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Chiesa Nuova (Assisi)
Encyclopedia
The Chiesa Nuova is a church in Assisi
, Italy, built in 1615 on the site of the presumed birth place of St. Francis, the house of Pietro di Bernardone. It was then called Chiesa Nuova because it was the last church to be built in Assisi at that time.
It was erected because, during a visit to Assisi in 1613, Antonio de Trejo, the Spanish Vicar General of the Franciscans, was saddened when he saw the original home of St. Francis becoming dilapidated. With the help of the Spanish Embassy in Rome and through a generous gift of 6,000 ducat
s by King Philip III of Spain
, he was able to buy the house.
Pope Paul V authenticated this purchase on 10 July 1615 and blessed the first stone. On 20 September 1615 this foundation stone was then brought, in a solemn procession, from the Cathedral of San Rufino
to the building site . The church was built under the supervision of brother Rufino di Cerchiara, who was perhaps also the architect.
This church, built in late Renaissance
style, features a high dome divided in coffer
s, with lantern and a drum
. Such a caisson ceiling is a feature of Renaissance architecture. It built in the form of a Greek cross, with nave
and transept
s of the same length, inspired by the Roman Church SantEligio degli Orefici, one of the few churches designed and built by Raphael
. The church is decorated with frescoes by Cesare Sermei and Giacomo Giorgetti (17th century).
The high altar was set over the room of St. Francis. One can also visit the shop where Francis sold his cloth and the stairwell in which Francis was imprisoned by his father. This is the place where Francis decided to answer the divine call and to renunciate worldly goods.
The adjoining friary houses a museum and an important Franciscan library with many codices
and rare books.
Assisi
- Churches :* The Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi is a World Heritage Site. The Franciscan monastery, il Sacro Convento, and the lower and upper church of St Francis were begun immediately after his canonization in 1228, and completed in 1253...
, Italy, built in 1615 on the site of the presumed birth place of St. Francis, the house of Pietro di Bernardone. It was then called Chiesa Nuova because it was the last church to be built in Assisi at that time.
Ducat
The ducat is a gold coin that was used as a trade coin throughout Europe before World War I. Its weight is 3.4909 grams of .986 gold, which is 0.1107 troy ounce, actual gold weight...
s by King Philip III of Spain
Philip III of Spain
Philip III , also known as Philip the Pious, was the King of Spain and King of Portugal and the Algarves, where he ruled as Philip II , from 1598 until his death...
, he was able to buy the house.
Pope Paul V authenticated this purchase on 10 July 1615 and blessed the first stone. On 20 September 1615 this foundation stone was then brought, in a solemn procession, from the Cathedral of San Rufino
Cathedral of San Rufino
Assisi Cathedral , dedicated to San Rufino is a major church in Assisi, Italy, that has been important in the history of the Franciscan order. In this church Saint Francis of Assisi , Saint Clare and many of their original disciples were baptised...
to the building site . The church was built under the supervision of brother Rufino di Cerchiara, who was perhaps also the architect.
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
style, features a high dome divided in coffer
Coffer
A coffer in architecture, is a sunken panel in the shape of a square, rectangle, or octagon in a ceiling, soffit or vault...
s, with lantern and a drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
. Such a caisson ceiling is a feature of Renaissance architecture. It built in the form of a Greek cross, with 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...
and transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
s of the same length, inspired by the Roman Church SantEligio degli Orefici, one of the few churches designed and built by Raphael
Raphael
Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino , better known simply as Raphael, was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. His work is admired for its clarity of form and ease of composition and for its visual achievement of the Neoplatonic ideal of human grandeur...
. The church is decorated with frescoes by Cesare Sermei and Giacomo Giorgetti (17th century).
The high altar was set over the room of St. Francis. One can also visit the shop where Francis sold his cloth and the stairwell in which Francis was imprisoned by his father. This is the place where Francis decided to answer the divine call and to renunciate worldly goods.
The adjoining friary houses a museum and an important Franciscan library with many codices
Codex
A codex is a book in the format used for modern books, with multiple quires or gatherings typically bound together and given a cover.Developed by the Romans from wooden writing tablets, its gradual replacement...
and rare books.