San Marco (Florence)
Church and Convent of San Marco belonging to a convent of Dominicans in Florence. The convent under the patronage of the Evangelist Mark is located in the Piazza San Marco in the north of the old town.
The church originally belonged to a monastery founded in 1299 by the Vallombrosans , a branch of the Benedictine monastery , and was completed around 1310. Later the monastery passed to the Silvestrinians , who also belong to the Benedictine religious family. In 1436, at the instigation of the Council of Basel and Pope Eugene IV , San Marco was handed over to the Dominicans of San Domenico in Fiesole, as the New Years Eve was said to have failed to follow their religious rules. In the years 1437 to 1452, large parts of the crumbling walls were rebuilt under the direction of the architect Michelozzo di Bartolommeo , as the monastery was in a poor structural condition. On the feast of the Epiphany in 1443 the church was consecrated anew.
Cosimo de 'Medici gave the money for the work on San Marco . For this he received an indulgence from the Pope , the first line of which he had placed above the entrance to the sacristy : “Cum hoc templum Marco evangeliste dicatum magnificis sumptibus cl. Cosmi de Medicis tandem absolutum eats. ”De 'Medici also had a cell in the monastery where he retired for personal contemplation. The walls of the cell and many other of the dormitory as well as parts of the two cloisters were by Fra Angelico and other painters, such as Benozzo Gozzoli , with frescoes decorating.
In the years 1777 to 1780 the facade of the church was rebuilt according to the designs of Gioacchino Prontis. In addition to the choir, there is a chapel that cigoli attributed (1559-1613) and was built around the year 1594th The frescoes in the chapel also come from him . Another chapel was dedicated to St. Antoninus of Florence , who was prior of the monastery for many years , and is one of the most important works by Giovanni Bologna . It was created between 1578 and 1589.
The monastery has an important library based on Michelozzo's designs . It was built between 1441 and 1444 and is considered the oldest public library. The manuscript collection of the humanist Niccolò Niccoli forms the basis of the books .
The monastery buildings now also house the Museo Nazionale di San Marco. In the former cell of the prior , pictures and some objects are exhibited by Girolamo Savonarola , who was prior of the convent of San Marco from 1485.
literature
- Manfred Wundram: Art Guide Florence . Philipp Reclam, Stuttgart 1993, ISBN 3-15-010385-1 , pp. 212-220
- Anthony Brierley, Kerry Fisher, Tim Jepson, Carolyn Pyrah: Florence & Tuscany . Dorling Kindersley , Munich 2002, ISBN 3-928044-17-6 , pp. 96-97
Web links
Coordinates: 43 ° 46 ′ 42 ″ N , 11 ° 15 ′ 31 ″ E