San Gaetano (Brescia)
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| Basic data | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| place | Brescia, Italy |
| Building history | |
| architect | Giulio Todeschini - Agostino Avanzo |
| construction time | 1588-1750 |
| Building description | |
| inauguration | 1599 |
| dedication | Kajetan from Thiene |
| Architectural style | Baroque |
| Furnishing style | Baroque |
| 45 ° 31 '59.4 " N , 10 ° 13' 41.8" E | |
The Church of San Gaetano is a church in Brescia , at the intersection of Via Antonio Calegari and Via Monti. It is a monastery church that was built for the newly founded congregation of the Padri della Pace ("Fathers of Peace)" or Preti riformati ("Reformed priests"). It was built in the baroque style . About sixty years after completion, it was rebuilt and the interior was completed. It contains numerous valuable works, such as the Ecstasy of Sant'Andrea Avellino by Giambattista Pittoni from 1742, paintings by local artists, but also paintings by Grazio Cossali and Alessandro Maganza , frescoes by Pietro Scalvini and a Tonoli organ made in 1960 by the company Tamburini was expanded.
history
The church and the adjoining monastery were built on behalf of Father Francesco Cabrino d'Alfianello, who at the end of the 16th century gathered a community of priests and the faithful to work out and carry out a moral reform of the clergy and the Church in his area, a common attitude at this time. The small community that emerged from this initiative took the name Padri della Pace or Preti riformati . The construction of the church was entrusted to Giulio Todeschini, an important architect from Brescia at the time. The construction lasted 20 years, from 1588 to 1598. The consecration took place the following year and was dedicated to Santa Maria della Purificazione , also called Santa Maria della Pace Vecchia , as it was originally intended for the "Reformed Fathers".
In the first half of the 17th century the community developed its moral principles, which approximated the rules of Philipp Neri , who had died a few years earlier. They changed their name to Padri Filippini or Padri dell'Oratorio . Around 1663, the building was partially rebuilt according to a design by the architect Agostino Avanzo, mainly to adapt the structure of the 16th century church to the requirements of the Counter-Reformation . The Padri Filippini stayed in the church and in the adjoining monastery complex until 1686, when the monastery was moved to a building belonging to the now extinct family of Count Martinengo, where a new oratory was also opened.
The monastery complex in what is now Via Calegari was then put up for sale and acquired in 1691 by the Theatinians who, as a first measure , dedicated the church to St. Kajetan , the founder of the order. The church was officially handed over to the order on March 20, 1717 by Bishop Gianfrancesco Barbarigo . The new religious carried out a series of restorations to enlarge the church and better adapt it to their needs: the presbytery was enlarged with the addition of the choir and sacristy . In addition to the existing ones, four side chapels were built, two on each side. The interior of the church is richly decorated with stucco friezes, marble inlays and frescoes by the Brescian Pietro Scalvini and the French Guy Louis II Vernansal. The work was completed in 1750.
After the dissolution of the monastic orders, the monastery, which was already in decline due to the instability of Venetian rule, was closed in 1798: part became state property, the rest was ceded to private individuals. The church remained open to the public thanks to the efforts of the Theatinist Gerolamo Chinelli, who managed it until 1844. He saved them from the wave of anti-clericalism and the systematic destruction of religious property, both movable and immovable, which marked the entire first half of this century.
In 1846 the church and monastery, now converted into a hospice, were sold to the Franciscans , who took possession of the entire complex. In 1866, other repressions led to the monastery being closed again: the brothers were forced to withdraw to the private part of the monastery and to hand over the state property to the military hospital. In 1872 the Franciscans finally returned to the possession of the monastery, but only a few and very small rooms were available on the left side of the church, to which more rooms were only added for the new religious community in the early 20th century.
From that moment until today, the Franciscans who are still present have devoted themselves to the religious support and care of the prisoners in the nearby judicial prisons, but also to the fight against juvenile delinquency, for which the "House of Women's Work of the Holy Family" was founded. which was later recognized as an ethical institution and is now based in Via Armando Diaz. In the 1960s, the monastery grounds were also converted into a boarding school for young people, the Franciscanum .
structure
Outside
The very simple facade was positioned in such a way that the eastern side of Via Monti was closed after a not accidental, but desired perspective that arose during the construction of the church at the end of the 16th century, with the walls of a private garden in front being torn down . A plaque on the north-west corner of the building still reminds of this action. The current appearance of the facade is largely due to the restoration of the second half of the 19th century: particularly sober and classic, very flat, divided into two orders, the first being adorned by four Doric pilaster strips and one Doric entablature , while the second is only has painted panels with sacred symbols. On the central axis, at the base, there is a marble entrance portal surmounted by a small triangular tympanum, the only really protruding element of the facade, while in the upper row there is a large rectangular window with an inscription dedicated to the Church and a triangular tympanum that completes the facade.
Inside
Saint Cecilia before Pope Urban I.
Return from the flight from Egypt, Brescia
Beheading of Saint Barbara
Martyrdom of Saint Agata
Saint Lucia receives the Eucharist
There is a contrast between the sober exterior and the sumptuous interior. This is one of the most important examples of the Rococo in Brescia. It consists of a single nave, which is characterized by fluted Corinthian pilasters that carry a rich stucco frieze with putti in plant motifs on the roof line . Above it runs a long entablature, also made of stucco, which serves as a closure for the barrel vault that covers the entire nave and in which there are some windows. Inside this entablature there are eleven medallions, which were frescoed by Grazio Cossali and set in stucco frames by Andrea Colomba, depicting scenes from the Old Testament and the life of Mary and Jesus, as well as four round arches over the windows, which in turn are frescoed by Guy Louis II Vernansal and depict the four sibyls : Cumana, Persica, Eritrea and Tiburtina.
organ
In the back wall of the apse , above the choir behind the high altar, is the Tonoli organ as Opus 5 from 1871. In 1960 the Tamburini company from Crema (Opus 418) restored and expanded the instrument. In the course of this, the old mechanical action was removed and replaced by an electropneumatic action, but both the old registers and the original wind mechanism were retained. The new console was placed behind the baroque high altar and has two manuals and a concave-radial pedal . The disposition is as follows:
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Works
Impotence of St. Andrew Avellino
Saint Kajetan receives the baby Jesus from the Virgin Mary
Saint Anthony and Saint Salvator of Horta with the Virgin and Child
Starting from the right side of the church, the following chapels and associated works are included:
- The first chapel, dedicated to St. Andrew Avellino , a great figure of the Theatine Order, was built thanks to the substantial contribution of Count Alessandro Gambara, who devoted himself particularly to the saint: the altarpiece is the work of Giambattista Pittoni from 1742 and represents the moment when, during the celebration of Mass, Saint Andrew is gripped with deadly sorrow over the excess of divine love. The composition of the painting depends on two diverging diagonals, one of which is characterized by the foreshortening of the body of Saint Andrew and the other by the horizontal plane of the altar. The agitated position of the cleric supporting the dying saint also helps to emphasize the feeling of illusory depth. The marble putti and cherubim are the work of Antonio Calegari .
- The next chapel houses a double grandstand from the 18th century which is unique in Brescia for its compositional beauty and its attention to sculpture: at the bottom it is closed by a parapet covered with a yellow marble curtain inlaid with friezes. In the upper area there is another curtain with different ash-gray patterns, accompanied by two imitation pillows, also masterfully carved in marble. The two stands are decorated with baroque frames made of polychrome marble. The scenographic representation, almost like a theatrical production, refers to the culture of the high baroque, in particular to the work of Gian Lorenzo Bernini , from which the author was very likely inspired. The coat of arms of the Theatines, a cross on three mountains, is located between the two stands.
- The third chapel is dedicated to Saint Kajetan von Thiene and houses a painting from the early 18th century by the Theatine father Filippo Maria Galletti. The work depicts the saint kneeling before the enthroned Virgin, receiving the child from her arms. Saint Joseph and Saint Jerome are symmetrical on the sides . Around the scene, in the background, one can see angel heads and figures. On the left wall of the chapel there is a painting which in turn depicts Saint Katejan von Thiene, here during the treatment of the sick, a work by Antonio Paglia from 1705. On the other side is an oil painting by Andrea Nannini depicting the apparition of Saint Kajtan to a group of followers , a work from 1776. On the left side of the same chapel there is an inscription commemorating the consecration of the church Saint Kajetan von Thiene 1717.
- The room adjoining the Kajetan Chapel is laid out as a small votive shrine, with many votive offerings and panels to commemorate the many graces received. The oldest dates from 1616 and was taken as a vow for the healing of Count Annibale Provaglio. From the sanctuary one can enter the Oratory of San Gaetano, a small underground church where the members of the Theatine Brotherhood gather on the feast days to hold liturgical celebrations in the morning and discussions on projects of charitable works in the evening. The purpose of the oratory was also to spread the devotion to the saint and to support the feasts that were celebrated in and within the church. This is where the members of the Brotherhood of the Blessed Sacrament, founded by Father Magenis in 1709, met, which recorded a rapid influx of members and followers, so that the group adopted its own rule and statute in the following year, which was approved by Pope Clement XI. were approved.
- The presbytery is separated from the rest of the room by a marble balustrade. The scene of the Assumption of Mary is depicted on the upper center of the sacred arch in a multi-lobed frame. On the side of the sacred arch there are two large paintings by Alessandro Maganza , depicting the flight into Egypt on the left and the rest of the Holy Family during the flight into Egypt on the right. On the right side of the presbytery there are the figures of some apostles and all the frescoes are by Pietro Scalvini from 1750. The entire room is covered by a small dome decorated with saints in the clouds, angels and angels and portraits of the Evangelists in the pendentives , all works by Scalvini. The stern choir with walnut stalls is located in a semicircular apse and was added during the renovation work in the middle of the 18th century, when the presbytery was also built. The apse is also decorated with frescoes of cherubins and angels by Scalvini. The high altar is probably the work of Francesco Bombastoni or Vincenzo Baroncini, who was first already present in the church of San Lorenzo to build the high altar, but gave up after a few months. The work is characterized by the polychromy of the marble inlay, which is made using the technique of the commesso di pietre dure , in which thin stone slices are used that are cut out according to a basic pattern and then mounted together on a support. In the center of the altar is a gilded marble figure of the Immaculate Conception with the child in a garland of flowers. The altarpiece of the high altar is again by Alessandro Maganza and represents the Annunciation. The altarpiece is integrated into a uniform structure, which also includes the facade of the organ.
- On the north side of the presbytery is the sacristy on the left with a vault on which Christ in heaven is depicted with Saint Kajetan in glory, who put the devil to flight, while the apotheosis of the Theatines can be seen on the back wall , all frescoes by Scalvini from the middle of the 18th century.
On the left side of the church, starting from the presbytery, are:
- The chapel dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua with an altarpiece by Gianfilippo Usellini from 1941 depicting the Saint and Saint Salvator of Horta before the enthroned Virgin. On the sides of the chapel there are two 19th century paintings depicting Cardinal Paolo Burali of Arezzo on the left and Cardinal Giuseppe Maria Tomasi , a writer on Marian spirituality, on the right.
- In the middle of the left side of the church, in front of the double marble platform on the right, is an 18th century pulpit with a canopy on which the Holy Spirit is depicted.
- Finally, there is the chapel dedicated to Saint Francis with a 19th century painting by Giuseppe Ariassi depicting the saint receiving the saint stigmata. The episode is repeated inside the medallion in the middle of the altar front made of polychrome marble. On the left wall of the chapel the patron saints of the Ordo Franciscanus Saecularis are depicted: St. King Ludwig and St. Elizabeth of Hungary , while on the opposite side a painting depicts St. Clare .
Individual evidence
- ^ Chiesa S. Gaetano (OFM). Retrieved January 20, 2020 (Italian).
literature
- Francesco de Leonardis: Guida di Brescia . Grafo Edizioni, Brescia 2008 (Italian).
- Dépliant illustrativo della Chiesa di San Gaetano fornito all'interno . (Italian).
- Storia di Brescia, diretta da Giovanni Treccani, Morcelliana . (Italian).
- Fè d'Ostiani, Storia, tradizione, arte per le vie di Brescia . Brescia 1895 (Italian).
