Santa Maria sopra Minerva (Assisi)
The church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva in the Piazza del Comune in the Italian city of Assisi stands as the eponymous Basilica in Rome at the site of a Roman Minerva - temple , which was built in the first century BC. The facade and the pronaos of the Roman temple have been preserved.
history
The Roman temple was built in the 1st century BC. Financed and built by Gneus Cesius and Titus Cesius Priscus. It was originally dedicated to Hercules ; at a later date, however, a woman statue was erected in the temple, which represented the wisdom goddess Minerva. At that time, the forum in front of the temple served as the center of urban life in Asisium, the Roman predecessor settlement of Assisi. It is likely that some early Christian martyrs were executed at this point .
After the Constantinian Revolution , when Christianity gained influence and paganism was pushed back, the Minerva Temple was abandoned as a place of worship, but not destroyed. Towards the end of the 6th century, the temple was restored by Benedictine monks. The interior was divided into two floors, the upper part being used as living space and a church dedicated to San Donato being built in the lower part.
In the 13th century, the temple was rented by the monks to the city of Assisi, who used the rooms as an administrative seat and until the 15th century as a prison. In 1456 the Church of San Donato was reopened.
After a visit to Assisi in 1539, Pope Paul III decreed . the complete renovation of the Temple of Minerva and transformation into a church in honor of Our Lady . At this point the name was changed to Santa Maria sopra Minerva .
In 1613 the Bishop of Assisi handed the church over to the Third Order of St. Francis , whereupon regular services were held and the interior was redesigned in Baroque style.
architecture
The facade with six Corinthian columns, architrave and triangular gable has been preserved from Roman times . When the church was built in the 16th century, the cella was completely removed. What is striking is the contrast between the grandiose classical facade and the small-scale interior, which was redesigned in baroque style by the architect Giacomo Giorgetti from Assisi in the 17th century .
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Santa Maria sopra Minerva, Assisi (Eng.)
Web links
- Tempio di Minerva, Assisi (ital.)
Coordinates: 43 ° 4 ′ 17 ″ N , 12 ° 36 ′ 53 ″ E