San Francesco alle Scale
Encyclopedia
San Francesco alle Scale is a church in Ancona
, central Italy
.
s, and was originally dedicated to Santa Maria Maggiore. It obtained the current denomination in the mid-15th century.
In 1454, the Dalmatian master Giorgio da Sebenico executed the portal, inspired to the late Gothic one of the Porta della Carta in the Ducal Palace
of Venice
. In the 18th century the church was raised and enlarged by design of architect Francesco Maria Ciaraffoni, who also built the two annexed monastery and the two cloisters.
After the Napoleonic occupation
the complex was used as a hospital and, from the 1920s, as a Civic Museum. The church was restored and reopened in 1953. The 18th century bell tower, which had been destroyed by an Allied bombardment in 1944, was rebuilt at the same time.
with a bas-relief of St. Francis receiving the Stigmata and, above it, a shell supporting a hexagonal baldachin. The portal leads to a staircase which was rebuilt in the 1920s.
The interior has a single nave and is in 18th-century style. It houses a Baptism of Christ by Pellegrino Tibaldi
, a chalk "Glory" by Gioacchino Varlè, the Angels Carrying the Holy House of Loreto by Andrea Lilli and the large Assumption altarpiece by Lorenzo Lotto
.
The church once housed the Gozzi Altarpiece, executed by Titian
in 1520.
Ancona
Ancona is a city and a seaport in the Marche region, in central Italy, with a population of 101,909 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region....
, 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...
.
History
Sited at the top of a staircase leading to the eponymous square, the church was founded in 1323 by the FranciscanFranciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
s, and was originally dedicated to Santa Maria Maggiore. It obtained the current denomination in the mid-15th century.
In 1454, the Dalmatian master Giorgio da Sebenico executed the portal, inspired to the late Gothic one of the Porta della Carta in the Ducal Palace
Ducal Palace
Ducal Palace may refer to a number of buildings in Italy and other countries:-Italy:*Atina*Castiglione del Lago*Colorno*Genoa*Guastalla*Gubbio*Lucca*Mantua*Massa*Modena*Parete*Parma...
of Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
. In the 18th century the church was raised and enlarged by design of architect Francesco Maria Ciaraffoni, who also built the two annexed monastery and the two cloisters.
After the Napoleonic 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...
the complex was used as a hospital and, from the 1920s, as a Civic Museum. The church was restored and reopened in 1953. The 18th century bell tower, which had been destroyed by an Allied bombardment in 1944, was rebuilt at the same time.
Description
The main feature of the façade is the portal, designed by Giorgio da Sebenico with an ornate frame featuring twenty heads and, at the sides, two tall pilasters housing four niches with statues of saints. Above the portal is a Gothic 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...
with a bas-relief of St. Francis receiving the Stigmata and, above it, a shell supporting a hexagonal baldachin. The portal leads to a staircase which was rebuilt in the 1920s.
The interior has a single nave and is in 18th-century style. It houses a Baptism of Christ by Pellegrino Tibaldi
Pellegrino Tibaldi
Pellegrino Tibaldi , also known as Pellegrino di Tibaldo de Pellegrini, was an Italian mannerist architect, sculptor, and mural painter.-Biography:...
, a chalk "Glory" by Gioacchino Varlè, the Angels Carrying the Holy House of Loreto by Andrea Lilli and the large Assumption altarpiece by Lorenzo Lotto
Lorenzo Lotto
Lorenzo Lotto was a Northern Italian painter draughtsman and illustrator, traditionally placed in the Venetian school. He painted mainly altarpieces, religious subjects and portraits...
.
The church once housed the Gozzi Altarpiece, executed by Titian
Titian
Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio (c. 1488/1490 – 27 August 1576 better known as Titian was an Italian painter, the most important member of the 16th-century Venetian school. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, near...
in 1520.