Health Madonna

 

Madonna for Ugolino di Gisberto

baptismal font

Holy Family

The aisles are successive to the central nucleus (XIV-XVI century).

The left aisle

The left aisle coasts the nave up to the presbyter, ending with chapel of the Holy Family. As you get out of the Assumption chapel you find the baptismal font. Its base is approximately 50 cm. under the floor. The font placed there is not the original one, which was in the Assumption chapel: it is another, more precious, put there during the restorations of 1957. The sculptural work, of stone, is of the XVI century; recently, sacrilegious hands have removed the tower that was on its top. Ahead, on the left, there a fresco, in part ruined by the moisture, made by Ugolino di Gisberto, representing the Virgin in throne with the Child; at Her side St. John the Evangelist’s figure. The German S. D. Passavant, for the beauty of its trait and execution, awarded it to Niccolò di Liberatore called the Alunno; today this is a certain awarding, thanks to the inscription found with the commission date that is 1554. In front of it, on the internal part of the arch, a tomb slab in Giovanni d’Accorsio’s memory; opposite, the coat of arms in marble of a Monsignor lived in the XVII century. In a niche obtained in the last column there is the “Health Madonna” or the “Barnabò’s” one. The shrine was built by the Barnabò family in 1890 when gave the image to the parish church. A pious legend tells that an hermit the kept miraculous image in the houses of the families that asked it. Arrived by chance in Foligno, by the Barnabò and having to get away for a short time, he delivered it to the noble family authorizing them to keep it in the houses of the sick ones. The hermit didn’t come back anymore to Foligno and the Barnabò got on with the pious practice by the families that desired it, until when they gave it to the parish church. The aisle ends with the Holy Family chapel, distempered in the Twenties by the painter from Foligno Ugo Scaramucci.

 

 

Student of Mesastris

Mesastris

St. Girolamo and St. Catherine

the Deposition or Pietà

The right aisle
The right aisle, as the left one, was added to the central body in a second time. We refer the original basilica to the XII century and the aisles to the XV century. Both with cross vaults are plastered and rich of frescos, ascribed to the Umbrian school, not always well kept and not all of very good workmanship. They are anyway the sign of the devotion of the citizens that rely on S. Maria Infraportas, considered the most important church in the town during several centuries. The wall of the right aisle, lightened by a little window with one light, presents a theory of frescos among which show up three crucifixions and a Deposition or Pietà. The crucifixions, placed inside the niches, though different for elegance of execution, have in common the characters: Christ, the Virgin, St. John the Evangelist and the angels stretching out to receive Jesus’ blood in little vessels.

The first is very re-handled, but above and around it emerge frescos covered by the plaster; the second one is the only dated one: 1525; the third one, the most refined, attributed to Pireantonio Mesastris, represents the client at the foot of the Cross in imploring position. Nearby, the Deposition or Pietà with the dead Christ on Mary’s knees sat in throne. At their sides two angels support a luxurious drape. Along the same wall other frescos propose holy images such as St. John the Baptist, but they are rather damaged so that their reading is quite hard; recent inspections pointed out the existence of several frescos under the plaster. It is evident the superimposition of the paintings under the images of St. Girolamo and St. Catherine from Alexandria, placed at the end of the aisle, immediately before the altar, on the left, or before the bell-tower, on the right. Also the columns that separate the aisle from the central body are plastered and with frescos. Beginning from the entrance, on the first bay there is St. Lucia, it follows St. Amico and the one is St. Peter Martyr surrounded by St. Domenico and St. Nicola.

Translated by Sara Scarabattieri