Tuesday, March 27, 2018

St. ANDREW ON QUIRINAL HILL

S. ANDREA AL QUIRINALE
The original church of the end of the twelfth century was known as S. Andrea de Caballo
It was entrusted to the Jesuits in 1565 and restored in 1592 by Giuseppe Valeriano (1542/96)
Completely rebuilt in the years 1658/71 by Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598/1680) with the help of Mattia De Rossi (1637/95) by the will of Alexander VII Chigi (1655/67) and the financing first of Camillo Pamphilj and later of his son G.B. Pamphilj
Bernini worked without compensation, which was very unusual for him. He asked the Jesuits, holders of the church, only the bread for his mouth and some gifts
He loved this architectural work and he often spent time in this church during the last years of his life
“The pattern of the aedicula framing the portico is also used inside, on the same axis, by the aedicula framing the altar niche as an entity entirely homogeneous. But there is a reversal in the direction of motion: while outside the cornice above the oval body of the church seems to go toward the visitor who comes over and stop in the portico, the nearest point to him, inside the movement is in the opposite direction and stops at the farthest point from the entrance. Moreover, the isolated niche for the altar is the opposite of the projecting portico and, thus expressing their different functions: the second calls, the first excludes the faithful” (Rudolf Wittkower)
FLOOR
1670/71 Mattia De Rossi executed by G.B. Baratta and Giuseppe Baratta
COUNTER FAÇADE
Group in stucco Two allegories of fame unroll a scroll exalting Camillo Pamphilj” by Jean Regnaud (active second half of the seventeenth century) sculptor follower of Bernini known as monsù Giovanni Rinaldi o Giovanni di Sciampagna because he came from the French region of Champagne
“The elliptical plan illusively expands the breadth of the church and our eyes are forced to follow the trend of the pillars flying over the dark minor chapels. The orbital path leads to the main chapel that belongs to the divine sphere with a delightful plastic representation of St. Andrew's ascension: the church becomes the ideal structure of a dramatic theatrical action” (Carlo Bertelli, Giuliano Briganti, Antonio Giuliano)
1st RIGHT - CHAPEL OF S. FRANCIS XAVIER
Above the altar “Death of St. Francis Xavier” 1676
On the right “Preaching to the people of the East” about 1706/1709
On the left “Baptism of a pagan queen” about 1706/1709 works by G.B. Gaulli aka Baciccio (1639/1709)
In the vault “Glory of St. Francis Xavier” painted by Filippo Bracci (1727/after 1746)
2nd RIGHT - CHAPEL OF THE PASSION
Above the altar “Deposition” 1675/77
On the right “Flagellation”
On the left “Road to Calvary” 1677 works by Giacinto Brandi (1621/91)
Vault painted by Filippo Bracci
Above the altar “Martyrdom of St. Andrew” 1668/71 by Guillaume Courtois aka Borgognone (1628/79)
Above the altar statue of “St. Andrew” and stuccos in the DOME 1662/65 by Ercole Antonio Raggi (1624/86) from an idea by Bernini
Four huge columns with Corinthian capitals in pink cottanello marble crafted by Giovanni Maria Baratta (known from 1644/d. after 1679)
“The visitor's attention is absorbed more strongly than in other churches, by the dramatic event, which owes its power of suggestion to the way it dominates the severe architectonical lines. Color and light collaborate to the miraculous ascension. Below, in the human sphere the church shines with precious multi-colored dark marble. At the top of the dome in the celestial sphere, the colors are black and gold” (Rudolf Wittkower)
TO THE LEFT OF THE ALTAR - CHAPEL OF THE CROSS
“Tomb of Charles Emmanuel IV of Savoy” by Angelo Testa for King Carlo Felice. He abdicated in 1802 and died in the adjacent convent of the Jesuits in 1819
2nd LEFT - CHAPEL OF S. STANISLAUS KOTSKA
Above the altar “Madonna and Child with St. Stanislaus Kostka” 1687 by Carlo Maratta (1625/1713)
On the right “Communion given by an Angel” 1725
On the left “Ecstasy of St. Stanislaus Kotska” 1725 by Ludovico Mazzanti (1686/1775)
In the vault “Glory of St. Stanislaus Kotska” by Giovanni Odazzi (1663/1731)
1st LEFT - CHAPEL OF THE FOUNDERS
On the right “Adoration of the Shepherds”
On the left “Adoration of the Magi” 1692 by Ludovico Antonio David (1648/about 1710) from Lugano
In the vault “Glory of Angels” by Giuseppe Chiari (1654/1727)
CONVENT
Three rooms of St. Stanislaus Kostka:
They were renovated and decorated in the years 1888/89
These are not in fact the rooms in which St. Stanislaus Kotstka, belonging to a rich and noble Polish family, died in 1568 at only eighteen years of age when he arrived in Rome. He was canonized in 1729
In the first room twelve tempera painting “Stories of St. Stanislaus Kotstka” maybe by Andrea Pozzo (1642/1709) or Giacomo Zoboli (1681/1767)
In the third room extraordinary “Polychrome marble statue of St. Stanislaus Kotska” 1703 by Pierre Legros (1666/1719)
“Apparition of the Virgin Mary to St. Stanislaus Kotstka” 1825 by Tommaso Minardi (1787/1871)
Sixteenth century copy of the iconic image “Salus Populi Romani” in S. Maria Maggiore of which St. Stanislaus Kotstka was very fond
1669/70 Gian Lorenzo Bernini with stuccos by Pietro Sassi and six medallions in monochrome with “Stories of the most revered Jesuit saints”
Wooden furniture 1678/82
Altar “Marian Image” by an anonymous Roman painter of the second half of 1600s
In the vault “Glory of St. Andrew” 1670 by Jean de la Borde

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