The Pellegrini Chapel (Italian: Cappella Pellegrini), initially named "Guaresco,"[note 1] is a religious building commissioned by Countess Margherita Pellegrini to the famous architect Michele Sanmicheli and built between 1528 and 1559. It occupies a prominent place in Renaissance architecture.[1][note 2]
It is located within the Franciscan complex of San Bernardino in Verona, which consists of a Gothic-style church and a series of valuable cloisters and became a coveted place for Verona's noble families to build their aristocratic chapels between the 15th and 16th centuries.[2]
History
Sanmicheli's design and direction
The first order of the Renaissance chapel, built under the direction of Sanmicheli
Around 1527, having finished his stay in Rome and before being commissioned to build important fortifications for the Venetian Republic, Michele Sanmicheli resided in Verona with his cousin Paolo, with whom he collaborated on numerous construction sites.[2] During that period he had the opportunity to associate with several noble families, befriending Guaresco Raimondi, father-in-law of Countess Margherita Pellegrini.[2] The life of the Veronese noblewoman was ravaged by serious family bereavements, including the death of her husband Benedetto Raimondi, two children, Nicola and Anna,[3][4] her father-in-law and finally, in 1528, her 18-year-old son Niccolò, with whom the line of descent of the Raimondi-Pellegrini family was permanently interrupted.[2]
This chapel, originally dedicated to St. Anne, was thus desired by Pellegrini to commemorate the death of her son but equally to celebrate herself and the family to which she belonged: the building was to serve as a funerary monument to contain the remains of the patron and her family members, although the final result betrayed this project.[5][4][6] The idea of building a chapel, rather than a simpler tomb, probably came to her after she learned of the construction of the Emilei chapel at the church of San Michele in Isola,[7] while the decision to have such a monumental work erected certainly contributed to the fact that it took on the significance of wanting to hand down to posterity the importance of the family, which was destined to disappear.[8]
The design of the work was entrusted to Sanmicheli, who created a space endowed with a great harmony of parts and a clear distribution of light, with an architecture reminiscent of ancient buildings, particularly the Pantheon in Rome, Porta Borsari and the Gavi Arch in Verona.[9] Construction began between the second half of 1528, after Niccolò's death, and October 15, 1529, the date of one of Margherita Pellegrini's wills, in which it is confirmed that work had already begun.[6][10]
Controversy and completion by the Marastoni
The second order of the chapel, built to a design by Sanmicheli but by independent workers, then restored during the eighteenth century so as to better fit the original design
Initially Sanmicheli personally directed the work, but in 1534 he had to abandon it to go to Venice for further assignments, so his cousin Paolo took over the direction of the building site. Disagreeing over some contractual issues, on July 8, 1538 Margherita obtained from the podestà of Verona the cancellation of the contract and compensation for damages. From then on, the architect and his collaborators no longer worked on the building.[11]
The countess's dislike of Paolo Sanmicheli's management of the building site was due to her eagerness to see the chapel completed, given her precarious health condition: seeing that the work was proceeding very slowly caused her anxiety and concern. In addition, among the reasons that led to the dismissal of the Sanmicheli cousins was probably the high cost of the work, which was characterized (like Michele's other early works) by a rich and articulate decorative apparatus, combining elements and themes from Verona's Roman monuments with the proportions and modules of Renaissance architecture.[6]
The workshop assigned to continue the work turned out to be that of the Marastoni stonemasons, who found the chapel already completed up to the height of the balcony with parapet. Despite the changes made during the work, which included the use of less noble materials and a decidedly simpler style, the new artisans were unable to speed up the work. The Marastoni, in fact, took nineteen years to complete the work, which the client did not manage to see completed.[6] Pellegrini's last will is dated September 24, 1557, and reports that the monument was still being completed, which is why she requested that the construction of the chapel continue after her death and that the building be kept in good condition. The noblewoman passed away shortly after the document was drafted while the work was completed in 1559.[5][12]
Giuliari's restoration work
Longitudinal section of the vestibule and chapel: the second order and the dome with lantern, made by the Marastoni, were modified to the design of Bartolomeo Giuliari, who sought greater compliance with the Sanmichelian design
After two centuries of neglect, in 1793, Abbot Giuseppe Luigi Pellegrini became interested in the work and decided to restore it with the approval of his brother Carlo Pellegrini, marshal of the Austrian Empire.[5] The work was directed by architect Bartolomeo Giuliari, who had previously been involved in restorations of Sanmichelian works,[5] and who preliminarily carried out an accurate survey of the state of the monument.[12] This made it possible to note how in the continuation of the work the Marastoni no longer used the so-called "bronze," a refined white Veronese stone so called because of the sound it emits during its working, employed particularly for ornaments, but rather exploited less noble material. Moreover, the stonemasons reduced the quantity and quality of decoration, so that the walls were bare, the columns and pilasters lacked fluting and the capitals lacked carvings.[12]
Giuliari's project thus went on to add, to the portion of the chapel built by the Marastoni, a rich decorative apparatus in stone and stucco, so as to bring the appearance of the monument closer to Sanmicheli's original design. In particular, on the dome the opening of the lantern was restored through the removal of the rose window that decorated the top, while the coffers were rearranged with better proportions, according to those suggested by Piranesi, with dimensions sloping upward and defining each coffer with a series of three cornices and a flower in the center. In the second order, however, they carved some decorations on the cornice and leaves on the capitals, fluted the columns and pilasters, and introduced raised festoons under the architrave, similar to what had already been done in the first order.[12][13]
The work, completed in 1795, thus went on to re-establish a decorative and stylistic continuity between the first and second orders, where the work of the Marastoni had impoverished the Sanmichelian architecture, even if it meant designing and executing a rather invasive intervention.[12]
Conservation interventions
Photograph taken by Paolo Monti in 1972, from which some deterioration can be seen on the intrados of the dome, caused by water infiltration
During the twentieth century, the monument was the subject of several restorations, mainly aimed at solving problems of infiltration and humidity, financed partly by the religious order and partly with contributions from the state, banks and various foundations, but always conducted under the supervision of the local Superintendence.[14]
After years of poor maintenance that had resulted in a certain level of deterioration inside the aristocratic chapel, at the urging of the owners, represented by engineer Ottorino Pellegrini, in 1925 action was taken with the restoration of the dome and lantern: the roofing was redone, the window frames and decorations of the cupola were restored, and the stained glass windows of the lantern were replaced. The construction site was supervised by the Royal Superintendence of Monuments of Verona, headed by engineer Alessandro Da Lisca.[15]
In the decades following World War II, the roof and the stained glass windows were repaired on several occasions: in the early 1960s, when the Superintendence contributed an expenditure of 1,200,000 liras; in 1971, with Superintendent Piero Gazzola overseeing the work of re-roofing, with replacement of purlins, planking and brick tiles, for an amount of about 600,000 liras; finally between 1987 and 1993, when with a state grant of 150,000,000 liras, the restoration of the roof (consolidation of the wooden ribs, restoration of the brickeave cornice and insertion of eaves channels) and the lantern (lead lining of the canopy and recomposition and plumbing of the windows) continued.[16]
Overhead view of the dome and lantern at the end of the series of restoration work carried out during the twentieth century
Considerable conservation work finally took place between 1987 and 2000, supervised by the Superintendence official Pietro Maria Cevese. During the work, efforts were made to solve problems related to rising damp in the perimeter walls of the structure, as well as water infiltration from the glass windows of the drum. The opportunity was taken to carry out work to clean the stone surfaces of the chapel and vestibule, as well as to restore the plaster, stucco and coloring; in particular, the original colors of the dome were recovered, with the reappearance of the blue background in the coffers.[16]
Description
Plan of the first level of the chapel, with the entrance vestibule
Plan of the second level of the chapel, with the projection of the lantern
The Pellegrini Chapel (G) inside the church of San Bernardino
The presence of Michele Sanmicheli's preliminary designs in the Uffizi Gallery has made it possible to learn about the evolutionary stages of the work: the Veronese architect, in fact, at first planned to build a chapel with a Greek-cross plan larger than the one actually realized; externally, then, the surface was to be more articulated and decorated thanks to the presence of tall pilasters, of Corinthian order placed on pedestals, and the dome, visible even from outside. A monumental project, taking inspiration from the Pantheon in Rome and Raphael's Chigi Chapel in the Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo. The final design underwent numerous changes, yet the work retained a solemn appearance, especially inside.[17]
The monumental entrance portal to the vestibule and to the chapel
The chapel is accessible exclusively from the church hall through a monumental entrance portal, from which one is first ushered into a square vestibule, covered by a cofferedbarrel vault, and then into the building proper, through a second portal.[18] The monumental vestibule is a rather original solution and a result of the need to prevent the structure from interfering with the Avanzi and Medici chapels already present in San Bernardino.[11] The building has a circular plan with a diameter of 12 meters and a height of 20.5 meters, divided into two orders by a balcony with parapet and covered by a coffered dome crowned by a lantern;[18] the diameter of the first order is smaller than that of the upper one, a feature that distinguishes this chapel from others, where, moreover, the dome often stands directly on the first order.[19][20]
While the exterior is devoid of decoration and the dome is adorned by a lantern, a style that is well suited to the sobriety of the Franciscan spirit, the interior, on the other hand, is distinguished by a compact and rigorous articulation of space and by the presence of an elegant decorative apparatus, which clearly echoes that of Porta Borsari, such as the alternation of vertical and twisted fluting, the rhythm of projections and recesses, and the giant tabernacles.[17]
The paving of the monument
The first level, of Corinthian order, has four large aediculae surmounted by round arches, three of which are occupied by altars while one houses the wide entrance door; each aedicula is then set in a frame formed by a giant tabernacle composed of fluted half-columns above which the entablature with triangular pediment is set.[18][4] The keystones of the arches bear the heraldic symbols of the Pellegrini family, a pilgrim, and of the Raimondi family, a crowned eagle, while on either side are carved female figures, angelic and allegorical representations of victory and Christian virtues.[18] Interspersed with the tabernacles are empty niches that would have housed statues, decorated on the sides with candelabras carved in the lesenes, by shells in the basins and garlands at the base of the top entablature.[21]
The first order is surmounted by a balcony with parapet, at the height of which begins the second, larger-diameter level, also of Corinthian order, which serves as the drum on which the dome is set; it is distinguished by the presence of four aediculae and four large tripartite windows with coupled columns that are located at the tabernacles of the lower level.[18][22] A peculiarity, compared to the first order, is that only the columns and entablature are made of stone, while the rest is in lime plaster and marble dust, although the resulting surface has been bush-hammered and scraped as if it had been stone.[18]
The coffereddome with rosettes on a blue background, surmounted by a lantern, covers the chapel;[22] the effect given by the color makes the interior space look majestic while the plasticity of the decorations is enhanced by the light that penetrates from the lantern and the stained-glass windows of the drum, giving the monument as a whole a striking elegance.[15] The dome with drum, present here for the first time, became a Sanmichelian stylistic feature, as can be seen in the domes of the church of Madonna di Campagna, San Giorgio in Braida and the temple of Lazzaretto.[23]
The chapel abounds with sculptural decorations whose elegance of execution finds few other examples in 16th-century architecture,[1] and although the final result of the work turns out to be different from the initial plan drawn up by Sanmicheli, it recalls the style of the Veronese architect in many respects. The plan itself turns out to be very similar to that of the Petrucci chapel, built between 1516 and 1523 at the church of San Domenico in Orvieto.[11]
On the chapel's high altar, in front of the entrance, there is a painting by Bernardino India from 1579 depicting the Madonna and Child with St. Anne;[9] in the crescent a painting by Pasquale Ottini depicts the Eternal Father, while on either side of India's altarpiece there are two other paintings by Ottini depicting St. Joseph and St. Joachim.[24] Ottini's paintings were probably made between 1619 and 1623.[25] The building was intended to house other paintings, as evidenced by blank panels in the walls, which, however, were never made.[21]
↑ "This chapel was for a long time called Guaresco from the noble name of the Raimondi family, and it was kept until the College of Notaries in Verona (so willed by the testatrix) sustained its patronage." In Ronzani, p. 13.
↑ On this subject Giorgio Vasari, in the 1568 edition of his The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors and Architects, writes: "Michele was excellent not only in fortifications, but also in private buildings, in temples, churches and monasteries, as can be seen in Verona and elsewhere in many buildings, particularly in the very beautiful and ornate Guareschi chapel in San Bernardino, made round for the use of a temple and of Corinthian order, with all those ornaments of which that style is capable. [... ] For being therefore from within the said chapel of this beautiful stone and worked by excellent masters of carving and very well commissioned, it is held that for a similar work there is no other more beautiful in Italy today, Michele having made the whole work round in such a manner, that the three altars that are in it with their frontispieces and cornices, and similarly the doorway, all turn in a perfect round, almost in the likeness of the exits that Filippo Brunelleschi made in the chapels of the temple of the Angels in Florence, which is a very difficult thing to do."
Related Research Articles
The Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo, known in Venetian as San Zanipolo, is a church in the Castello sestiere of Venice, Italy.
Michele Sanmicheli (1484–1559), was a Venetian architect and urban planner of Mannerist-style, among the greatest of his era. A tireless worker, he was in charge of designing buildings and religious buildings of great value.
The church of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, also called San Carlino, is a Roman Catholic church in Rome, Italy. The church was designed by the architect Francesco Borromini and it was his first independent commission. It is an iconic masterpiece of Baroque architecture, built as part of a complex of monastic buildings on the Quirinal Hill for the Spanish Trinitarians, an order dedicated to the freeing of Christian slaves. He received the commission in 1634, under the patronage of Cardinal Francesco Barberini, whose palace was across the road. However, this financial backing did not last and subsequently the building project suffered various financial difficulties. It is one of at least three churches in Rome dedicated to San Carlo, including San Carlo ai Catinari and San Carlo al Corso.
Mantua Cathedral in Mantua, Lombardy, northern Italy, is a Roman Catholic cathedral dedicated to Saint Peter. It is the seat of the Bishop of Mantua.
Bernardino India (1528–1590) was an Italian painter of the late Renaissance, born and mainly active in Verona.
The chiesa di Sant'Anastasia, or the Basilica of Saint Anastasia is a church built by the Dominican Order in Verona, northern Italy. In Gothic style, it is the largest church in the city, located in its most ancient district, near the Ponte Pietra.
Michele da Verona was an Italian painter of the Renaissance period. He is different but a near contemporary of Zenone Veronese.
San Giorgio in Braida is a Roman Catholic church in Verona, region of Veneto, Italy. A church titled San Giacomo in Braida, was located in Cremona, and became superseded by Sant'Agostino.
San Bernardino is a church in Verona, northern Italy. The church, in Gothic style, was built from 1451 to 1466.
Palazzo Dalla Torre is a patrician palace in Verona, northern Italy, designed by Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio for Giambattista Dalla Torre. The palazzo was probably built from 1555, but remained unfinished. Allied bombardment in 1945 demolished a great part of the building. However, conspicuous remains of Palladio’s construction survive: the majestic access portal and a courtyard with columns and entablature.
The Portinari Chapel is a Renaissance chapel at the Basilica of Sant'Eustorgio, Milan, northern Italy. Commenced in 1460 and completed in 1468, it was commissioned by Pigello Portinari as a private sepulchre and to house a silver shrine given by Archbishop Giovanni Visconti in 1340 containing the relic head of St. Peter of Verona, to whom the chapel is consecrated. The architect is unknown, the traditional attribution to Michelozzo having been succeeded with equal uncertainty by attributions to either Filarete or Guiniforte Solari, architect of the apses of the Certosa di Pavia and the church of San Pietro in Gessate in Milan.
The Abbey of Santa Giustina is a 10th-century Benedictine abbey complex located in front of the Prato della Valle in central Padua, region of Veneto, Italy. Adjacent to the former monastery is the basilica church of Santa Giustina, initially built in the 6th century, but whose present form derives from a 17th-century reconstruction.
Antonio Cappello (1494-1565) was a Venetian noble, a member of the San Polo branch of the Cappello family [it:Cappello (famiglia)]. A Procurator of St Mark's, he acted as ambassador to the court of Charles V at Gand, but is mainly remembered for his role as one of the main promoters of public art and architectural projects in sixteenth-century Venice. He resided in the palazzo on San Polo now known as Ca Cappello Layard and oversaw its redevelopment.
The Basilica of Saint Magnus is the principal church of the Italian town of Legnano, in the province of Milan. It is dedicated to the Saint Magnus, who was Archbishop of Milan from 518 to 530. The church was built from 1504 to 1513 in the Renaissance-style designed by Donato Bramante. The bell tower was added between the years 1752 and 1791. On 18 March 1950, Pope Pius XII named the Basilica of San Magno a minor basilica.
Gasparo Cairano, also known as Gasparo da Cairano, de Cayrano, da Milano, Coirano, and other variations, was an Italian Renaissance sculptor.
The Caprioli Chapel is the second chapel on the left side of the nave of the Church of San Giorgio in Brescia.
Minerva between Geometry and Arithmetic is a 1550 fresco fragment, usually attributed to Paolo Veronese but by some art historians to Anselmo Canera or Giambattista Zelotti. It was painted for the Palazzo de Soranzi in Castelfranco Veneto but now in the Palazzo Balbi in Venice.
Porta Nuova is a gateway to the historic center of Verona, built between 1532 and 1540. It was designed by architect Michele Sanmicheli. Giorgio Vasari said of the gateway in Le vite de' più eccellenti pittori, scultori e architettori "never before any other work of more grandeur or better design."
The monuments of Verona are a vast number of architecturally, archaeologically, historically, and artistically significant cultural assets that characterize the city of Verona. Precisely because of the richness of its monuments and the urban evolution that has developed seamlessly over the centuries, UNESCO declared the city a World Heritage Site in 2000.
The churches of Verona are the places of Catholic worship that have been built within the administrative boundaries of the municipality of Verona, evidence of the ups and downs that the city has experienced throughout its history.
Bisognin, Davide; Guastella, Giuseppe (2009). La chiesa di San Bernardino: visita guidata. Verona: Ottaviani.
Brugnoli, Pierpaolo (1980). "Architettura sacra a Verona dal secolo XV al secolo XVIII". In Giorgio Borelli (ed.). Chiese e monasteri a Verona. Verona: Banca Popolare di Verona.
Davis, Paul; Hemsoll, David (2004). Michele Sanmicheli. Milano: Mondadori Electa.
Dianin, Gian Maria (1985). San Bernardino, Verona: guida storico-artistica. Verona: Banca Popolare di Verona.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
_-_BEIC_6347198.jpg)
