San Gaetano, Florence
San Gaetano, also known as Santi Michele e Gaetano, is a Baroque church in Florence, Italy, located on the Piazza Antinori, entrusted to the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest.
History
A
In 2008, the church was entrusted to the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, a traditional institute of clerical life which exclusively offers Mass in Latin according to the pre-Vatican II Roman Rite, and has been the site of ordinations for the order since. [1]
Exterior
The façade, with its sculptural decorations, is atypical for Florentine churches, which had a predilection for geometrically ornamented façades. It has three portals: the center portal has a triangular tympanum surmounted by reclining marble statues representing Faith and Charity, sculpted by the Flemish
Interior
The interior is richly decorated as is customary in Baroque churches. The counterfacade has an organ by Benedetto Tronci of Pistoia. The entrance marble holy water fonts were sculpted in the form of shells supported by angels by Domenico Pieratti. Along the cornice are 14 statues depicting apostles and evangelist, sculpted by Novelli, Caccini, Baratta, Foggini, Piamontini, Pettirossi, Fortini, and Cateni. With each of these statues is a bas-relief depicting an event in the life of each saints.
The first chapel on the right houses a Martyrdom of St Andrew by Antonio Ruggeri; the ceiling was decorated by Ottavio Vannini, who painted in the spandrels aa Ecce Homo and the Calling of Peter.
The second chapel on the right houses a St Michael frees the Souls in Purgatory by Vignali, who also painted the canvases on the wall depicting the life of St Peter. The ceiling was frescoed by
The third chapel on the right has an altarpiece depicting St Cajetan and St Andrea Avellino with the Trinity and St Francis of Assisi by
On the right crossing is a canvas depicting the Adoration of the Magi by
The fourth chapel on the right is dedicated to the Virgin. The Nativity altarpiece was painted by Matteo Rosselli. The walls are painted by Fabbrizio Boschi, depicting the Annunciation and Visitation. Atop the altar is a bronze crucifix by Giovanni Francesco Susini.
The fifth chapel houses the main altar with a silver ciborium made by Benedetto Petrucci, and donated by the Torrigiani family.
Near the choir is a large stone tabernacle with a bronze crucifix by
The sixth chapel houses an oil painting on canvas depicting the Invention of the Cross painted by Matteo Rosselli. Two other paintings and the frescoes are by Bilibert and by Vignali.
At the end of the crossing is a canvas by
The seventh chapel houses a San Andrea Avellino stuck with apoplexy at the altar by Ignazio Hugsford. The wall frescoes depict the Presentation at the Temple by Francesco and Alfonso Boschi. The ceiling was decorated by Lorenzo Lippi.
In the eighth chapel (second chapel on the left) is the Cappella Franceschi, the chapel of the Franceschi noble family of bankers and traders. The main altarpiece is a masterwork of Pietro da Cortona, depicting a Martyrdom of St Lawrence. The ceiling was decorated by Colonna and Metelli. The side canvases depict the Riches of the Church dispensed as Charity by St Lawrence by Matteo Rosselli and a St Francis by Jacopo da Empoli.
The ninth chapel has a canvas depicting the Adoration of the Immaculate Conception by Giacinto Fabbroni. The ceiling was frescoed by P. Galletti. The chapel serves as the mausoleum for Francesco and Marcellino Albergotti, both depicted in bas-reliefs.[2]
Statues of Apostoles and Evangelists
- Left side (from the altar to the counterfacade)
Ref | Img | Statua | Autore | Img | Bassorilievo | Autore | Anno |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | St. Peter | Giovan Battista Foggini |
Martyrdom of St. Peter | Giovan Battista Foggini |
1683 | ||
2 | St. Jude Thaddeus | Giuseppe Piamontini | Martyrdom di St. Jude Thaddeus & St. Simon | Giuseppe Piamontini | 1698 | ||
3 | St. Matthias | Gioacchino Fortini | Martyrdom of St. Matthias | Gioacchino Fortini | 1696 | ||
4 | St. John the Evangelist | Antonio Novelli | (pulpit) | 1640 | |||
5 | St. Matthew the evangelist | Antonio Novelli | Martyrdom of St. Matthew the evangelist | circle of Foggini | 1640 | ||
6 | St. Bartholomew | Giovan Camillo Cateni | Martyrdom of St. Bartholomew | Giuseppe Piamontini | 1698 | ||
7 | St. Luke the evangelist | Giovan Camillo Cateni | St. Luke paints Virgin and Child Sermon of St. Luke |
Giovan Camillo Cateni | 1693 |
- Lato destro (dall'altare alla controfacciata)
Ref | Img | Statua | Autore | Img | Bassorilievo | Autore | Anno |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | St. Paul | Giovan Battista Foggini |
Martyrdom of St. Paul | Giovan Battista Foggini |
1683 | ||
2 | St. Thomas | Giovanni Baratta | MMartyrdom of St. Thomas | Florentine School | 1700 | ||
3 | St. Phillip | Bartolomeo Cennini | Martyrdom of St. Phillip | Tuscan School | 1658 | ||
4 | St. James Minor | Lodovico Salvetti | Martyrdom of St. James Minor | Tuscan School | 1658 | ||
5 | St. Andrew | Antonio Novelli | Martyrdom of St. Andrew (1774) | Giovan Battista Capezzoli | 1640 | ||
6 | St. Simon | Antonio Novelli | Martyrdom of St. Simon | Antonio Novelli | 1640 | ||
7 | St. Mark the Evangelist | Giuseppe Piamontini | Sermon of St. Mark the Evangelist Martyrdom of St. Mark the Evangelist |
Giuseppe Piamontini | 1693 |
References
- Wittkower, Rudolf (1993). "Art and Architecture Italy, 1600-1750". Pelican History of Art. 1980. Penguin Books Ltd. pp. 301–303.
- ^ "ICRSS Ordinations in Florence". Retrieved 2022-04-24.
- ^ Formigli, Giuseppe (1849). Carini and Formigli, Florence (ed.). Guida per la Citta di Firenze e Suoi Contorni, ninth edition. 1849. pp. 127–130.