Sanctuary of Nostra Signora della Misericordia
Encyclopedia
Savona
Savona is a seaport and comune in the northern Italian region of Liguria, capital of the Province of Savona, in the Riviera di Ponente on the Mediterranean Sea....
, Liguria
Liguria
Liguria is a coastal region of north-western Italy, the third smallest of the Italian regions. Its capital is Genoa. It is a popular region with tourists for its beautiful beaches, picturesque little towns, and good food.-Geography:...
, northern 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...
.
It is built on the site commemorating the apparition of the Virgin Mary to the shepherd and officially blessed Antonio Botta (18 March 1536). She appeared to the shepherd during a time of war between Savona and Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
, and had the message inviting both parties to exercise "Misericordia e non Giustizia" ("Mercy and not Justice").
The church is located about 6 kilometers from the center of the city. The present Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
church was designed by Pace Antonio Sormano in 1536-1540. The Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
facade was designed and built by Taddeo Carlone
Taddeo Carlone
Taddeo Carlone was a Swiss-Italian sculptor and architect.A native of Rovio, in Ticino, he moved with his family to Genoa. He became the head of an important family of artists, including his sons Giovanni Battista and Giovanni, who were noted painters.He died in 1613 and is buried in Genoa at the...
in 1609-1611. The interior is highly decorated by prominent architects and artists. The buildings surrounding the church became a hospice and orphanage.
The main altar is attributed to the studio of Francesco Schiaffino. The cupola frescoes are by Bernardo Castello
Bernardo Castello
Bernardo Castello was an Italian painter of the late-Mannerist style, active mainly in Genoa and Liguria. He is mainly known as a portrait and historical painter.-Biography:...
.
The four pinnacles were decorated by the painter Narducci. The vault of the nave was decorated by Narducci, Riva, Giuseppe Ghislandi, and the stuccoist Castori.
The left aisle and chapels contain two altarpieces, a Madonna della Neve (1st chapel) and a Nativity (3rd chapel) by Bernardo Castello
Bernardo Castello
Bernardo Castello was an Italian painter of the late-Mannerist style, active mainly in Genoa and Liguria. He is mainly known as a portrait and historical painter.-Biography:...
. The second chapel has a marble relief by Gianlorenzo Bernini. The third chapel has a marble relief of the Annunciation by Andrea Semino.
The right aisle contains an altarpiece of the Immaculate Conception by Paolo Gerolamo Brusco (1742-1820), a Nativity by Orazio Borgianni
Orazio Borgianni
Orazio Borgianni was an Italian painter and etcher of the Mannerist and early-baroque periods. He was the stepbrother of the sculptor and architect Giulio Lasso....
(1578-1616), a Presentation of Mary at the Temple by Domenichino. The Crucifix at the end of the aisle is by Giovanni Battista Paggi
Giovanni Battista Paggi
Giovanni Battista Paggi was an Italian painter of the Late-Renaissance and early-Baroque.He was born in Genoa into the well-to-do family of his father Pellegrino...
(1554-1627).
The chorus has a magnificently designed intarsio or wood inlay panels by Vincenzo e Giuseppe Garassino, completed in the 18th century. The central panel reproduces a painting by Giuseppe Agostino Ratti. The apse angel frescoes were completed in an antique fashion by Eso Peluzzi in 1928. The crypt statue of the virgin is by Pietro Orsolino.
External links
- Sancturary at Savona homepage.