Santissimo Crocifisso
| Basic data | |
|---|---|
| Patronage : | Jesus Christ |
| Consecration day : | ? 1568 |
| Address: |
Piazza dell'Oratorio 00187 Roma |
With Santissimo Crocifisso one will Oratory in Rome called. It was created in its current form in the second half of the 16th century. For about a century and a half, a number of musicians famous in their time worked in it. The oratory also contains several frescoes by important artists. After being temporarily profaned, the building has only been used for religious purposes again since 1963.
Location and naming
The church is located in the 2nd Roman Rione Trevi right next to the Palazzo Sciarra , about 200 meters southwest of the Trevi Fountain . It got its name from a crucifix made of wood .
History and building history
In 1519 the nearby church of San Marcello burned down almost completely. The eponymous crucifix survived the fire completely unscathed, which contemporaries considered a miracle in view of the destruction in San Marcello. As a result, in the following decades, with the support of the brotherhood Congregazione del Santissimo Crocifisso and the Cardinals Alessandro Farnese and his brother Ranuccio Farnese , plans were made for a separate construction for the crucifix, after it was first venerated in another oratory. The completed construction plans were finally submitted by Giacomo della Porta , he also became the building master. The foundation stone was laid on August 20, 1560. The building was completed in 1568. The church, like so many buildings in the Roman old town, stands on the remains of ancient buildings, which was discovered during an excavation in 1885.
Musical use
The musical form of the oratorio , based on the oratorio of St. Filippo Neri , came into fashion in Rome during the construction period or shortly afterwards. In Santissimo Crocifisso in particular, it became a tradition that works by well-known musicians and composers were performed during Lent and Holy Weeks , including such ranks as Orlando di Lasso , Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina and Giovanni Maria Nanino . Alessandro Scarlatti , Alessandro Stradella , Emilio del Cavaliere , Bernardo Pasquini and Girolamo Frescobaldi , among others, worked especially for this oratorio . Buchowiecki therefore believes that this oratorio can also be seen as the “birthplace” of the musical genre of the oratorio. The French musician André Maugars visited the oratorio in 1639. In his well-known letter about his trip, he writes that he heard a type of music here that was unknown in France. This musical tradition came to an abrupt end in 1725 with the death of Domenico Scarlatti 's father , Alessandro Scarlatti. The oratorio was finally profaned from 1798. After some restorations, it became the headquarters of the Centro dell'Oratorio Musicale from 1951 until 1962, when it was used again for musical purposes. It was not until 1963 that the oratory was given to a congregation, the Suore Betania del S. Cuore , and has since been used for religious purposes again.
facade
The basic structure of the facade is three-axis and has two floors . The wall is structured by pilasters arranged one behind the other , below according to the Tuscan order . The actual entrance in the central projection is designed as an aedicule portal . The side surfaces are broken through in the basement by niches with arching segmental arches, underneath are rectangular windows. On the upper floor the windows have slightly openwork triangular gables . The cornices between the floors and to the gable are cranked , an inscription in the middle upper part of the facade indicates the donating cardinals and the completion of the building in 1568. The coat of arms under the simple triangular gable with a small putti shows the coat of arms of the Farnese under a cardinal's hat . The gable is flanked on the side by volutes .
Interior and outfit
The interior of the oratory is a simple, rectangular room with a coffered ceiling , only the actual chancel is spanned by a barrel vault. The walls in the portal and altar area are structured by pilasters with capitals according to composite order. The oratorio is completely frescoed, mainly with a cycle about the history of the cross . In individual cases it is difficult and not completely clear which particular artist created which individual fresco. The first two large frescoes on the right-hand side with a view of the altar are ascribed to Giovanni de Vecchi , a pupil of Raffaellino del Colles . The large front fresco on the right, it depicts the examination of the true cross , is probably by Niccolò Circignani , called Pomarancio. The foremost fresco field on this page is attributed to Paris Nogari . De'Vecchi did not work on the left, here Pomarancio, Nogari and, to a large extent, Cesare Nebbia created the frescoes. The frescoes on the portal wall come from Nogari, as well as the God the Father figure and the dove of the Holy Spirit in the lunette or barrel of the chancel. The two oil paintings in the chancel are assigned to Nebbia.
The altar dates from 1740. Above it is the venerated crucifix.
The organ on the gallery on the portal side was made by Giovanni Varlò in 1744.
literature
- Stefan Grundmann (Ed.): Architectural Guide Rome. Menges, Stuttgart, London 1997, ISBN 3-930698-59-5 .
- Walter Buchowiecki: Handbook of the Churches of Rome . 1st volume, Brothers Hollinek publishing house, Vienna 1967.
- Mariano Armellini: Le Chiese di Roma . Roma 1891.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Grundmann (Ed.): Architekturführer Rom , p. 252.
- ↑ Buchowiecki: Handbook of the Churches of Rome , p. 630.
- ↑ a b c d Buchowiecki: Handbook of the Churches of Rome , p. 631.
- ↑ Grundmann (Ed.): Architekturführer Rom , p. 211.
- ↑ In detail Buchowiecki: Handbuch der Kirchen Roms , p. 633.
- ↑ Possibly Johann Konrad Werle , who also created the organ prospectus for Santa Maria Maddalena (Rome) , position unclear in Buchowiecki, p. 632.
Coordinates: 41 ° 53 ′ 58.6 ″ N , 12 ° 28 ′ 55.1 ″ E