Cathedral of San Feliciano
Encyclopedia
Foligno Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral
situated on the Piazza della Repubblica in the center of Foligno
, Italy. The cathedral, built on the site of an earlier basilica
, is dedicated to the patron saint of the city, the martyr Felician of Foligno
, who was buried here in 251 AD. It is the seat of the Bishop of Foligno.
style in the period 1133-1201. Bishop Marco began the construction in 1133. The renewed church was consecrated in 1149 by Cardinal Giulio di San Marcello.
The church has two façades, the principal façade, or west front, facing the Piazza Grande, and the secondary façade facing the Piazza della Repubblica.
The north transept and the secondary façade were commissioned in 1204 by Bishop Anselmo degli Atti, as attested by an inscription on the façade. The south transept was opened in 1513, giving the church its present Latin cross configuration.
. The upper tympanum
is an addition from the 16th century. This façade was restored in 1904, when the mosaic in the tympanum, made in the workshop of the Vatican
, was added. It shows Christ enthroned between Saints Felician and Messalina, with Pope Leo XIII
, who had commissioned the mosaic, praying on his knees. The corners of the square around the rose window
are decorated with the evangelistic symbols. The bronze door is flanked by two stone lions.
The secondary façade on the Piazza della Repubblica dates from 1201. It was commissioned by bishop Anselmo and is the work of the sculptors and architects Rodolfo and Binello. The upper part was finished by Ugolino III Trinci
in the 14th century. It was enlarged in the 15th century and restored (to something resembling the original) in 1904 by the architect Vincenzo Benvenuti. It has multiple arches and three rose windows of which that in the centre, with its double pillars on the outside and twisted pillars on the inside, is one of the most beautiful in Umbria
. The two stone griffin
s underneath were sculpted to commemorate the victory of Foligno over Perugia
. The carved wooden door is surrounded by five Romanesque arches decorated with bas-reliefs, representing Frederick Barbarossa and Pope Innocent III
. The innermost arch is decorated with the signs of the zodiac, the stars, the sun, the moon, the hours and the attributes of the Four Evangelists.. It was thought that "“the stars, the sun, and the moon revealed a time of purity” at the time the façade was finished, as recorded in a inscription in the keystone of the upper arch. A new epoch of harmony was expected to begin between the Church and the Holy Roman Empire, as Pope Innocent III
had just recognized Otto of Brunswick to become the new Emperor Otto IV.
The Gothic building on the left of the main façade is the baptistery
of the cathedral. The steps next to it lead to the Palazzo delle Canoniche (Palace of the Canon
s)
. The nave
was enlarged in 1513 in the form of a Latin cross, and modified in the 16th century. The present appearance of the cathedral is attributable to the reconstruction by architect Giuseppe Piermarini
(1734–1808) who removed earlier alterations. This local architect worked from the plans drawn by the architect and engineer Luigi Vanvitelli
. Of the ancient Romanesque church, only the crypt remains. The cathedral was modified again at the beginning of the 20th century.
Among the most important works of art in the cathedral is the Chapel of the Sacrament by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger
(1527). Vespasiano Strada
and Baldassare Croce
painted in this chapel two large frescoes depicting the life of San Feliciano. This saint is also represented by an elaborate silver statue. The canvases on the side walls date from the 13th - 19th centuries. The large fresco of Angela of Foligno
in the apse
dates from 1719 and is the work of Francesco Mancini
(1679–1758). Among the other works of art are a Crucifixion, painting on wood by Niccolò Alunno
and two busts of Roscioli spouses by Antonio Canova
. The gilded Baroque baldachin
over the main altar, built in the 18th century by Antonio Calcioni for the benefit of the family Salvi Roscioli, is a faithful reproduction of Bernini's baldacchino in St. Peter's Basilica
in Rome. The arms of the Roscioli family appear at the base of the columns.
Twenty-six stucco
statues of saints, the work of Brunelli and Ottaviani, are ranged in niches along the walls.
The elegant dome was added to the cathedral during the period 1543-1548 by the architect and woodworker Giuliano di Baccio d'Agnolo and Cola di Caprarola.
The upper part of the bell tower of the cathedral was renovated in 1847 by the architect Vitali, while the lower part is still original. Inside the campanile
is the cell where the Blessed Pietro Crisci lived, decorated with frescoes from the 15th century.
It was in this cathedral that Angela of Foligno
made her confession to the Franciscan
Brother Arnaldo. This was a turning point in her life, as she embarking on the way of penance. Brother Arnaldo later became the writer of her revelations in the Book of Visions and Instructions.
During the 1997 earthquake, the cathedral suffered heavy damage, including the detachment of the façade.
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
situated on the Piazza della Repubblica in the center of Foligno
Foligno
Foligno is an ancient town of Italy in the province of Perugia in east central Umbria, on the Topino river where it leaves the Apennines and enters the wide plain of the Clitunno river system...
, Italy. The cathedral, built on the site of an earlier basilica
Basilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
, is dedicated to the patron saint of the city, the martyr Felician of Foligno
Felician of Foligno
Saint Felician of Foligno is the patron saint of Foligno.-Biography:According to Christian tradition, he was born in Forum Flaminii , on the Via Flaminia, of a Christian family, around 160 AD...
, who was buried here in 251 AD. It is the seat of the Bishop of Foligno.
History
The church was built in RomanesqueRomanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
style in the period 1133-1201. Bishop Marco began the construction in 1133. The renewed church was consecrated in 1149 by Cardinal Giulio di San Marcello.
The church has two façades, the principal façade, or west front, facing the Piazza Grande, and the secondary façade facing the Piazza della Repubblica.
The north transept and the secondary façade were commissioned in 1204 by Bishop Anselmo degli Atti, as attested by an inscription on the façade. The south transept was opened in 1513, giving the church its present Latin cross configuration.
Façade
The principal façade was built in 1133, soon after Foligno had attained the status of a bishopricDiocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
. The upper tympanum
Tympanum (architecture)
In architecture, a tympanum is the semi-circular or triangular decorative wall surface over an entrance, bounded by a lintel and arch. It often contains sculpture or other imagery or ornaments. Most architectural styles include this element....
is an addition from the 16th century. This façade was restored in 1904, when the mosaic in the tympanum, made in the workshop of the Vatican
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
, was added. It shows Christ enthroned between Saints Felician and Messalina, with Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII , born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci to an Italian comital family, was the 256th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, reigning from 1878 to 1903...
, who had commissioned the mosaic, praying on his knees. The corners of the square around the rose window
Rose window
A Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in churches of the Gothic architectural style and being divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery...
are decorated with the evangelistic symbols. The bronze door is flanked by two stone lions.
The secondary façade on the Piazza della Repubblica dates from 1201. It was commissioned by bishop Anselmo and is the work of the sculptors and architects Rodolfo and Binello. The upper part was finished by Ugolino III Trinci
Ugolino III Trinci
Ugolino III Trinci was Lord of Foligno in the early 14th century.The son of Trincia II Trinci, he was justice gonfalonier and "Captain of the People" of Foligno from 1386, succeeding to his brother Corrado, and receiving the title of Papal vicar from the Pope in 1405...
in the 14th century. It was enlarged in the 15th century and restored (to something resembling the original) in 1904 by the architect Vincenzo Benvenuti. It has multiple arches and three rose windows of which that in the centre, with its double pillars on the outside and twisted pillars on the inside, is one of the most beautiful in Umbria
Umbria
Umbria is a region of modern central Italy. It is one of the smallest Italian regions and the only peninsular region that is landlocked.Its capital is Perugia.Assisi and Norcia are historical towns associated with St. Francis of Assisi, and St...
. The two stone griffin
Griffin
The griffin, griffon, or gryphon is a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle...
s underneath were sculpted to commemorate the victory of Foligno over Perugia
Perugia
Perugia is the capital city of the region of Umbria in central Italy, near the River Tiber, and the capital of the province of Perugia. The city is located about north of Rome. It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys around the area....
. The carved wooden door is surrounded by five Romanesque arches decorated with bas-reliefs, representing Frederick Barbarossa and Pope Innocent III
Pope Innocent III
Pope Innocent III was Pope from 8 January 1198 until his death. His birth name was Lotario dei Conti di Segni, sometimes anglicised to Lothar of Segni....
. The innermost arch is decorated with the signs of the zodiac, the stars, the sun, the moon, the hours and the attributes of the Four Evangelists.. It was thought that "“the stars, the sun, and the moon revealed a time of purity” at the time the façade was finished, as recorded in a inscription in the keystone of the upper arch. A new epoch of harmony was expected to begin between the Church and the Holy Roman Empire, as Pope Innocent III
Pope Innocent III
Pope Innocent III was Pope from 8 January 1198 until his death. His birth name was Lotario dei Conti di Segni, sometimes anglicised to Lothar of Segni....
had just recognized Otto of Brunswick to become the new Emperor Otto IV.
The Gothic building on the left of the main façade is the baptistery
Baptistery
In Christian architecture the baptistry or baptistery is the separate centrally-planned structure surrounding the baptismal font. The baptistry may be incorporated within the body of a church or cathedral and be provided with an altar as a chapel...
of the cathedral. The steps next to it lead to the Palazzo delle Canoniche (Palace of the Canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
s)
Interior
The interior of the cathedral has been redesigned and restored on several occasions. Its present grandiose interior is NeoclassicalNeoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
. The nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
was enlarged in 1513 in the form of a Latin cross, and modified in the 16th century. The present appearance of the cathedral is attributable to the reconstruction by architect Giuseppe Piermarini
Giuseppe Piermarini
Giuseppe Piermarini was an Italian architect who trained with Luigi Vanvitelli at Rome and designed the Teatro alla Scala, Milan , which remains the work by which he is remembered. Indeed, "il Piermarini" serves as an occasional euphemism for the celebrated opera house...
(1734–1808) who removed earlier alterations. This local architect worked from the plans drawn by the architect and engineer Luigi Vanvitelli
Luigi Vanvitelli
Luigi Vanvitelli was an Italian engineer and architect. The most prominent 18th-century architect of Italy, he practiced a sober classicizing academic Late Baroque style that made an easy transition to Neoclassicism.-Biography:Vanvitelli was born at Naples, the son of a Dutch painter of land and...
. Of the ancient Romanesque church, only the crypt remains. The cathedral was modified again at the beginning of the 20th century.
Among the most important works of art in the cathedral is the Chapel of the Sacrament by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger
Antonio da Sangallo the Younger
thumb|250px|The church of Santa Maria di Loreto near the [[Trajan's Market]] in [[Rome]], considered Sangallo's masterwork.thumb|250px|View of St. Patrick's Well in [[Orvieto]]....
(1527). Vespasiano Strada
Vespasiano Strada
Vespasiano Strada was an Italian painter and engraver of the early-Baroque period, mainly active in Rome. His biography is summarized by Giovanni Baglione....
and Baldassare Croce
Baldassare Croce
Baldassare Croce was an Italian painter, active during the late-Mannerist period, active mainly in and around Rome.Known as a prolific academic painter in Rome; he was named director of the Academy of St. Luke...
painted in this chapel two large frescoes depicting the life of San Feliciano. This saint is also represented by an elaborate silver statue. The canvases on the side walls date from the 13th - 19th centuries. The large fresco of Angela of Foligno
Angela of Foligno
Angela of Foligno was a Christian author, Franciscan tertiary, and mystic. She was noted not only for her spiritual writings, but also for founding a religious order.-Early life and conversion:...
in the apse
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
dates from 1719 and is the work of Francesco Mancini
Francesco Mancini (painter)
]Francesco Mancini was an Italian painter whose works are known between 1719 and 1756. He was the pupil of Carlo Cignani.-Biography:...
(1679–1758). Among the other works of art are a Crucifixion, painting on wood by Niccolò Alunno
Niccolò Alunno
Niccolò Alunno was an Italian painter of the Umbrian school.He was born at Foligno, the son of speziali. He was a pupil of Bartolomeo di Tomaso; his master's assistant was Benozzo Gozzoli, the pupil of Fra Angelico. The simple Umbrian feeling in his work was somehow modified by this Florentine...
and two busts of Roscioli spouses by Antonio Canova
Antonio Canova
Antonio Canova was an Italian sculptor from the Republic of Venice who became famous for his marble sculptures that delicately rendered nude flesh...
. The gilded Baroque baldachin
Baldachin
A baldachin, or baldaquin , is a canopy of state over an altar or throne. It had its beginnings as a cloth canopy, but in other cases it is a sturdy, permanent architectural feature, particularly over high altars in cathedrals, where such a structure is more correctly called a ciborium when it is...
over the main altar, built in the 18th century by Antonio Calcioni for the benefit of the family Salvi Roscioli, is a faithful reproduction of Bernini's baldacchino in St. Peter's Basilica
St. Peter's Basilica
The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter , officially known in Italian as ' and commonly known as Saint Peter's Basilica, is a Late Renaissance church located within the Vatican City. Saint Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world...
in Rome. The arms of the Roscioli family appear at the base of the columns.
Twenty-six stucco
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
statues of saints, the work of Brunelli and Ottaviani, are ranged in niches along the walls.
The elegant dome was added to the cathedral during the period 1543-1548 by the architect and woodworker Giuliano di Baccio d'Agnolo and Cola di Caprarola.
The upper part of the bell tower of the cathedral was renovated in 1847 by the architect Vitali, while the lower part is still original. Inside the campanile
Campanile
Campanile is an Italian word meaning "bell tower" . The term applies to bell towers which are either part of a larger building or free-standing, although in American English, the latter meaning has become prevalent.The most famous campanile is probably the Leaning Tower of Pisa...
is the cell where the Blessed Pietro Crisci lived, decorated with frescoes from the 15th century.
It was in this cathedral that Angela of Foligno
Angela of Foligno
Angela of Foligno was a Christian author, Franciscan tertiary, and mystic. She was noted not only for her spiritual writings, but also for founding a religious order.-Early life and conversion:...
made her confession to the Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
Brother Arnaldo. This was a turning point in her life, as she embarking on the way of penance. Brother Arnaldo later became the writer of her revelations in the Book of Visions and Instructions.
During the 1997 earthquake, the cathedral suffered heavy damage, including the detachment of the façade.