Pistoia Cathedral
Encyclopedia
Pistoia
Pistoia is a city and comune in the Tuscany region of Italy, the capital of a province of the same name, located about 30 km west and north of Florence and is crossed by the Ombrone Pistoiese, a tributary of the River Arno.-History:...
, Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
, 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...
, located in the Piazza del Duomo in the centre of the city. It is the seat of the Bishop of Pistoia and is dedicated to Saint Zeno of Verona
Zeno of Verona
Zeno of Verona was either an early Christian Bishop of Verona or martyr. He is a saint in the Roman Catholic Church and in Eastern Orthodox Church.-Life and historicity:...
.
Most probably built in the 10th century, it has a façade in 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, inspired by other churches in Pistoia (San Bartolomeo and San Jacopo). The interior has a nave and two side-aisles, with a presbytery and crypt. A restoration in 1952-1999 returned the church to its original lines.
History
It has been speculated that a smaller cathedral may have existed in Pistoia as early as the 5th century AD, as it had already a bishop at that time. The location of such a building is however unknown: possible sites are those of the current cathedral, of the Pieve di Sant'AndreaPieve di Sant'Andrea (Pistoia)
The Pieve di Sant'Andrea is a church in Pistoia, Tuscany, central Italy. It is dedicated to St. Andrew the Apostle, and includes the famous Pulpit of St. Andrew by Giovanni Pisano. The church probably dates from as early as the 8th century, though in a smaller size...
or of San Pier Maggiore
San Pier Maggiore, Pistoia
San Pier Maggiore is a former church in Pistoia, Tuscany, central Italy. The church is notable for its exterior polychrome decorations, one of the last examples in the city....
.
The first mention of a cathedral dates to 923. In 998 a diploma of Emperor Otto III
Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor
Otto III , a King of Germany, was the fourth ruler of the Saxon or Ottonian dynasty of the Holy Roman Empire. He was elected King in 983 on the death of his father Otto II and was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 996.-Early reign:...
refers to a Palaeo-Christian building located between the "cathedral square" (Piazza del Duomo) and the city's watch tower. In 1108 the cathedral was damaged by a fire, and was probably rebuilt over the next few decades, as in 1145 an altar was dedicated in it to Saint James the Great
Saint James the Great
James, son of Zebedee was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He was a son of Zebedee and Salome, and brother of John the Apostle...
by Bishop Saint Atto
Atto of Pistoia
Atto of Pistoia was a Spanish-born 12th-century prelate and historiographer in Italy.He was born at Badajoz in the Spanish region of Estremadura in 1070. He became Abbot of Vallombrosa in 1105, and in 1135 was made Bishop of Pistoia, also in Tuscany. He wrote lives of St. John Gualbert and St....
. In 1202 another fire damaged the cathedral again. In 1274-1275 the aisles were covered with vaults, while in 1298 there was further damage caused by an earthquake. In 1336 a statue of Saint Zeno was placed in the west front, sculpted by Jacopo di Mazzeo.
Between 1379 and 1440 the façade was reconstructed with the addition of three tiers of loggia
Loggia
Loggia is the name given to an architectural feature, originally of Minoan design. They are often a gallery or corridor at ground level, sometimes higher, on the facade of a building and open to the air on one side, where it is supported by columns or pierced openings in the wall...
s and a portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
. In 1504 Andrea della Robbia
Andrea della Robbia
Andrea della Robbia was an Italian Renaissance sculptor, especially in ceramics. He was the son of Marco della Robbia. Andrea della Robbia's uncle, Luca della Robbia, popularized the use of glazed terra-cotta for sculpture...
was commissioned to undertake the decoration of the archivolt
Archivolt
An archivolt is an ornamental molding or band following the curve on the underside of an arch. It is composed of bands of ornamental moldings surrounding an arched opening, corresponding to the architrave in the case of a rectangular opening...
(for which he created a festoon with plant themes and, in the middle, the crest of the Opera di San Jacopo), of the portico as well as of the lunette
Lunette
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...
with bas-reliefs over the central portal, depicting the "Madonna with Child and Angels". He finished the works in 1505.
In 1598-1614 the medieval choir was demolished, the side chapels were modified and the original apse
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
was replaced by a Baroque tribune
Tribune (architecture)
Tribune is an ambiguous — and often misused — architectural term which can have several meanings. Today it most often refers to a dais or stage-like platform, or — in a vaguer sense — any place from which a speech can be prominently made.-Etymology:...
surmounted by a dome designed by Jacopo Lafri, while the main aisle was covered by new cross vaults. The decoration of the tribune ceilng was also undertaken, and paintings in the same area and in the main chapel were added. In 1721 a statue of Saint James the Great, by Andrea Vaccà, was added to the façade. The medieval mullioned windows, replaced by Baroque windows, were restored between 1952 and 1966, and the vaults over the aisle were removed.
Interior
The presbytery pavement is raised, housing the cryptCrypt
In architecture, a crypt is a stone chamber or vault beneath the floor of a burial vault possibly containing sarcophagi, coffins or relics....
underneath, while the nave and the aisles, separated by columns, have vaults and wooden truss covers respectively. The right aisle was once occupied by the Chapel of St. James (San Jacopo), built by bishop Atto in the mid-12th century to house the relics of Saint James brought from Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, Spain.The city's Cathedral is the destination today, as it has been throughout history, of the important 9th century medieval pilgrimage route, the Way of St. James...
. The silver altar of the saint can be seen today in the Crucifix Chapel.
Chapel of the Holy Sacrament
The Chapel of the Holy Sacrament (Capello del Santissimo Sacramento), which houses the tabernacleChurch tabernacle
A tabernacle is the fixed, locked box in which, in some Christian churches, the Eucharist is "reserved" . A less obvious container, set into the wall, is called an aumbry....
, is also known as the Chapel of San Donato from a painting portraying the Madonna Enthroned between St. John the Baptist and St. Donatus (c. 1475-1486), on the right hand wall. The painting had been commissioned from Andrea del Verrocchio
Andrea del Verrocchio
Andrea del Verrocchio , born Andrea di Michele di Francesco de' Cioni, was an Italian sculptor, goldsmith and painter who worked at the court of Lorenzo de' Medici in Florence in the early renaissance. Few paintings are attributed to him with certainty, but a number of important painters were...
by the heirs of Donato de' Medici and was started by him but, left unfinished, was completed by Lorenzo di Credi
Lorenzo di Credi
Lorenzo di Credi was an Italian Renaissance painter and sculptor. He first influenced Leonardo da Vinci and then was greatly influenced by him.-Life:...
. The bishop next to the Madonna has been identified as Saint Zeno. In the middle is the Assumption of the Virgin by Giovan Battista Paggi (1590-1600), while next to the entrance is the tomb of Donato de' Medici (1475), attributed to Antonio Rossellino
Antonio Rossellino
Antonio Gamberelli , nicknamed Antonio Rossellino for the colour of his hair, was an Italian sculptor. His older brother, from whom he received his formal training, was the painter Bernardo Rossellino....
.
Crucifix Chapel
This chapel contains the altar of Saint James, in embossedRepoussé and chasing
Repoussé or repoussage is a metalworking technique in which a malleable metal is ornamented or shaped by hammering from the reverse side to create a design in low relief. There are few techniques that offer such diversity of expression while still being relatively economical...
silver sheet, which was moved here in 1953. It was begun in 1287, when Andrea di Jacopo d'Ognabene was commissioned to make representations of the Madonna and Child for the rear of the altar, and, for the front section, of Stories of the New Testament, Christ in Majesty between Mary and St. James and Three Stories of St. James, which he finished in 1316. Giglio Pisano executed the large silver statue depicting St. James Enthroned (1349-1353), commissioned as thanksgiving after the end of the Black Death
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
in 1348.
The two side antependia were executed by Leonardo di Ser Giovanni and Francesco Niccolai, with Stories of the Old Testament and Stories of St. James, between 1361 and 1371. Other works include the Apostles, St. Eulalia, Bishop Atto, St. John the Baptist and Salome by Piero d'Arrigo Tedesco (1380-1390), another Christ in Majesty with St. Anthony Abbot, St. Stephen and the cusp
Cusp
Cusp may refer to:*Beach cusps, a pointed and regular arc pattern of the shoreline at the beach*Behavioral cusp an important behavior change with far reaching consequences*Cusp catastrophe...
by Nofri di Buto and Atto di Piero Braccini (1394-1398).
Filippo Brunelleschi
Filippo Brunelleschi
Filippo Brunelleschi was one of the foremost architects and engineers of the Italian Renaissance. He is perhaps most famous for inventing linear perspective and designing the dome of the Florence Cathedral, but his accomplishments also included bronze artwork, architecture , mathematics,...
decorated the front part with two busts of prophets (1401). The other sides were decorated by Piero d'Antonio da Pisa and Domenico da Imola.
Aisles
Works in the south aisle include:- Triptych of Crucifixion between the Madonna, Sts. John, Jerome and James (1424), by an unknown artist.
- A copy of the Annunciation by Domenico Cresti
- The precious Crucifixion (1274) by Coppo di MarcovaldoCoppo di MarcovaldoCoppo di Marcovaldo was an Italian painter active in Tuscany.-Biography:He was born in Florence, and is mentioned as active in Pistoia in 1265, where he frescoed the St...
and his son Salerno. It includes six panels with the Capture of Jesus, Christ in Front of the Priests, Deposition, Deposition of Jesus in the Sepulchre, The Three Marys at the Sepulchre - Tomb of Cino Sinibuldi da PistoiaCino da PistoiaCino da Pistoia was an Italian jurist and poet.He was born in Pistoia, Tuscany. His full name was Guittoncino dei Sinibaldi de Candia Pistoia or, Latinised as Cinus de Sighibuldis, his father was from a noble man from the House of Sinibaldi and his mother a noble lady of the House of Candia Pistoia...
(1337), attributed to Agostino di Giovanni
Works in the north aisle include:
- Monument of Cardinal Niccolò Forteguerri, commissioned from Andrea del Verrocchio by the Consiglio Generale of Pistoia in 1473. After the death of Verrocchio (1488), Lorenzo Lotti, known as il Lorenzetto, finished the work by sculpting the statue of Charity. The current surround and other details were executed in 1753.
- Madonna delle Porrine, 14th century fresco by an unknown artist.
- Statue of Pope Leo XIPope Leo XIPope Leo XI , born Alessandro Ottaviano de' Medici, was Pope from 1 April 1605 to 27 April of the same year.-Biography:...
, bishop of Pistoia in 1573 (1618), also from an unknown artist. - Tomb of bishop Federico Alamanni (1776), by an unknown artist.
- Martyrdom of St. Bartolomew, by an unknown artist (17th century).
Presbytery
The vault of the presbytery is decorated by frescoes by Domencio Cresti, depicting the Father in Glory, Fall of the Rebel Angels, Fall of Adam and the Annunciation (1602). The organ is from 1793.In the apse is a painting by Cristofano Allori
Cristofano Allori
Cristofano Allori was an Italian portrait painter of the late Florentine Mannerist school. Allori was born at Florence and received his first lessons in painting from his father, Alessandro Allori, but becoming dissatisfied with the hard anatomical drawing and cold coloring of the latter, he...
portraying the Resurrection
Resurrection
Resurrection refers to the literal coming back to life of the biologically dead. It is used both with respect to particular individuals or the belief in a General Resurrection of the dead at the end of the world. The General Resurrection is featured prominently in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim...
(1606-1610), beside which are two clay statues of Saint Zeno and Saint James (1609), attributed to the school of Giambologna
Giambologna
Giambologna, born as Jean Boulogne, incorrectly known as Giovanni da Bologna and Giovanni Bologna , was a sculptor, known for his marble and bronze statuary in a late Renaissance or Mannerist style.- Biography :...
. To the right of the high altar is a Pentecost by Gregorio Pagani
Gregorio Pagani
Gregorio Pagani was an Italian painter of the late Mannerist period, active mainly in Florence. He was the son of the painter Francesco Pagani, then became a pupil of Santi di Tito, then entered the studio of Ludovico Cigoli. He painted the St. Helena finding the Cross for Santa Maria del Carmine,...
(1602), while on the left is an Ascension by Benedetto Veli (1606).
Salerno di Coppo executed the fresco of the Madonna and Child on the pilaster in the nave (1475). On the right is a bronze candelabrum by Maso di Bartolomeo (1442), while in the left aisle is the cenotaph of bishop Gherardo Gherardi (1703) and, in the right one, the tomb of bishop Alessandro Del Caccia (1650), and the funerary monument of bishop Leone Strozzi (1695), both by unknown sculptors.
The pulpit was designed by Giorgio Vasari
Giorgio Vasari
Giorgio Vasari was an Italian painter, writer, historian, and architect, who is famous today for his biographies of Italian artists, considered the ideological foundation of art-historical writing.-Biography:...
(1560). Next to the right entrance is a sculpted stoup attributed to Nicola Pisano
Nicola Pisano
Nicola Pisano was an Italian sculptor whose work is noted for its classical Roman sculptural style. Pisano is sometimes considered to be the founder of modern sculpture.- Early life :His birth date or origins are uncertain...
's workshop.
Others
The Chapel of the Last Judgement houses fragments of a fresco by Giovanni da Ponte, dating to 1420-1425.The crypt
Crypt
In architecture, a crypt is a stone chamber or vault beneath the floor of a burial vault possibly containing sarcophagi, coffins or relics....
is that of the Romanesque building, and was originally divided into a central and side spaces by columns, and had three apses. After the construction of the Baroque tribune, the central room was destroyed and the side ones buried. After the 1960s restoration, here were found two capitals, fragments of columns, fragments of 12th century frescoes, and two marble slabs from the late 12th century.
The counter-façade houses the Arch of St. Atto, with three marble bas-reliefs from 1337. The baptismal font, to a design by Benedetto da Maiano
Benedetto da Maiano
Benedetto da Maiano was an Italian sculptor of the early Renaissance.Born in the village of Maiano , he started his career as companion of his brother, the architect Giuliano da Maiano. When he reached the age of thirty he started training under the sculptor Antonio Rossellino...
(1497), can be seen on the left of the main entrance. In the tympanum over the latter is also a 13th century fresco by an unknown 13th century master, while next to the right entrance are frescoes of the Virtues by Bonaccorso di Cino (1347) and, near the left entrance, the tomb of Bishop Baronto Ricciardi (14th century).