San Clemente, Brescia

San Clemente
Religion
Affiliation	Roman Catholic
Province	Brescia
Location
Location	Brescia, Italy
Coordinates	45°32′16″N10°13′34″E / 45.537751°N 10.22619°E / 45.537751; 10.22619
Architecture
Type	Neoclassic Facade
Groundbreaking	Late 14th century

Interior view of the church.

The church of San Clemente is an ancient Roman Catholic church located near the Piazza del Foro, in central Brescia, region of Lombardy, Italy.

History

A church at the site is documented by 954, and was initially attached to the adjacent Benedictine monastery. The church and convent were destroyed during a Venetian siege in 1517. ^[1]

The present plan was completed by the late 15th century. Further reconstructions occurred, with the latest which gave the present façade in 1800 under the architect Rodolfo Vantini.

Detail of portal

Description

The interior of the portico has a damaged fresco of Pope Clement I with Christ and saints. The main altar from 18th century was a work of Antonio Calegari. The choir is frescoed by Antonio Capello.

The church contains a number of masterpieces by Moretto, including:

• St Ursula and Thousand Virgins
• Mystical Wedding of St Catherine of Alexandria with Saints Catherine of Siena, Paul, and Jerome
• Offer of Melchisedech to Abraham
• a striking Assumption or Virgin in Glory with Saints Clement, Domenic, Florian, Catherina and Mary Magdalen
• Martyred Female Saints (Saints Cecilia, Lucia, Barbara, Agnese, and Agata).

The church also has a fresco of a Resurrection with St. Clement and Teresa painted by Il Romanino, a contemporary of Moretto.

References

• Bresciarte website

1. Guida di Brescia rapporto alle arti ed ai monumenti antichi e moderni, by Federico Odorici, page 75.