San Cerbone

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View of the church from the east, on the left part of the bishop's palace

San Cerbone is a church in the Tuscan town of Massa Marittima . It is the cathedral of the diocese of Massa Marittima-Piombino and was built in its current form in two construction phases in the 13th and the beginning of the 14th century. It is known for its facade and other works of art. It has the rank of minor basilica .

Location and patronage

The church is located in the old town ( Città Vecchia ) of Massa Marittima in the central Piazza Garibaldi , diagonally opposite the Palazzo del Podestà and other important buildings. It has its patronage from St. Cerbonius , whose relics are buried in the crypt of the cathedral.

History and building history

View through the nave to the choir

In 835 the bishopric was moved from Populonia , which was endangered by Saracen attacks - and with it the bones of Cerbonius - to Massa Marittima. It is therefore possible that a bishop's church was built as early as the 9th century, but this has not been proven archaeologically. Remnants of a subsequent church from the 11th century, however, have been preserved here and there. This church was rebuilt in the 13th century. First, from 1228 to 1267, the front part of the nave and the lower part of the facade were built. In a second construction phase, from 1287 to 1304, the other components followed, including the middle part of the facade with the gable. The vaults were only drawn in in the 17th century, until then the roof structure was open. The works of art in the interior are works of different centuries, from the 11th to the 15th centuries. The campanile was laid out in the second construction phase, but large parts of it were rebuilt in 1928 due to dilapidation. This year the facade was changed slightly again. In 1975 the church was opened by Pope Paul VI. raised to the minor basilica.

facade

The baptismal font with the tabernacle

The facade is two-storey with a well-designed gable. The lower part from the first construction phase has seven axes, the axes are structured with blind arcades. The two outer arches and the middle, slightly raised arch contain round windows, the two inner ones with ornate rhombuses , whereby the design here, as in other parts of the facade, is somewhat asymmetrical. The capitals of the pillars separating the arcade arches as well as those of the corner pilasters follow different variations of the Corinthian order , another asymmetry can be seen in the corner pilasters due to their different capital heights. The design of this part follows models of the Pisan late Romanesque. Remnants of the 11th century building can be seen in the door posts of the main portal. The reliefs set into the lintel are of art historical importance ; they are about 1250 depictions of various scenes from the life of the church patron. The upper part of the facade with the loggia-like slender columns in front of the large round window - the glazing of which can be seen from the inside - and the dwarf gallery of the gable originate from the second construction phase around 1300, the first Gothic influences can already be seen. Some of the column bases have been replaced by depictions of evangelist symbols; the middle column of the gable gallery is supported by a kneeling man. The work is attributed to the circle of Giovanni Pisano . The facade is completed by three pinnacles on top of it . These were only created in the course of the extensive restoration of the Campanile in 1928. Despite the various asymmetries and the different styles, the façade is still considered “majestic”.

Interior and outfit

The church was built over a Latin cross as a basic structure and basilically , so it has three naves with a raised central nave. The crossing is octagonal domed. The first seven yokes come from the first building phase up to 1267, here the arcade arches are supported by columns, also with capitals of various variations of the Corinthian order. The crossing and the choir from the second construction phase, on the other hand, are supported by pillars , only in the area of ​​the crossing does a pillar change in the pillars. The subsequently inserted cross vaults distort the original spatial impression. The choir runs out polygonally, a specialty in the Tuscan church architecture is the Gothic surround of the window frames and services with whorls .

Works of art

The sarcophagus of Cerbonius in the crypt

There are various reliefs on the inside of the portal wall. These are depictions of Christ enthroned , child murder in Bethlehem and others. It could be the remains of a pulpit from the previous building from the 11th century.

The large round window of the facade can now also be seen from the inside of the portal wall. It contains stained glass with scenes from the life of the church patron . These are works by Girolamo da Pietra Santa from the 14th century.

In the right aisle there is a baptistery with a large baptismal font made of travertine . The work, richly decorated with reliefs, dates from 1267 by Giroldo da Arogno , also called Giroldo da Lugano or Giroldo di Como . The tabernacle on top was created in 1447.

In the left transept is the Cappella della Madonna . It contains an image of the Madonna from Duccio's circle from 1316.

crypt

The crypt contains a sarcophagus with the remains of St. Cerbonius , this is known as the Arca di San Cerbone . The sarcophagus was created by Goro di Gregorio , a sculptor from Siena in 1324. It contains eight relief depictions from the life of Cerbonius on the box, as well as depictions of saints and prophets in the round medallions of the lid. The room itself still contains eleven marble statuettes , possibly related to the sarcophagus from the school of Gregorio.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Zimmermanns: Toscana - The hill country and the historic city centers , p. 330.
  2. ↑ Schomann: Kunstdenkmäler in der Toskana , p. 419.
  3. ↑ Zimmermanns: Toscana - The hill country and the historic city centers , p. 330.
  4. ↑ Schomann: Kunstdenkmäler in der Toskana , p. 419.
  5. ↑ Schomann: Kunstdenkmäler in der Toskana , p. 419.
  6. ↑ Zimmermanns: Toscana - The hill country and the historic city centers , p. 330.
  7. ↑ Zimmermanns: Toscana - The Hill Country and the Historic City Centers , p. 331.
  8. ^ Dispute: Florence - Tuscany - Umbria, Land of the Etruscans , p. 264.
  9. ↑ Schomann: Kunstdenkmäler in der Toskana , p. 419.
  10. ↑ Zimmermanns: Toscana - The Hill Country and the Historic City Centers , p. 331.
  11. ↑ Zimmermanns: Toscana - The Hill Country and the Historic City Centers , p. 331.
  12. ^ Dispute: Florence - Tuscany - Umbria, Land of the Etruscans , p. 264.
  13. ↑ Zimmermanns: Toscana - The Hill Country and the Historic City Centers , p. 331.
  14. ↑ Zimmermanns: Toscana - The Hill Country and the Historic City Centers , p. 331.

literature

  • Heinz Schomann : Art Monuments in Tuscany , Scientific Book Society , Darmstadt 1990
  • Klaus Zimmermanns: Toscana - The hill country and the historic city centers , 9th edition, Du Mont Buchverlag, Cologne 1986 ISBN 3-7701-1050-1
  • Conrad Streit: Florence - Tuscany - Umbria, Land of the Etruscans , Walter-Verlag, Olten and Freiburg im Breisgau 1972 (special edition for the Scientific Book Society Darmstadt)

Web links

Commons : San Cerbone  - Collection of Images

Coordinates: 43 ° 2 ′ 58.9 ″  N , 10 ° 53 ′ 16.6 ″  E