Saint Anne in Vatican
Encyclopedia
The Church of Saint Anne in Vatican , known as (Saint Anne of the (Pontifical) Grooms), is a Roman Catholic parish
church in Vatican City
, dedicated to Saint Anne
. The church is the parish church
of the Vicariate of the Vatican City
.
Commissioned by the , Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola
introduced the oval plan to church design, for the first time in the churches of Sant'Andrea in Via Flaminia
and Saint Anne in Vatican, pioneering a plan which was to become influential to Baroque architecture
.
of 20 November 1565 of Pope Pius IV
authorized the Archconfraternity of the Pontifical Grooms to build a church, close to the Apostolic Palace
, dedicated to Saint Anne
. The construction began that same year. With a design attributed to Renaissance architect Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola
, the church was one of the first in Rome with an elliptical plan. According to David Watkin
, Vignola introduced the oval plan to church design for the first time in the churches of Sant'Andrea in Via Flaminia
and Saint Anne in Vatican, pioneering a plan which was to become influential to Baroque architecture
.
After a smooth start, the building of the church slowed down due to the financial difficulties of the Archconfraternity. After Vignola's death in 1573, the church was finished by his son Giacinto Barozzi, according to a payment made by the Archconfraternity. The church was consecrated in 1583 with a temporary roof. The facade attributed to Borromini and later attached to the oval church prefigured the facade of the church of Sant'Agnese in Agone
. The facade was completed between 1700 and 1721 by Alessandro Specchi
while the dome was finally built in 1763 and completed in 1775.
In 1603 the Archconfraternity commissioned Caravaggio
to paint a picture of Saint Anne for the altar of the papal Grooms in the Basilica of Saint Peter. Painted in 1605-1606, the painting Madonna and Child with St. Anne was briefly exhibited in the parish church of Saint Anne in Vatican. It was subsequently sold to Cardinal Scipione Borghese, and now hangs in his palazzo turned into the museum of the Galleria Borghese
.
The church belong to the Archonfraternity until the Lateran Treaty of 1929, which constituted the Vatican City
. Pope Pius XI
was erected the church a parish, with the Apostolic Constitution "Ex Lateranensi pacto" of 30 May 1929. The pastoral care of the new parish was entrusted to the Augustinian Order.
In return, Pope Pius XI gave the Archconfraternity the Church of Santa Caterina della Rota as new headquarters.
. The minor axis ends with two chapels.
Four doors surmounted by a pediment and framed by travertine columns with Corinthian capitals are distributed between the main altar and the side chapels. Four large arches rise at the ends of the two main axes, framing the areas of entry, the altar and the two chapels. The sacred area of the main altar is a square enclosed by four arches as a clear counterpoint to the oval part of the church.
The dome itself rests on a plinth with a cornice with three strips, pierced at the base by eight windows. At the top of the dome stands the lantern, the only source of natural light onto the main altar. It is decorated with the dove of the Holy Spirit
, from which golden rays radiate in circle.
Until mid 18th century, the inner walls of the church were white and the columns showed the natural color of the travertine
stone, typical of Renaissance
churches. Influenced by the rise of the Baroque in Rome, the Archconfraternity started redecorating the church with more lavish decorations and plenty of gilt
and stucco
. The façade was re-decorated in the Baroque style by Alessandro Specchi
who added the upper facade to Vignola
's church. The dome was designed by Francesco Navole. They commissioned in 1746 the sculptor Giovan Battista de' Rossi (Il Rosso) to redecorate the church with angels holding garlands in stucco
above the doors. Four windows were walled and replaced with four frescoes depicting scenes from the life of Saint Anne. Giovan Battista de' Rossi also made in stucco shells with festoon
s decorating the frescoes. The decorator Annibale Rotati (c. 1673-1750) colored the walls in blue, cream and light gray. The door jambs were decorated with marble stucco marbled by Giacomo de Rocchi. The gold and silver stucco was made by Pietro Ricci. Despite the Baroque decoration, the initial plan of the church is still visible.
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
church in Vatican City
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...
, dedicated to Saint Anne
Saint Anne
Saint Hanna of David's house and line, was the mother of the Virgin Mary and grandmother of Jesus Christ according to Christian and Islamic tradition. English Anne is derived from Greek rendering of her Hebrew name Hannah...
. The church is the parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
of the Vicariate of the Vatican City
Vicar General for the Vatican City State
The Vicar General for the Vatican City State or more formally the Vicar General of His Holiness for the State of Vatican City is an appointed position within the Roman Catholic Church, appointed by the Pope...
.
Commissioned by the , Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola
Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola
Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola was one of the great Italian architects of 16th century Mannerism. His two great masterpieces are the Villa Farnese at Caprarola and the Jesuits' Church of the Gesù in Rome...
introduced the oval plan to church design, for the first time in the churches of Sant'Andrea in Via Flaminia
Sant'Andrea in Via Flaminia
Sant'Andrea in Via Flaminia is a Roman Catholic church dedicated to St Andrew the Apostle in Rome, Italy. The edifice is also known as Sant'Andrea del Vignola, after its architect Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola....
and Saint Anne in Vatican, pioneering a plan which was to become influential to Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
.
History
The motu proprioMotu proprio
A motu proprio is a document issued by the Pope on his own initiative and personally signed by him....
of 20 November 1565 of Pope Pius IV
Pope Pius IV
Pope Pius IV , born Giovanni Angelo Medici, was Pope from 1559 to 1565. He is notable for presiding over the culmination of the Council of Trent.-Biography:...
authorized the Archconfraternity of the Pontifical Grooms to build a church, close to the Apostolic Palace
Apostolic Palace
The Apostolic Palace is the official residence of the Pope, which is located in Vatican City. It is also known as the Sacred Palace, the Papal Palace and the Palace of the Vatican...
, dedicated to Saint Anne
Saint Anne
Saint Hanna of David's house and line, was the mother of the Virgin Mary and grandmother of Jesus Christ according to Christian and Islamic tradition. English Anne is derived from Greek rendering of her Hebrew name Hannah...
. The construction began that same year. With a design attributed to Renaissance architect Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola
Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola
Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola was one of the great Italian architects of 16th century Mannerism. His two great masterpieces are the Villa Farnese at Caprarola and the Jesuits' Church of the Gesù in Rome...
, the church was one of the first in Rome with an elliptical plan. According to David Watkin
David Watkin (historian)
David John Watkin, MA PhD LittD Hon FRIBA FSA is a British architectural historian. He is an Emeritus Fellow of Peterhouse, Cambridge, and Professor Emeritus of History of Architecture in the Department of History of Art at the University of Cambridge...
, Vignola introduced the oval plan to church design for the first time in the churches of Sant'Andrea in Via Flaminia
Sant'Andrea in Via Flaminia
Sant'Andrea in Via Flaminia is a Roman Catholic church dedicated to St Andrew the Apostle in Rome, Italy. The edifice is also known as Sant'Andrea del Vignola, after its architect Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola....
and Saint Anne in Vatican, pioneering a plan which was to become influential to Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
.
After a smooth start, the building of the church slowed down due to the financial difficulties of the Archconfraternity. After Vignola's death in 1573, the church was finished by his son Giacinto Barozzi, according to a payment made by the Archconfraternity. The church was consecrated in 1583 with a temporary roof. The facade attributed to Borromini and later attached to the oval church prefigured the facade of the church of Sant'Agnese in Agone
Sant'Agnese in Agone
Sant'Agnese in Agone is a seventeenth century Baroque church in Rome, Italy. It faces onto the Piazza Navona, one of the main urban spaces in the historic centre of the city and the site where the Early Christian Saint Agnes was martyred in the ancient Stadium of Domitian.The rebuilding of the...
. The facade was completed between 1700 and 1721 by Alessandro Specchi
Alessandro Specchi
Alessandro Specchi was an Italian architect and engraver.Born in Rome, he trained as an architect under Carlo Fontana. He also specialized as an engraver and made a well known series of plates for prints of vedute or views of Rome As an architect, he was influenced by Francesco Borromini...
while the dome was finally built in 1763 and completed in 1775.
In 1603 the Archconfraternity commissioned Caravaggio
Caravaggio
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio was an Italian artist active in Rome, Naples, Malta, and Sicily between 1593 and 1610. His paintings, which combine a realistic observation of the human state, both physical and emotional, with a dramatic use of lighting, had a formative influence on the Baroque...
to paint a picture of Saint Anne for the altar of the papal Grooms in the Basilica of Saint Peter. Painted in 1605-1606, the painting Madonna and Child with St. Anne was briefly exhibited in the parish church of Saint Anne in Vatican. It was subsequently sold to Cardinal Scipione Borghese, and now hangs in his palazzo turned into the museum of the Galleria Borghese
Galleria Borghese
The Borghese Gallery is an art gallery in Rome, Italy, housed in the former Villa Borghese Pinciana. It is a building that was from the first integral with its gardens, nowadays considered quite separately by tourists as the Villa Borghese gardens...
.
The church belong to the Archonfraternity until the Lateran Treaty of 1929, which constituted the Vatican City
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...
. Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI , born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, was Pope from 6 February 1922, and sovereign of Vatican City from its creation as an independent state on 11 February 1929 until his death on 10 February 1939...
was erected the church a parish, with the Apostolic Constitution "Ex Lateranensi pacto" of 30 May 1929. The pastoral care of the new parish was entrusted to the Augustinian Order.
In return, Pope Pius XI gave the Archconfraternity the Church of Santa Caterina della Rota as new headquarters.
Interior
The interior, built to Vignola's design, is elliptical with eight side chapels. The main entrance is located at one end of the major axis of the ellipseEllipse
In geometry, an ellipse is a plane curve that results from the intersection of a cone by a plane in a way that produces a closed curve. Circles are special cases of ellipses, obtained when the cutting plane is orthogonal to the cone's axis...
. The minor axis ends with two chapels.
Four doors surmounted by a pediment and framed by travertine columns with Corinthian capitals are distributed between the main altar and the side chapels. Four large arches rise at the ends of the two main axes, framing the areas of entry, the altar and the two chapels. The sacred area of the main altar is a square enclosed by four arches as a clear counterpoint to the oval part of the church.
The dome itself rests on a plinth with a cornice with three strips, pierced at the base by eight windows. At the top of the dome stands the lantern, the only source of natural light onto the main altar. It is decorated with the dove of the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
, from which golden rays radiate in circle.
Until mid 18th century, the inner walls of the church were white and the columns showed the natural color of the travertine
Travertine
Travertine is a form of limestone deposited by mineral springs, especially hot springs. Travertine often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, and cream-colored varieties. It is formed by a process of rapid precipitation of calcium carbonate, often at the mouth of a hot...
stone, typical of Renaissance
Renaissance architecture
Renaissance architecture is the architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture. Stylistically, Renaissance...
churches. Influenced by the rise of the Baroque in Rome, the Archconfraternity started redecorating the church with more lavish decorations and plenty of gilt
Gilding
The term gilding covers a number of decorative techniques for applying fine gold leaf or powder to solid surfaces such as wood, stone, or metal to give a thin coating of gold. A gilded object is described as "gilt"...
and 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...
. The façade was re-decorated in the Baroque style by Alessandro Specchi
Alessandro Specchi
Alessandro Specchi was an Italian architect and engraver.Born in Rome, he trained as an architect under Carlo Fontana. He also specialized as an engraver and made a well known series of plates for prints of vedute or views of Rome As an architect, he was influenced by Francesco Borromini...
who added the upper facade to Vignola
Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola
Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola was one of the great Italian architects of 16th century Mannerism. His two great masterpieces are the Villa Farnese at Caprarola and the Jesuits' Church of the Gesù in Rome...
's church. The dome was designed by Francesco Navole. They commissioned in 1746 the sculptor Giovan Battista de' Rossi (Il Rosso) to redecorate the church with angels holding garlands in 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...
above the doors. Four windows were walled and replaced with four frescoes depicting scenes from the life of Saint Anne. Giovan Battista de' Rossi also made in stucco shells with festoon
Festoon
Festoon , a wreath or garland, and so in architecture a conventional arrangement of flowers, foliage or fruit bound together and suspended by ribbons, either from a decorated knot, or held in the mouths of lions, or suspended across the back of bulls heads as...
s decorating the frescoes. The decorator Annibale Rotati (c. 1673-1750) colored the walls in blue, cream and light gray. The door jambs were decorated with marble stucco marbled by Giacomo de Rocchi. The gold and silver stucco was made by Pietro Ricci. Despite the Baroque decoration, the initial plan of the church is still visible.