Bufalini Chapel
Encyclopedia
The Bufalini Chapel is a side chapel of the church of Santa Maria in Aracoeli
, Rome
, Italy
. First chapel on the right after the entrance, it houses a cycle of frescoes executed c. 1484-1486 by Pinturicchio
depicting the life of the Franciscan friar St. Bernardino of Siena
, sainted in 1450.
. Bufalini was a prelate
, citizen of Città di Castello
, who worked as abbreviator
The abbreviators di parco maggiore, which are all prelates draw the Papal bulls, and send them when they are written. and consistorial lawyer in Rome. His family coat of arms (a bull with a flower) appears widely in the chapel. Several important painters such as Pietro Perugino
, Sandro Botticelli
, Luca Signorelli
, Pinturicchio
and others, had just finished the wall decoration of the Sistine Chapel
(1482), but had returned to their hometowns, with the exception of Pinturicchio, who had formed a workshop including some of the collaborators in that work. Pinturicchio, who had been so far obscured by Perugino's fame, could exploit his presence in Rome to obtain the commission of his first great work, the Bufalini Chapel, also favored by the common origin with Riccomanno. The painter had already executed at least a work for the latter's family, a Madonna now in the Municipal Gallery of Città di Castello (c. 1480).
No documents about the works' execution exist, but they are generally dated to around 1484-1486. The frescoes suffered some damage and repainting, and were subsequently restored in 1955-1956 and 1981-1982.
mosaics. The frescoes occupy three walls and the vault, and portray the life and miracles of Bernardino of Siena, a Franciscan Friar recently canonized. The church was in fact hold by this monastic order at the time, and the frescoes also include two scenes of St. Francis of Assisi's life. The Bufalini family had strong ties with Bernardino, since the latter had solved controversies between them and the Baglioni and Del Monte families.
n ones. The upper sector depicts a blessing Christ within an almond, with angels and musicians.
Also this fresco shows a more lively composition that Perugino's ones, both in the figures and the rocks in the landscape, which do not follow a symmetrical pattern and are spatially deeper. Bernardino holds a book where is written PATER MANIFESTAVI NOMEN TVVM OMNIBVS ("Father, you showed your name to everybody"), which refers to the christogram
"IHS", widely used by Bernardino, and for which he was accused of idolatry
and heresy
.
Under the previous scenes is a monochrome band, today only partially readable: It originally housed blind niches and reliefs, of which today remains one with a military procession with prisoners and satyrs. It is one of the first examples of taste for antiquities
, which at the time was becoming widespread in Rome, and which was used also by Filippino Lippi
in the Carafa Chapel
in Santa Maria sopra Minerva
.
, which was an early Christian symbol of immortality. The wall contains also two scenes with episodes of the life of St. Francis of Assisi: the first is the Renunciation to the Patrimony, characterized by an oblique perspective, which takes advantage of the piers of the arches, having a grotesque decoration
; the second depicts St. Francis Receiving the Stigmata
, featuring in the background a view of the Verna Sanctuary
over a rocky peak. Under the real window is an illusory opening with five characters: among them, is an aged friars, perhaps the convent's prior, and a lay one that resembles him, perhaps an administrator of the basilica.
shows the romitaggio
(hermitage) of the young Bernardino; below are the Funerals of Bernardino, set in an urban scene with a chessboard-like pavement, painted using geometrical perspective. The latter has its vanishing point
in an edifice with central plan, taken from Perugino's Delivery of the Keys
. Pinturicchio, however, differentiated from that model by using two buildings of different heights, at the sides. On the left is a loggiato, supported by piers
decorated by fanciful gilted candelabra. On the right, farther, is a cubic building connected through a double loggia to the landscape and the bright sky in the background.
The foreground depicts the saints' funerals. Bernardino lays on a catafalque
, which, thanks to its oblique perspective, increases the deepness of the scene and the interaction between the characters. Friars, pilgrims and other common people are closing to the corpse to homage it; one the sides are two richly dressed characters, which have been identified as Riccomanno Bufalini (one the left, with a fur-lined hood and the gloves) and a member of his family. The remaining characters are used to portray a series of miracles attributed to Bernardino during his life: the healing of a blind (who hints at his eyes), the resurrection of a possessed, the healing of a dead newborn, the healing of Lorenzo di Niccolò da Prato, wounded by a bull, the pacification of the Umbrian families.
In the fresco, Perugino's influence on Pinturicchio is manifest: the Umbrian-Perugian perspective rationality, the variety of types and attitudes of the characters, inspired to Florentine painters such as Benozzo Gozzoli
or Domenico Ghirlandaio
, the striking appearance of the poor pilgrims and beggars, derived from Flemish painting
. The candelabra grotesque decoration is inspired to the contemporary examples discovered at Rome in the Domus Aurea
. These elements are contained in one of the few drawings certainly attributable to Pinturicchio, housed in the Kupferstichkabinett
of Berlin (n. 5192). In his later works, due to the increasing use of assistants, the quality of Pinturicchio's decorative elements would become lower.
Santa Maria in Aracoeli
The Basilica of St. Mary of the Altar of Heaven is a titular basilica in Rome, located on the highest summit of the Campidoglio. It is still the designated Church of the city council of Rome, which uses the ancient title of Senatus Populusque Romanus...
, Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, 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...
. First chapel on the right after the entrance, it houses a cycle of frescoes executed c. 1484-1486 by Pinturicchio
Pinturicchio
Bernardino di Betto, called Pintoricchio or Pinturicchio was an Italian painter of the Renaissance. He acquired his nickname, Pintoricchio , because of his small stature, and he used it to sign some of his works....
depicting the life of the Franciscan friar St. Bernardino of Siena
Bernardino of Siena
Saint Bernardino of Siena, O.F.M., was an Italian priest, Franciscan missionary, and is a Catholic saint.-Early life:...
, sainted in 1450.
History
The chapel was commissioned by Riccomanno BufaliniHis full name was Niccolò di Manno Bufalini di Città di Castello (~1450 - 1506) for his mortuary chapel in the church of Santa Maria in AracoeliSanta Maria in Aracoeli
The Basilica of St. Mary of the Altar of Heaven is a titular basilica in Rome, located on the highest summit of the Campidoglio. It is still the designated Church of the city council of Rome, which uses the ancient title of Senatus Populusque Romanus...
. Bufalini was a prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
, citizen of Città di Castello
Città di Castello
Città di Castello is a city and comune in the province of Perugia, in the northern part of the Umbria region of Italy. It is situated on a slope of the Apennines, on the flood plain of the river Tiber. The city is north of Perugia and south of Cesena on the S3bis. It is connected to the A1...
, who worked as abbreviator
Abbreviator
Abbreviator, plural Abbreviators in English or Abbreviatores in Latin, also called Breviators, were a body of writers in the papal chancery, whose business was to sketch out and prepare in due form the pope's bulls, briefs and consistorial decrees before these are written out in extenso by the...
The abbreviators di parco maggiore, which are all prelates draw the Papal bulls, and send them when they are written. and consistorial lawyer in Rome. His family coat of arms (a bull with a flower) appears widely in the chapel. Several important painters such as Pietro Perugino
Pietro Perugino
Pietro Perugino , born Pietro Vannucci, was an Italian Renaissance painter of the Umbrian school, who developed some of the qualities that found classic expression in the High Renaissance...
, Sandro Botticelli
Sandro Botticelli
Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi, better known as Sandro Botticelli was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance...
, Luca Signorelli
Luca Signorelli
Luca Signorelli was an Italian Renaissance painter who was noted in particular for his ability as a draughtsman and his use of foreshortening...
, Pinturicchio
Pinturicchio
Bernardino di Betto, called Pintoricchio or Pinturicchio was an Italian painter of the Renaissance. He acquired his nickname, Pintoricchio , because of his small stature, and he used it to sign some of his works....
and others, had just finished the wall decoration of the Sistine Chapel
Sistine Chapel
Sistine Chapel is the best-known chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope in Vatican City. It is famous for its architecture and its decoration that was frescoed throughout by Renaissance artists including Michelangelo, Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino, Pinturicchio...
(1482), but had returned to their hometowns, with the exception of Pinturicchio, who had formed a workshop including some of the collaborators in that work. Pinturicchio, who had been so far obscured by Perugino's fame, could exploit his presence in Rome to obtain the commission of his first great work, the Bufalini Chapel, also favored by the common origin with Riccomanno. The painter had already executed at least a work for the latter's family, a Madonna now in the Municipal Gallery of Città di Castello (c. 1480).
No documents about the works' execution exist, but they are generally dated to around 1484-1486. The frescoes suffered some damage and repainting, and were subsequently restored in 1955-1956 and 1981-1982.
Description
The chapel has a rectangular plan, with a cross-vault and a pavement decorated by CosmatesqueCosmatesque
Cosmatesque, or Cosmati, is a style of geometric decorative inlay stonework typical of Medieval Italy, and especially of Rome and its surroundings. It was used most extensively for the decoration of church floors, but was also used to decorate church walls, pulpits, and bishop's thrones...
mosaics. The frescoes occupy three walls and the vault, and portray the life and miracles of Bernardino of Siena, a Franciscan Friar recently canonized. The church was in fact hold by this monastic order at the time, and the frescoes also include two scenes of St. Francis of Assisi's life. The Bufalini family had strong ties with Bernardino, since the latter had solved controversies between them and the Baglioni and Del Monte families.
Vault
The paintings on the vault were the first to be executed. They depict the four Evangelists, within four bright oval almonds, according to a layout inspired to Perugino. The Evangelists' postures were carefully studied and are more lively than those by Perugino.Central wall
The central wall is decorated by a Glory of St. Bernardino, on two levels such as in the lost Assumption by Perugino. The lower section portrays Bernardino on a rock, with open arms, surmounted by two angels who are crowning him. He is flanked by the saints Augustine and Antony of Padua, while in the background is a landscape inspired to UmbriaUmbria
Umbria is a region of modern central Italy. It is one of the smallest Italian regions and the only peninsular region that is landlocked.Its capital is Perugia.Assisi and Norcia are historical towns associated with St. Francis of Assisi, and St...
n ones. The upper sector depicts a blessing Christ within an almond, with angels and musicians.
Also this fresco shows a more lively composition that Perugino's ones, both in the figures and the rocks in the landscape, which do not follow a symmetrical pattern and are spatially deeper. Bernardino holds a book where is written PATER MANIFESTAVI NOMEN TVVM OMNIBVS ("Father, you showed your name to everybody"), which refers to the christogram
Christogram
A Christogram is a monogram or combination of letters that forms an abbreviation for the name of Jesus Christ, traditionally used as a Christian symbol. Different types of Christograms are associated with the various traditions of Christianity, e.g...
"IHS", widely used by Bernardino, and for which he was accused of idolatry
Idolatry
Idolatry is a pejorative term for the worship of an idol, a physical object such as a cult image, as a god, or practices believed to verge on worship, such as giving undue honour and regard to created forms other than God. In all the Abrahamic religions idolatry is strongly forbidden, although...
and heresy
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
.
Under the previous scenes is a monochrome band, today only partially readable: It originally housed blind niches and reliefs, of which today remains one with a military procession with prisoners and satyrs. It is one of the first examples of taste for antiquities
Antiquities
Antiquities, nearly always used in the plural in this sense, is a term for objects from Antiquity, especially the civilizations of the Mediterranean: the Classical antiquity of Greece and Rome, Ancient Egypt and the other Ancient Near Eastern cultures...
, which at the time was becoming widespread in Rome, and which was used also by Filippino Lippi
Filippino Lippi
Filippino Lippi was an Italian painter working during the High Renaissance in Florence, Italy.-Biography:...
in the Carafa Chapel
Carafa Chapel
The Carafa Chapel is a chapel in the church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, Rome, Italy, known for a series of frescoes by Filippino Lippi.-History:...
in Santa Maria sopra Minerva
Santa Maria sopra Minerva
The Basilica of Saint Mary Above Minerva is a titular minor basilica and one of the most important churches of the Roman Catholic Dominican order in Rome, Italy. The church, located in the Piazza della Minerva in the Campus Martius region, is considered the only Gothic church in Rome. It houses...
.
Right wall
For the right wall, which features a double mullioned window, Pinturicchio adopted an illusionistic perspective, painting two fake symmetrical windows, one with blessing Eternal Father and one with a doveDove
Pigeons and doves constitute the bird family Columbidae within the order Columbiformes, which include some 300 species of near passerines. In general terms "dove" and "pigeon" are used somewhat interchangeably...
, which was an early Christian symbol of immortality. The wall contains also two scenes with episodes of the life of St. Francis of Assisi: the first is the Renunciation to the Patrimony, characterized by an oblique perspective, which takes advantage of the piers of the arches, having a grotesque decoration
Grotesque
The word grotesque comes from the same Latin root as "Grotto", meaning a small cave or hollow. The original meaning was restricted to an extravagant style of Ancient Roman decorative art rediscovered and then copied in Rome at the end of the 15th century...
; the second depicts St. Francis Receiving the Stigmata
Stigmata
Stigmata are bodily marks, sores, or sensations of pain in locations corresponding to the crucifixion wounds of Jesus, such as the hands and feet...
, featuring in the background a view of the Verna Sanctuary
La Verna
La Verna, in Latin Alverna and geographically known as Monte Penna, is a locality on Mount Penna, an isolated mountain of 1,283 m situated in the centre of the Tuscan Apennines, rising above the valley of the Casentino, central Italy...
over a rocky peak. Under the real window is an illusory opening with five characters: among them, is an aged friars, perhaps the convent's prior, and a lay one that resembles him, perhaps an administrator of the basilica.
Left wall
The left wall comprises two scenes organized vertically, divided by a painted frieze. The upper lunetteLunette
In architecture, a lunette is a half-moon shaped space, either filled with recessed masonry or void. A lunette is formed when a horizontal cornice transects a round-headed arch at the level of the imposts, where the arch springs. If a door is set within a round-headed arch, the space within the...
shows the romitaggio
Hermitage (religious retreat)
Although today's meaning is usually a place where a hermit lives in seclusion from the world, hermitage was more commonly used to mean a settlement where a person or a group of people lived religiously, in seclusion.-Western Christian Tradition:...
(hermitage) of the young Bernardino; below are the Funerals of Bernardino, set in an urban scene with a chessboard-like pavement, painted using geometrical perspective. The latter has its vanishing point
Vanishing point
A vanishing point is a point in a perspective drawing to which parallel lines not parallel to the image plane appear to converge. The number and placement of the vanishing points determines which perspective technique is being used...
in an edifice with central plan, taken from Perugino's Delivery of the Keys
Delivery of the Keys (Perugino)
The Delivery of the Keys, or Christ Giving the Keys to St. Peter is a fresco by the Italian Renaissance painter Pietro Perugino, executed in 1481-1482 and located in the Sistine Chapel, Rome.-History:...
. Pinturicchio, however, differentiated from that model by using two buildings of different heights, at the sides. On the left is a loggiato, supported by piers
Pier (architecture)
In architecture, a pier is an upright support for a superstructure, such as an arch or bridge. Sections of wall between openings function as piers. The simplest cross section of the pier is square, or rectangular, although other shapes are also common, such as the richly articulated piers of Donato...
decorated by fanciful gilted candelabra. On the right, farther, is a cubic building connected through a double loggia to the landscape and the bright sky in the background.
The foreground depicts the saints' funerals. Bernardino lays on a catafalque
Catafalque
A catafalque is a raised bier, soapbox, or similar platform, often movable, that is used to support the casket, coffin, or body of the deceased during a funeral or memorial service. Following a Roman Catholic Requiem Mass, a catafalque may be used to stand in place of the body at the Absolution of...
, which, thanks to its oblique perspective, increases the deepness of the scene and the interaction between the characters. Friars, pilgrims and other common people are closing to the corpse to homage it; one the sides are two richly dressed characters, which have been identified as Riccomanno Bufalini (one the left, with a fur-lined hood and the gloves) and a member of his family. The remaining characters are used to portray a series of miracles attributed to Bernardino during his life: the healing of a blind (who hints at his eyes), the resurrection of a possessed, the healing of a dead newborn, the healing of Lorenzo di Niccolò da Prato, wounded by a bull, the pacification of the Umbrian families.
In the fresco, Perugino's influence on Pinturicchio is manifest: the Umbrian-Perugian perspective rationality, the variety of types and attitudes of the characters, inspired to Florentine painters such as Benozzo Gozzoli
Benozzo Gozzoli
Benozzo Gozzoli was an Italian Renaissance painter from Florence. He is best known for a series of murals in the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi depicting festive, vibrant processions with wonderful attention to detail and a pronounced International Gothic influence.-Apprenticeship:He was born Benozzo di...
or Domenico Ghirlandaio
Domenico Ghirlandaio
Domenico Ghirlandaio was an Italian Renaissance painter from Florence. Among his many apprentices was Michelangelo.-Early years:Ghirlandaio's full name is given as Domenico di Tommaso di Currado di Doffo Bigordi...
, the striking appearance of the poor pilgrims and beggars, derived from Flemish painting
Flemish painting
Flemish painting flourished from the early 15th century until the 17th century. Flanders delivered the leading painters in Northern Europe and attracted many promising young painters from neighbouring countries. These painters were invited to work at foreign courts and had a Europe-wide influence...
. The candelabra grotesque decoration is inspired to the contemporary examples discovered at Rome in the Domus Aurea
Domus Aurea
The Domus Aurea was a large landscaped portico villa, designed to take advantage of artificially created landscapes built in the heart of Ancient Rome by the Emperor Nero after the Great Fire of Rome had cleared away the aristocratic dwellings on the slopes of the Palatine...
. These elements are contained in one of the few drawings certainly attributable to Pinturicchio, housed in the Kupferstichkabinett
Kupferstichkabinett
Kupferstichkabinett is the German word for print room. It may also refer to:*Kupferstichkabinett Berlin*Kupferstich-Kabinett...
of Berlin (n. 5192). In his later works, due to the increasing use of assistants, the quality of Pinturicchio's decorative elements would become lower.