San Giacomo Maggiore
Encyclopedia
San Giacomo Maggiore is a church in Bologna
, central Italy
. It was founded by the Augustinian Order in 1267 and houses, among the rest, the Bentivoglio Chapel, featuring numerous Renaissance artworks.
section. The church, built in sober Romanesque
style (with some Gothic elements such as the ogival windows), had a single nave with visible truss
es and ended with a polygonal apse-chapel and two square chapels.
In the 15th century the Bentivoglio family built here their patrician chapel (1463–1468), and also added a long portico on the San Donato street (1477–1481). In 1471 the bell tower was raised and, from 1483 to 1498, the interior was largely renovated with a new cover and a dome. New chapels were created in the side walls, which were eventually decorated with Renaissance and Baroque altars and paintings.
The Augustinians were expelled during the French occupation
in the early 19th century. They returned in 1824, although part of the convent remained a music school.
on the ogival windows, in Venetian style, were added by Lombardy masters in 1295. The four funerary cells were added in the early 14th century, a few time after those in the portico, which date to the 13th century and had frescoes (now inside the church); the original entrance protyrus was modified in the same period.
The portico, traditionally attributed to Tommaso Filippi, had 36 Corinthian columns. The entablature
has a frieze. The portico also gives access to two cloisters, one from the 15th and another to the 16th century. The complex is bounded by the only surviving section of Bologna's 11th century walls. Next to them are the church of St. Cecilia, the 15th century portico built by the Bentivoglio and the bell tower.
The church has a Renaissance dome designed by Antonio Morandi.
, and the Bentivoglio Chapel. The latter was designed by Pagno di Lapo Portigiani
(1463–1468). It has a majolica pavement by the Della Robbia
workshop (1498), with traces of the Bentivoglio coat of arms. The painted decoration was executed by Lorenzo Costa the Elder, and includes the Bentivoglio Altarpiece
. The altarpiece is by Francesco Raibolini
(c. 1494). The tomb of Anton Galeazzo Bentivoglio was sculpted by Jacopo della Quercia
in 1438.
Other artworks include Polyptych of the Holy Cross Relic by Paolo Veneziano
, a Virgin in Glory by Bartolomeo Cesi
(late 16th century), and an early 15th century late Gothic Crucifix in the Malvezzi Chapel.
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
, central Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It was founded by the Augustinian Order in 1267 and houses, among the rest, the Bentivoglio Chapel, featuring numerous Renaissance artworks.
History
A community of hermits had established itself near the walls of Bologna, along the Savena river, as early as 1247. Here they founded a monastery with the annexed church of St. James (Italian: San Giacomo). They were later merged with the Augustinian Order in 1256 and, as they needed a larger religious complex within the walls, in 1267 construction of the new church in the present location. The edifice was finished in 1315, but it consecration took place in 1344 after the completion of the apseApse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
section. The church, built in sober Romanesque
Romanesque 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 (with some Gothic elements such as the ogival windows), had a single nave with visible truss
Truss
In architecture and structural engineering, a truss is a structure comprising one or more triangular units constructed with straight members whose ends are connected at joints referred to as nodes. External forces and reactions to those forces are considered to act only at the nodes and result in...
es and ended with a polygonal apse-chapel and two square chapels.
In the 15th century the Bentivoglio family built here their patrician chapel (1463–1468), and also added a long portico on the San Donato street (1477–1481). In 1471 the bell tower was raised and, from 1483 to 1498, the interior was largely renovated with a new cover and a dome. New chapels were created in the side walls, which were eventually decorated with Renaissance and Baroque altars and paintings.
The Augustinians were expelled during the French occupation
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
in the early 19th century. They returned in 1824, although part of the convent remained a music school.
Exterior
The façade is the oldest part of the church, with its late-Romanesque proportions. The decorations in Istrian stoneIstrian stone
Istrian stone, pietra d'Istria, the characteristic group of building stones in the architecture of Venice and Dalmatia, is a dense type of impermeable limestones that was quarried in Istria, between Portorož and Pula....
on the ogival windows, in Venetian style, were added by Lombardy masters in 1295. The four funerary cells were added in the early 14th century, a few time after those in the portico, which date to the 13th century and had frescoes (now inside the church); the original entrance protyrus was modified in the same period.
The portico, traditionally attributed to Tommaso Filippi, had 36 Corinthian columns. The entablature
Entablature
An entablature refers to the superstructure of moldings and bands which lie horizontally above columns, resting on their capitals. Entablatures are major elements of classical architecture, and are commonly divided into the architrave , the frieze ,...
has a frieze. The portico also gives access to two cloisters, one from the 15th and another to the 16th century. The complex is bounded by the only surviving section of Bologna's 11th century walls. Next to them are the church of St. Cecilia, the 15th century portico built by the Bentivoglio and the bell tower.
The church has a Renaissance dome designed by Antonio Morandi.
Interior
The interior has Renaissance and Baroque decorations. The vaults have frescoes executed in 1495 by Francia and Lorenzo Costa's workshops. There are numerous chapels: the main ones include the Poggi Chapel, with artworks by Pellegrino TibaldiPellegrino Tibaldi
Pellegrino Tibaldi , also known as Pellegrino di Tibaldo de Pellegrini, was an Italian mannerist architect, sculptor, and mural painter.-Biography:...
, and the Bentivoglio Chapel. The latter was designed by Pagno di Lapo Portigiani
Pagno di Lapo Portigiani
Pagno di Lapo Portigiani was an Italian Renaissance decorative sculptor, a minor follower of Donatello who worked on numerous occasions in projects designed and supervised by Michelozzo.-Biography:...
(1463–1468). It has a majolica pavement by the Della Robbia
Della Robbia
Della Robbia may refer to:*Luca della Robbia , Italian sculptor*Andrea della Robbia , Italian sculptor, nephew of Luca*Giovanni della Robbia , son of Andrea*Girolamo della Robbia , son of Andrea...
workshop (1498), with traces of the Bentivoglio coat of arms. The painted decoration was executed by Lorenzo Costa the Elder, and includes the Bentivoglio Altarpiece
Bentivoglio Altarpiece
The Bentivoglio Altarpiece is a painting by the Italian Renaissance painter Lorenzo Costa the Elder, dating to August 1488. It is displayed in the Bentivoglio Chapel of the church of San Giacomo Maggiore, Bologna, Italy....
. The altarpiece is by Francesco Raibolini
Francesco Raibolini
Francesco Raibolini , called Francia, was an Italian painter, goldsmith, and medallist from Bologna, who was also director of the city mint....
(c. 1494). The tomb of Anton Galeazzo Bentivoglio was sculpted by Jacopo della Quercia
Jacopo della Quercia
Jacopo della Quercia was an Italian sculptor of the Italian Renaissance, a contemporary of Brunelleschi, Ghiberti and Donatello. He is considered a precursor of Michelangelo.-Biography:...
in 1438.
Other artworks include Polyptych of the Holy Cross Relic by Paolo Veneziano
Paolo Veneziano
Paolo Veneziano, also Veneziano Paolo or Paolo da Venezia was a medieval painter from Venice. He has been called "the most important Venetian painter of the 14thcentury"....
, a Virgin in Glory by Bartolomeo Cesi
Bartolomeo Cesi
Bartolomeo Cesi was a painter of the Baroque era of the Bolognese School.Born to a wealthy family of Bologna, he studied under Giovanni Francesco Bezzo . In Bologna, he contributed works to the Duomo, Santo Stefano and the Basilica of San Domenico. He collaborated with Ludovico Carracci and...
(late 16th century), and an early 15th century late Gothic Crucifix in the Malvezzi Chapel.