Santa Maria della Misericordia

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Santa Maria della Misericordia in Ascona with a lime tree avenue in front of the church
Detail of the fresco cycle

The church of Santa Maria della Misericordia is in Ascona in the Swiss canton of Ticino . It was built between 1399 and 1442; the towering tower dates from 1488. The church contains one of the most extensive fresco cycles of late Gothic in Switzerland.

location

The church and the collegio attached to it are located in the historic center of Ascona, a place with 5000 inhabitants on Lake Maggiore near Locarno . The buildings are surrounded by high stone walls. An avenue of lime trees leads to the church and the cloister.

history

The "Madonna della Quercia"

From the first hundred years only the laying of the foundation stone on November 15, 1399 and the consecration on October 23, 1442 are documented. The church was dedicated to the Madonna of the Protective Cloak . Its construction is an expression of the increasing devotion to Mary south of the Alps . A notarial document from 1510 confirms that the Ascona community was responsible for the church and that on October 28th two Sicilian Dominicans were responsible for the spiritual direction. The monks undertook to build a small monastery which was then built in the south of the choir.

After an inspection by the Bishop of Vercelli, he asked for improvements and removal of the side altars. After a foundation by Bartolomeo Papio from Ascona, drastic changes occurred after 1584. The congregation left the church to Cardinal Karl Borromeo , the executor Papios. This dismissed the Dominicans, and from then on Santa Maria was divided into two parts. The parish was under the Como diocese , and the college and seminary was administered by the Archbishops of Milan . A nephew of the cardinal restricted Como's rights to two chapels.

After Karl Borromeo was canonized in 1610, the small Karlskapelle was added to the north wall of the nave. On July 27, 1821, Como was made responsible by the Pope after the Archbishops of Milan had asked for their exclave to be lifted. Salesians administered the church in 1894, and Assumptionists followed in 1910 . In 1911 the church and college were declared a cantonal monument. From about 1918 to 1964, Benedictines from Einsiedeln ensured a religious renewal. In 1965 Pope Paul VI donated. Church and college of the diocese of Lugano .

The church has been restored several times over the centuries. The last work was done in 1996 on the altar painting and in 2011 on the reredos of the main altar. In 1960 the college, cloister and the church roof were severely damaged by a devastating fire.

Building

The church was built from rubble and rubble. The construction is single-nave. The nave and choir have gable roofs. The tower was built in 1488 and later heightened. A portico was added to the main facade in the 17th century . Above the entrance portal there is a fresco of a Madonna in protective cloak. The work from the 16th century was assigned to the Maestro di San Rocco a Pallanza, a student of Leonardo da Vinci .

organ

Detail of the Mathis organ: Tromboncini in a standing construction at the feet of the principal

By the Swiss organ builder in 1993 Mathis Orgelbau built organ with mechanical game - and key action has 24  registers , on two manuals and pedal are distributed. Kurzbecherige reed pipes ( Tromboncini ) before the brochure , in vertical construction and the register Fiffaro are structural features of the instrument.

The arrangement of the organ is as follows:

I Grande Organo C-g 3
1. Bordone 16 ′
2. Principals 8th'
3. Fiffaro 8th'
4th Flauto 8th'
5. Ottava 4 ′
6th Flauto 4 ′
7th Nazardo 2 23
8th. Quintadecima 2 ′
9. Decimanona 1 13
10. Ripieno 1'
11. Tromba 8th'
12. Tromboncini 8th'
Tremulant
II Organo espressivo C – g 3
13. Bordone 8th'
14th Violetta 8th'
15th Flauto 4 ′
16. Principalino 2 ′
17th Cornetto II 2 ′
18th Cimbalo 1'
19th Cromorno 8th'
Tremulant
Pedal C – f 1
20th Sub bass 16 ′
21st Flauto 8th'
22nd Ottava 4 ′
23. Fagotto 16 ′
24. Tromba 8th'
  • Coupling : II / I, I / P, II / P
  • Playing aids : Tromba 8 ′ GO, Fagotto 16 ′, Tromba 8 ′ pedals, Organo Pleno

Collegio Papio

The Collegio Papio was added to the church of Santa Maria della Misericordia between 1585 and 1620. It has one of the most beautiful Renaissance cloisters in Switzerland.

literature

  • Daniela Pace, Michela Zucconi-Poncini: The Church of S. Maria della Misericordia and the Collegio Papio in Ascona. Society for Swiss Art History, Bern 2012. ISBN 978-3-03797-052-2 .

Web links

Commons : Santa Maria della Misericordia  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Franz Lüthi: A cross-section through the organ landscape of Ticino . In: St. Galler Orgelfreunde OFSG, Bulletin OFSG 17, No. 3, 1999, p. 49 (.pdf file)
  2. ^ Profilo dell'organo, Chiesa di Collegio Papio, nuovo organo, Ascona . In: Organ directory Switzerland and Liechtenstein , peter-fasler.magix.net, accessed on November 22, 2017.

Coordinates: 46 ° 9 '18.6 "  N , 8 ° 46' 15.1"  E ; CH1903:  702 915  /  one hundred and twelve thousand three hundred and ninety-four