- Fiesole Cathedral
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Cathedral of Saint Romulus of Fiesole
Catedrale di San Romolo di Fiesole (Italian)
Fiesole Cathedral
Basic information Location Fiesole, Italy Geographic coordinates 43°48′26″N 11°17′33″E / 43.80722°N 11.2925°ECoordinates: 43°48′26″N 11°17′33″E / 43.80722°N 11.2925°E Affiliation Roman Catholic Year consecrated 1028 Ecclesiastical or organizational status Cathedral Leadership Mons. Mario Meini Website www.diocesifiesole.it Architectural description Architectural type Church Architectural style Romanesque Completed 1028 Specifications Length 55 metres (180 ft) Width 27 metres (89 ft) Width (nave) 11 metres (36 ft) The Cathedral of Saint Romulus (Italian: San Romolo di Fiesole) is a roman catholic church in Fiesole, Tuscany, central Italy. Dedicated to Saint Romulus of Fiesole, the Romanesque edifice was founded in Fiesole in 1028[1], when bishop Jacopo the Bavarian, decided to move the cathedral within the city's walls, dedicating it to St. Romulus, who had introduced the Christianism in Fiesole. It is the see of the Diocese of Fiesole.
Contents
Description
The church is on the basilica plan with a nave and two aisles separated by stone columns with capitals which are decorated with figures and animals. It has a raised presbytery over the crypt and trussed ceiling. The picturesque battlemented campanile was built in to 1213. The church was restored in 1256.[2]
The interior is not much decorated, aside from the marble altar (1273) and two frescoes, depicting St. Benedict (c. 1420) and St. Sebastian by Pietro Perugino (late 15th century). In the presbytery is a polyptych of the Three stories of Saint Nicholas, by Bicci di Lorenzo, commissioned in 1450. In the Salutati Chapel is the funerary monument of bishop Leonardo Salutati, executed by Mino da Fiesole.[3] In the Canon's Chapel is a marble altar by Andrea Ferrucci (1492-1494).
In the counter-façade is a huge statue of St. Romulus, by Giovanni della Robbia (1521). The crypt's small columns have 11th century capitals, perhaps taken from the original construction. The decoration includes late Gothic medallions on the vault, while on the left wall is a cycle of the Stories of St. Romulus by Domenico Ghirlandaio's school. The bishops' funerary chapel has a 13th century icon attributed to one "Master of Bigallo", portraying the Madonna with Child (1215-1220).
Badia of Fiesole
The old cathedral was built, according to the tradition, to cover the site of the martyrdom of St. Romulus. Situated lower down on the hill-side, the church was converted into an Benedictine abbey and became known as the "Badia di Fiesole". The edifice was rebuilt in 1466 by a disciple of Filippo Brunelleschi.[2] Its facade of the XI century is still preserved. It contains notable early works of Mino da Fiesole. The abbey was closed in 1778.[1]
See also
References
- ^ a b Hemans, Charles Isidore (1869). A history of mediaeval Christianity and Sacred art in Italy. Williams and Norgate. pp. 174. http://books.google.be/books?id=F2lIAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA174. Retrieved 28 November 2010.
- ^ a b
Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). "Fiesole". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. - ^ CATHEDRAL - FIESOLE - Tuscany - Welcome to Italy
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). "FIESOLE". Encyclopædia Britannica. 10 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 329. http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica/Fiesole.Categories:- Cathedrals in Italy
- Romanesque architecture in Tuscany
- Churches in Tuscany
- Italian church stubs
- Roman Catholic cathedral stubs
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