San Frediano in Cestello

San Frediano in Cestello is a church in the Oltrarno section of Florence, Tuscany, Italy.

The name "cestello" derives from the Cistercians who occupied the church in 1628. Previously the site had a 1450s church attached to the cloistered Carmelite convent of "Santa maria degli Angeli".

In 1680-1689, the church was rebuilt on the designs of Gherardo Silviani and Giulio Cerutti. The imposing cupola and bell tower added in 1689 by Antonio Maria Ferri.

In the former convent of the site lived and died Saint Magdalena de Pazzi (1566-1607), born to a noble Florentine family. She was renown for her ecstasies, during which she had visions of the divine will favoring church reforms. She was canonized by 1662. Her body was transferred to the church in central Florence that bears her name.

The interior is frescoed with a "Glory of the Magdalen and Virtue" (1702-1718) by Antonio Domenico Gabbiani. The cloisters contain a statue of "St. Maria Maddalena de' Pazzi" (1726) by Antonio Montauti and a "St. Bernard of Clairvaux defeats the devil" (1702) by Giuseppe Piamontini (1702). The latter cloister was designed by Gherardo and Piefrancesco Silvani.

The refectory has a "Last supper" and a painting by Bernardino Poccetti. In the transept is a "Madonna in glory with saints" by Francesco Curradi and a painting of a "Crucifixion with saints" and "Martyrdom of St. Lawrence" (late 15th century) by Jacopo del Sellaio. In the third chapel to the left, is a polychrome wooden "Maddona and child" (1350) by a follower of Nino, the son of Andrea Pisano, and frescoes of the "Scenes from the life of the founder of the Cistercian order" (1688-1689) by Pier Dandini.

References

*cite book | first= Eve|last= Borsook| year=1991| title= "The Companion Guide to Florence"| publisher= Harper Collins| editor= Vincent Cronin (general editor)| id=ISBN 000215139-1 | url= | authorlink= |pages= page 322