1592/94 by Francesco Capriani aka Francesco da Volterra (1535/94) for Cardinal Antonio
Maria Salviati
After
Francesco da Volterra's death it was completed in 1600 by Carlo Maderno (1556/1629) who also designed the two
twin bell towers on either side of the apse, a unique and distinctive
arrangement in Rome
The FAÇADE
was designed in the upper part by Carlo
Maderno, in the lower part by Francesco da
Volterra
It was
designed with a clear inspiration from the façade of the Chiesa del Gesù (Church of
Jesus) by Giacomo Della Porta
The name
indicated the proximity of the church to the Mausoleum
of Augustus
It was part
of the complex of the Ospedale S. Giacomo
(St. James' Hospital) for terminally ill patients, with the exception of those
with leprosy and plague. Most of the patients were syphilitic
1861/63
interior restoration work by Gaetano Morichini
1910 faux
marble wall cladding
Francesco
da Volterra had planned a central hole inspired by the Pantheon, but for static
reasons, Carlo Maderno built a roof truss over the great dome
“In the
construction of the dome, buttressed by large volutes, the professional probity
and technical rigor of Carlo Maderno, acquired in long apprenticeship alongside
Domenico Fontana, shine brightly. However, the desire for consistency with the
part of the church already built by Francesco da Volterra makes it impossible
to experiment new ideas” (Paolo Portoghesi)
“Glory
of St. James”
1861/63 by Silverio Capparoni (1831/1907), a
pupil of Francesco Podesti who had to intervene to protect him from the
negative criticism
It seems
that the pope himself Pius IX Mastai-Ferretti (1846/78) had commented when he
saw for the first time the painting: “Even the Incurable have their Paradise”
in reference to the name of the St. James' Hospital, also known as the Hospital
for Incurable Diseases, or for syphilitic
ROUND ROOM
TO THE RIGHT OF THE ENTRANCE – BAPTISTERY
Above the
altar “Resurrection” about 1601/03 by Cristoforo
Roncalli aka Pomarancio (1552/1626), clearly influenced by the Fall
of St. Paul by Caravaggio in S. Maria del Popolo
“Our Lady,
St. James and the donor Vittoria Tolfia” about 1610 by Francesco
Zucchi (about 1562/1622)
It is very
interesting, from a documentary point of view, to note in Zucchi's painting the
representation of the rear façade of the Basilica of S. Maria Maggiore before
the seventeenth century works by Carlo Rainaldi
2nd
RIGHT - CHAPEL OF MIRACLES
High Relief
“St.
Francis of Paola begs the Virgin Mary for the sick in hospital”
1714 by Pierre Legros (1666/1719) to whom it is
assigned also the stucco decoration on the ceiling of the chapel with “Four
angels holding the center pane with the dove of the Holy Spirit among cherubims”
The relief
includes the painting “Virgin Mary of the Miracles” by an anonymous artist of the first half of 1400s, from a
tower of the Aurelian Walls in the stretch
along the Tiber River
The tower
was known as the Chapel of Miracles: a woman with the appearance of the
image of Our Lady in 1525 would have saved a child who was drowning in the
Tiber
“The work is
distinguished for the technique and the extremely high quality, evident in the
modulation of the surface that generates vibrations of luminosity with a great
effect” (Daria Colonna)
On the
sides “Miracles of St. Francis of Paola” 1714 by Giuseppe
Passeri (1654/1714), a pupil of Carlo Maratta
“The
affinity to the Rococo style of the paintings, which are among the latest
achievements of the artist, has been explained by the critics in the light of
the contemporary work of French sculptors in Rome” (Daria Colonna)
3rd
CHAPEL ON THE RIGHT
Altarpiece “Baptism
of Christ” about 1610 Domenico Crespi aka Passignano
(1559/1638), a pupil of Federico Zuccari
“Holy
Trinity” about 1862 by Francesco Grandi
(1831/91), a pupil of Tommaso Minardi
Maybe by Carlo Maderno. The marble was taken from the Mausoleum of Augustus
To the
sides of the altar “Epitaph and bronze coat of arms of Cardinal Antonio Maria
Salviati” financier of the construction of the church, buried here
On the
sides frescoes of the beginning of the seventeenth century, to the right by Francesco Nappi (about 1565/1630) and to the left by Vespasiano Strada (1582/1622)
Frescoes
maybe by Francesco Nappi
3rd
CHAPEL ON THE LEFT
Wall to the
right “Nativity” about 1622/25 by Antiveduto Grammatica
(about 1572/1626)
“This work
demonstrates the full integration of the Sienese painter to the style of
Caravaggio: the reference to the painting of the same subject painted by
Caravaggio in Messina has taken forward the hypothesis that Grammatica would
have lived in Southern Italy before the execution of this picture” (Daria
Colonna)
2nd
LEFT - CHAPEL OF St. JAMES
Statue
“St.
James” about 1601 by Ippolito Buzio
(1578/1659)
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