S. ANTONIO DEI PORTOGHESI
In 1439 a
hospice for Portuguese pilgrims was founded here with the financial
contribution of Cardinal Antonio Martinez de Chaves
In 1539 the
church of the hospice was dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua (1195/1231). In
Portugal, where he was born and raised, he is known as St. Anthony of Lisbon
It was
rebuilt in the years 1630/38 by Martino Longhi the
Younger (1602/60) who designed the FAÇADE, the first job he ever did. He
directed the works until 1657
The
reconstruction continued in the years 1674/76 with Carlo
Rainaldi (1611/91) who finished the DOME
The works
were completed in 1696 by Cristoforo Schor
(1655/1701) who finished Longhi's façade
It is the Portuguese national church
The outer
gate of 1869 was designed by Francesco Vespignani
(1842/99)
“We don't
have documentary sources that allow us to understand the character of the
ancient church before the seventeenth century renovation also because, with the
sack of Rome in 1527, the archives of the church were devastated. However, an
engraving by Girolamo Francino reproduces the fifteenth century façade showing
decorative simplicity. (...) A map of Rome in 1551, designed by Leonardo
Bufalini, shows the church plant. The building had a semicircular apse, no
transept and the space of the nave was marked by two rows of columns. During
2005, on the initiative of the members of the Portuguese Institute, the right
side of the church was studied and, under the plaster of the new construction,
walls of the fifteenth century church were revealed. Due to these findings, it
was demonstrated that the changes undergone by the church over time did not affect
the structure of the perimeter wall of the nave, but took on from the
previously existing building” (Agnese Iori - Web site of S. Antonio dei
Portoghesi - www.ipsar.org)
Painted in
the second half of 1800 by the master glassmaker Antonio
Moroni (1825/86), who promoted the revival of the ancient art of stained
glass
“Apparition of the
Crucifix to Alfonso Enrico first king of Portugal” by an unknown
nineteenth century artist with a style similar to the one of Ludovico
Seitz
Extraordinary
“Choir” made in 1748 maybe by Gabriele Valvassori
(1683/1761) with “Mascioni pipe organ” 2008 by Jean
Guillou (1930)
1st
RIGHT - CHAPEL OF S. CATHERINE
Above the
altar “Sts. Catherine,
Engrazia and Irene martyrs of Alexandria” by an unknown artist
of the beginning of the seventeenth century with a style similar to the
one of Guido Reni
On the
right “Monument of
Alessandro De Souza Holstein” Portuguese ambassador to the Holy See 1808 by Antonio Canova (1757/1822)
Designed
after 1682 by Cesare Crovara (active since
1682/d. 1703) for G.B. Cimini (d. 1682) and his wife Caterina Raimondi (d.
1703) represented in the “Two marble portraits” on the sides maybe by Andrea Fucigna (about 1660/1711)
“The bust of
G.B. Cimini, incorrectly assigned to Andrea Bolgi, (...), was inspired for the
cut of the image and for being into a niche in the wall with no tomb, by the
image of Gabriel Fonseca by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The poignant religiosity of
the prototype, however, becomes just an emanation of emotion manifested with
composure in Cimini, whose features are expressed with moderate realism. While
Cimini's bust is well comparable to the works of Fucigna documented with
certainty in the early eighteenth century, such as the tomb of Eleonora Boncompagni
Borghese in S. Alessio, that of Caterina Raimondi, made about twenty years
later, is stylistically very different, much more rigid and cold” (Maria Barbara Guerrieri
Borsoi - Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani Treccani)
Altarpiece “Baptism of Christ”, lunettes “Beheading” and “Holy
Family” and small dome with “Eternal Father” by Giacinto
Calandrucci (1646/1707) from Palermo, a pupil of Carlo Maratta
On the left
“Nativity of St. John
the Baptist”
1682/86 by the French François Nicolas de Bar aka Nicolas Lorrain or Niccolò Lorenese (1632/95)
On the
right “Preaching of St.
John the Baptist” by Francesco Graziani aka Ciccio Napoletano
RIGHT
TRANSEPT
Above the
altar “St. Elizabeth Queen
of Portugal in the act of reconciling her husband with the son” 1801 by Luigi
Agricola (about 1750/after 1801)
Altar
designed by Francesco Navone (active since
1759/d. 1804)
Work of Cristoforo Schor
(1655/1701) who also designed the apse
Coating in
marble and balustrade 1774 by Francesco Navone
Altarpiece “Apparition of the
Virgin Mary to St. Anthony” by Giacinto Calandrucci (1646/1707)
On the left
wall “Blessed Teresa and
Sancia of Portugal” by Giovanni Odazzi (1663/1731)
On the
right wall “The Blessed Joan of
Portugal refuses the Regal Wedding” by Michelangelo
Cerruti (1663/1748)
PENDENTIVES
“Sts. Mancio, Geraldo, Damaso and Victor” and ROUND PANELS “Blessed Sancia,
Mafalda, Giovanna and Teresa” by Francesco Grandi
(1831/91)
1754/56
designed by Luigi Vanvitelli (1700/73) with
works conducted by his assistant Carlo Murena (1713/64)
Above the
altar “Immaculate” by Giacomo
Zoboli (1681/1767)
At the
sides extraordinary “Double tomb of the Ambassador Emanuel Pereira de Sampajo”
with grave on the right and coat of arms on the left 1750 maybe by Pietro Bracci (1700/73) or Filippo
Della Valle (1698/1768) designed by Luigi
Vanvitelli
Stuccos “Charity”
and “Purity” on the entablature by Gaspare Sibilla
(about 1723/82)
Designed by
Francesco Navone (active since 1759/d. 1804)
Altarpiece “Nativity” 1792, on the right “Rest in Egypt”
1782, on the left “Adoration of the Magi” all works by Antonio
Concioli (1739/1820) from the Marche region
1st
LEFT - CHAPEL OF St. ANTHONY OF EGYPT
Above the
altar “Madonna and Child
with Sts. Anthony of Padua and Francis” panel with gold background by Antonio Aquili
aka Antoniazzo Romano (about 1435-40/1508)
On the left
“St. Anthony of Egypt
between Sts. Sebastian and Vincent of Saragossa” by Marcello
Venusti (about 1512/79)
On the right
“Pieta” copy of a painting by Pellegrino
Aretusi
SACRISTY
In the
vault “Miracle of St. Anthony of Padua” maybe by Salvatore
Nobili (1865/1919)
PORTUGUESE
INSTITUTE OF St. ANTHONY
Paintings
formerly in the church and moved here
“St.
Anthony with Child Jesus” by Marcello Venusti
originally on the main altar
“Annunciation” by Domenico Crespi aka Passignano (1559/1638)
“Sts.
Anthony, Sebastian and Vincent of Saragossa” by Gaetano
Sortini (1715/86)
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