San Paolo a Ripa d'Arno

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The facade and the north arm of the transept

San Paolo a Ripa d'Arno is a church in the Tuscan city ​​of Pisa . It was built on a previous building mainly from the 11th to the 13th century in the Romanesque period , partly based on the model of the Pisan Cathedral . It was badly damaged in World War II and large parts of it had to be rebuilt.

Location and naming

The church is located on the western edge of the old town of Pisa, south of the Arno , which flows almost immediately next to it, from which it is also known as a Ripa d'Arno . The forecourt on which it is located also takes its name from the church, in Pisa itself the church is also known as the Duomo vecchio . She received the patronage from St. Paul of Tarsus .

Building history

On the right the north side of the nave, on the left the front side of the north transept arm with the cosmatic tympanum and above it in the upper blind arch the sarcophagus relief

A first church was located here in the Carolingian period in 805. It fell into disrepair and the church in its current form was built on the remains of the building from the 11th century, originally as a monastery church of the Vallombrosans . The consecration of this church was in 1148 by Pope Eugene III. made, but the church was far from finished. It was not completed until the 13th century, and the builder Giovanni Pisano is likely to be involved. Although it has a few different peculiarities, it can still be described as a typical representative of Romanico pisano , i.e. the special Pisan variant of Romanesque. After its time as a monastery church, it was awarded as a commander and became a religious order of the military order Ordine di Santo Stefano Papa e Martire in the 16th century before the construction of their own church of Santo Stefano dei Cavalieri in the late 16th century. Today it is the parish church . The building was badly damaged in 1943, especially in the interior, so that large parts had to be rebuilt after the war.

Facade and north side

The facade is two-story and five-axis in the basement. In the basement, the very different blind arches, as well as other parts of the facade, reveal influences outside the Tuscan Romanesque: the two right-hand arches contain jagged frames with a slightly pointed arch, which indicates southern Italian-Norman models, while the rest of the design with the striped marble incrustations and the Rhombuses or round windows correspond to the Pisan Romanesque. The three portals are also decorated with blind arches, again with diamond-shaped windows, the middle portal contains a low-set round arch. Above the upper blind arch of the central portal, two small sculptures are inserted, the left relief is a representation of Mary under Byzantine influence. The pilasters that support the arches follow the Corinthian order in the capitals , while the base of the central blind arches is formed by lion heads. The cornice on which the gable rests is decorated with a toothed frieze and above it rich floral ornaments, also small animal figures are incorporated, whereby here again the complete difference of the cornice on both sides of the facade center is striking. The gable is clearly elevated in relation to the height of the central nave. It consists of three superimposed galleries with columns under arches, some of which are worked as spiral columns. The lack of arches in the bottom row in the gable attachments on the outside reveals the influence of the cathedral, so the gable attachments were also worked on the cathedral. The capitals of the columns are again very different. Two small arched windows are set into the back wall of the lowest gallery, and another one in the middle in the middle one above.

View inside towards the west side before the destruction of 1943

The north side of the church building, including the north arm of the transept, is also based on the model of the cathedral. The "show side" of the north arm of the transept towards the piazza again contains a portal. The tympanum of the lower blind arch, again striped and encrusted, is richly decorated and is reminiscent of cosmatic work . The upper blind arch contains a relief between the capitals. It is the remains of an ancient Roman sarcophagus , two genii hold a portrait of the deceased, the work dates from the 2nd or 3rd century.

Interior

The interior of the church is a three-aisled basilica over the plan of a Latin cross . The central nave is accordingly made higher than the side aisles. The nave has six bays. the high walls of the central nave are supported by slightly pointed arches , which rest on columns with again capitals according to the Corinthian order. The great length of the transept in relation to the length of the nave is unusual for Tuscan churches. The naves are not vaulted, the wooden roof trusses are freely visible.

The crossing , which rests on pillars, is covered with a pendentive dome, a rarity for the Tuscan Romanesque period.

In the interior there are still frescoes from the 14th century in various places , they are considered to be remarkable, some altarpieces come from the same century .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Marianne Mehling (Ed.): Knaurs Kulturführer - Florenz und Toskana , p. 186
  2. ^ Heinz Schomann : Art Monuments in Tuscany , p. 448.
  3. ^ Conrad Streit: Florence - Tuscany - Umbria, Land of the Etruscans , p. 104.
  4. ^ Heinz Schomann: Art Monuments in Tuscany , p. 448.
  5. ^ Heinz Schomann: Art Monuments in Tuscany , p. 448.
  6. ^ Heinz Schomann: Art Monuments in Tuscany , p. 448.
  7. ^ Heinz Schomann: Art Monuments in Tuscany , p. 448.
  8. ↑ Klaus Zimmermanns: Toscana - Das Hügelland and the historic city centers , p. 98.
  9. ↑ Klaus Zimmermanns: Toscana - Das Hügelland and the historic city centers , p. 98.
  10. ↑ Marianne Mehling (Ed.): Knaurs Kulturführer - Florenz und Toskana , p. 186.

literature

  • Heinz Schomann: Art Monuments in Tuscany , Scientific Book Society , Darmstadt 1990.
  • Marianne Mehling (Ed.): Knaurs Kulturführer - Florenz und Toskana , Droemer Knaur, Munich 1983 ISBN 3-426-26079-4 .
  • 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 Paolo a Ripa d'Arno  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 43 ° 42 ′ 46.5 "  N , 10 ° 23 ′ 36.6"  E