Church of the Assumption |
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It occupies a side of Piazza Ducale on the
site of an older church also dedicated to Our Lady. Around 1578-79, Vespasiano
Gonzaga decided to have it rebuilt in its actual form and in 1582 it was
already in use. In 1585 the apse was rebuilt and in 1592, the bell tower was
built and work was under way for the sacristy. In the second half of the 18th century the
Blessed Sacrament chapel was built and the interior frescoes painted. In 1926
the baptistery at the side and facing the piazza was built.The facade, entirely
covered with white and red marble, highlights the white Verona marble entrance
designed in 1726 by Natale Tivani from Mantua. The solid wood door dates to
1727 and is the work of local craftsmen. The bell tower was built and completed
in its actual form between 1769 and 1772 probably to a design by Antonio
Bibiena. The interior is a single nave with five
side chapels per side and a short transept. The ceiling is in lowered barrel
vaulting. The side chapels have marble altars and altar-pieces separated by
walls covered with white and red marble connected by round-arch ceilings. There
are two sepulchral monuments from the older church on the inside of the facade
wall. The one on the left is dedicated to Marco Giulio Lanfredi, an official
under Vespasiano who died in 1574. The one on the right is dedicated to a young
Flemish painter, Giovanni da Villa, who drowned in the river Oglio in 1562.
Also on this wall, a plaque commemorates the conclusion of the restoration work
on the interior in 1768. The first chapel on the left, now closed,
was the ancient baptistery and at present gives access to the bell tower. A
stone in the wall commemorates the solemn ceremony with which Bishop Alessandro
Litta from Cremona in 1730 ended the first stage in the restoration of the
church. The second chapel on the left has an interesting polychrome statue of
St. Sebastian. The painting in the third chapel is dated 1611 and shows
"St. Peter healing the cripple". Two other sepruchral monuments are built
into the walls: the left is that of Muzio Capilupi, Vespasiano's secreatry and
the other is Ludovico Masserotti's, an adviser to the Duke who died in 1609. The altar-piece in the fourth chapel on the
left is a group of statues representing the Holy Family. The fifth chapel on
the left has a statue of St. Anthony of Padua. The painting of St. Augstine on
the wall of the first chapel on the right is attributed by some to Gian
Battista Trotti known as "II Malosso". This was originally the altrar-piece
of a preexisting chapel before the passageway to the baptistery was opened.
The wall plaque commemorates Andrea Bortoli, parish priest who died in 1891.
The baptistry, built in 1926, has a square floorplan with a cupola. The wall
arches and the ceiling impost are covered with red Verona marble. The entry
doorway leads directly onto Piazza Ducale. The second chapel on the right has a statue
of St. Francis of Assisi. The third chapel on the right is dedicated to St.Lucy
to whom the fine altar painting by Giovanni Bresciani dated 1599 is devoted.
The fourth chapel has a statue of Our Lady of the Rosary and the fifth is the
Blessed Sacrament Chapel. Two paintings are hung here: on the left, "The
Martyrdom of St. Blase" dated around the first half of the 18th century,
formerly the altar-piece in a chapel dedicated to the saint. On the right a
"Deposition from the Cross with St. Charles" dated 1618 painted by
the brothers Francesco and Vincenzo Pesenti. The Chapel of the Blessed
Sacrament is a large addition made to the church in 1768 by Antonio Galli
Bibiena (1700-1774) who, two years before had finished the parish church in
nearby Villa Pasquali. Eight pilasters support a double cupola. The bottom one is in fretwork and the top
one is painted light blue and illuminated with indirect lighting. The
decoration includes monochrome representations of bible stories and four
monochrome figures representing the Doctors of the Church among whom we can
recognize St. Ambrose identified by his whip. The apse of this chapel is also covered by a double fretwork
vaul. In tha alcove at the back, framed by an elegant marble niche, note the
statue of the Sacred Hearth, a work by the contemporary Sicilian sculptor Domenico Trentacoste. A
plaque the right wall recalls the restoration work done in 1920. The
reliquaries in the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament are a 1937 work of Ludovico
Pogliaghi who also did the bronze doors of the Cathedral in Milan. They were
actually builtin the studio of the sculptor Umberto Bacci using green Polcevera
marble, Botticino, Portasanta, Breccia Aurora marbel and onyx. The putti in
yellow Siena marble are by the sculptor Pietro Ferraroni from Cremona. The
bronzes and the wrought-iron work were done by the goldsmith Riccardo Politi
from Milan. The reliquaries contain relics of early christian martyrs mostly
from the church of St Roche. Above the two transepts forming the presbytery
note the two gilded and laquered wood lofts work of Antonio Maria Lodi from
Sabbioneta in 1768 and used for the choir and the organ (this is latter a
Lingiardi dated dated 1831). The
wooden confessionals, the neo-classical pulpit and the lacquered and gilded
cupboard in the left corner of the presbytery are also the work of this artist. The high altar is
enclosed by an altar rail with a fine wrought iron gate in the middle. The
double door entry way was built to a design by the architect Carlo Visioli. The
High Altar, built in 1892, includes fine exemplars of rare polychrome marble
and further enriched with friezes and oramental elements in bronze and silver.
On the back, towards the choir, a stone plaque mentions the relics of the
Martyrs Vincent, Polienus and Serapion enclosed within the altar. The floor
around the High Altar was built to a design by Fermo Zuccari in the first half
of the 19th century. In the apse by the choir a niche holds a statue of the
Assumption. The 22 wooden stalls and the centre table with missal stand were
completely redone in 1828. The choir wondows are in African alabaster. The
frescoes in the church were painted in 1767. The figures were the work of Antonio Bresciani
from Piacenza while the panels and the rest of the decorative work, by Gaetano Ghidetti. Note the statues of
Moses and Aaron in niches in the interior front wall. Three ovals in the nave
vaults, joined to the windows with decorative elements, show the struggle
against heresy and the glorification of Christian virtues. The first oval
pictures Mercy with her head crowned with olive branches and Truth. The middle
oval shows a group including Hope in a green cloak, Faith with the Cross and
Chalice while Charity is breastfeeding an infant. Below the angels drive heresy
personified out of the heavens. In the third oval a cornucopia identifies
Divine Grace who embraces Justice accompanied by Angels with sword and weighing
scales. The remainder of the vault is decorated with geometrical designs,
scolls, festoons, angels and medallions with figures. On the walls, between the
arches and framed in ovals, note the images of the Christian Virtues: Prudence looking in a mirror,
Charity with a bag from which she is taking an offering, Peace with an olive branch, Penance with a Cross,
Justice with weighing scale and serpent, Prayer in recollection, Meekness with
a lamb in her arms and Innocence with arms crossed over her breast. Ghidetti's
work can also be recognized in the decorations on the side walls of the chapels
with pillars, arches, draperies, urns, railings and curtains. The ovals under
the arches refer to the saints to whom the chapels were dedicated in the 18th
century. The second chapel on the left (St Peter) shows angels with an upside
down cross and broken chains. The fourth chapel on the left (St. Blase) shows
angels holding palms, crowns and a wool carding comb. The first chapel on the
right (St. Augustine) shows angels with mitre and crozier. The decoration on
the cupola, the Virgin Mary assumed into heaven on a garland of clouds among
festive angels is also the work of Ghidetti and Bresciani. The Dove
representing the Holy Spirit is painted on the lantern. The cupola spandrels
show biblical figures with scrolls containing verses from the bible. In the
apse, framed with arches, the Holy Innocent with a lamb around his neck and
Purity with a dove in her hand. The apse vault is decorated as an imitation
balustrade with flower vases and a pediment above the high altar. The ceiling
is decorated with angels carrying a crown of stars. The ceiling of the sacristy
was decorated in 1776. In an oval surrounded by gilded plasterwork, the centre
fresco shows "Moses and Aaron at prayer" painted by Giorgio Anselmi
from Verona who had previously painted the cupola of the church of St. Andrew
in Mantua. The plasterwork is by Paolo Campora. Note also in the Sacristy the
six painted ovals dating to the first half of the 18th century with scenes from
the life of the Virgin (Purification, Annunciation, Visitation, Marriage,
Circumcision, Pentecost). The elegant wood furnishings of the sacristy,
cupboards, stalls and kneelers, all in walnut with oak rear panels are the work
of Francesco Galli from Soragna and were finished in 1788. |
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