, Lombard pilasters . The marble portal is made from recycled materials from the Roman theater of Vallebuona. The furnishings date from the following centuries, the interior was redesigned until the 19th century. In November 1957, Pope Pius XII. the cathedral to the rank of a minor basilica.
inner space
The interior of the basilica has retained the structure and floor plan in the form of a three-aisled Latin cross, but was redesigned in the style of the late Renaissance . The space is divided by twenty-two columns that have been stuccoed since the restoration in 1842–1843, imitating pink granite, while the white stucco capitals from the 16th century are set in gold and by Leonardo Ricciarelli. The white and gray painted walls of the choir and the floor are also the result of a 19th century restoration. The central nave and transept are supported by a grandiose coffered ceiling, a wonderful series of geometric, decorative and floral elements, figures of saints, two large ovals of the Assumption and the Holy Spirit designed by Francesco Capriani , carved by Jacopo Paolini and by Fulvio Tucci between 1580 and gilded in 1584. On the line of the nave there are six chapels, which house works by painters of the second half of the 16th century.
The scenes in the right aisle show the dedication of the city to the Virgin Mary by Pieter de Witte (1578), the birth of the Virgin Mary by Francesco Curradi and the presentation of Mary in the temple by Giovan Battista Naldini; in the left aisle the martyrdom of Saint Sebastian by Francesco Cungi (1587), the Annunciation by Fra Bartolomeo Della Porta (1497), the Immaculate Conception by Niccolò Circignani .
In 1584 the pulpit was reassembled with parts of the 12th century furnishings, which are returned to the Pisan sculptor Buonamico Buffalmacco . The high altar houses the elegant ciborium by Mino da Fiesole (1471). On the sides, above two twisted columns from the twelfth century, there are two angels. Behind it is the choir , the stalls of which were made in the Gothic style by Sienese craftsmen at the end of the 14th century.
Near the rear wall of the apse is the Tamburini organ opus 159, which was built in 1934 and has retained its original sound characteristics. Electrically transmitted, it has 21 stops that are divided between two manuals and a pedal .
In the center of the vault is the Eternal Father, a fragment of a cycle of paintings by Niccolò Circignani with stories from the life of the Virgin Mary. To the right of the altar, the first chapel holds the relics of St. Ottaviano, which are kept in a marble sarcophagus made by Raffaello di Andrea Cioli da Settignano. The chapel next door houses the wood group of the Descent from the Cross (1228), a masterpiece of Romanesque wood carving.
On the left is the chapel where the remains of Sant'Ugo, Bishop of Volterra in the 12th century, are kept. Next is the Chapel of the Madonna del Barbialla or the Cleric, a wooden sculpture by Francesco di Valdambrino (early 15th century). Next to the right side of the transept is the Sacrament Chapel, decorated with stucco by Leonardo Ricciarelli and paintings by Santi di Tito, Giovanni Balducci and Agostino Veracini, while on the left side of the transept is the chapel dedicated to Saint Paul, which with precious marble and Gherardo Silvani, Giovanni Caccini, Giovanni da San Giovanni , Domenichino , Matteo Rosselli and Francesco Curradi are named for their design .
Outside chapels and bell tower
The cathedral complex also includes the Chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows, where two groups of painted terracotta statues attributed to Andrea della Robbia are kept: the nativity scene with the fresco Train of the Magi by Benozzo Gozzoli and the Adoration of the Magi . In the adjoining chapel, which is dedicated to the most holy name of Jesus , there is a rich silver reliquary with a plaque with the monogram of Christ, which was probably painted by St. Bernardino da Siena .
On the line of the facade, which is separated from the cathedral by the Chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows, stands the rectangular bell tower with twelve double-arched windows and four oculi; it was built in 1493 to replace its predecessor, which was threatened with decay.
literature
- Umberto Bavoni: La Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta e il Museo Diocesano di Arte Sacra di Volterra. Florence, Edizioni IFI, 1997.
- Franco Lessi: Volterra e la Val di Cecina , collana “I Luoghi della Fede”, Milano, Mondadori, 1999, pp. 50–56.
Web links
- Chiesa Maria Assunta on BeWeB (Italian)
Individual evidence
- ^ Basilica Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta on gcatholic.org
- ^ Volterra, Italia (Pisa) - Basilica Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta (Duomo). In: orgbase.nl. Retrieved February 18, 2020 .
Coordinates: 43 ° 24 ′ 6.5 ″ N , 10 ° 51 ′ 31.2 ″ E