Santa Maria delle Grazie, Brescia

The church of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Brescia is located on at the west end of Via Elia Capriolo, where it intersects with the Via delle Grazie. Built in the 16th century and remodeled in the 17th century, it still retains much of its artwork by major regional artists, including one of its three canvases by Moretto. The other two are now held at the Pinacoteca Tosio Martinengo. The interior is richly decorated in Baroque fashion. Adjacent to the church is the ''Sanctuary of Santa Maria delle Grazie'', a neo-gothic work.

History

A church at this site, which lay outside the then city walls, was founded in the early 16th century by Hieronymite monks. Almost abandoned after the devastating siege of the city in 1512, the Hieronymites began constructing a new church in 1522. When the Hieronymites were suppressed in 1668, the Pope Clement IX, transferred the monastery to the Jesuits, who established a school. In 1797, the monastery was closed, but the church remained open.

The façade has a bronze statue of the ''Madonna della Pace'', by Emilio Magoni. The front rose window depicts a nativity. In the center of the façade, a sculpted marble portal derives from another church, which had stood outside the city walls, but which was demolished in 1517 by the Venetian authorities. The inscription reads "MATTHEUS LEONEUS HANC PORTAM PROPRIIS FABREFACTAM SUMPTIBUS BEATAE DEI GENITRICI GRATIARUM MARIAE DEVOTE DEDICAVIT", recalling the patronage of the condettiore Matteo Leoni. Another inscription quotes Bernard of Siena: "SINE GRATIA DEI ET MARIE NULLUM / PRORSUS SIVE VOLENDO SIVE AGENDO / FACIUNT HOMINES BONUM E SIMILITER EXCELSA VIRGINI DISPENSO DISPENSATORI". The carved portals are attributed to Filippo Morari da Soresina.

Interior

The interior is decorated by numerous artists including, Francesco Giugno, author of five medallion canvases in the central ceiling depicting the ''Apparition of Christ to his Mother'', ''Pentecost'', as well as ''Assumption'', ''Coronation'', and ''Death of the Virgin''. Giovanni Mauro della Rovere painted in the presbytery, while Girolamo Muziano painted ''Episodes in the life of San Gerolamo'' in the small dome near the altar of the patron saint.

Right nave

The first altar to the right has a canvas depicting a ''Martyrdom of St Barbara'' by Pietro Rosa, pupil of Titian. This altar was patronized by the association (scuola) of artillerymen of the Venetian Republic. The next altar originally had a ''Redeemer with Saints Rocco, Vittoria, and Corona'' by Palma the Younger, but the Gesuiti changed the altar to venerate Saint Francis Xavier and replaced the altarpiece with a ''St Francis Xavier with the Japanese'' (1745) by Pietro Antonio Rotari. The next altar of Saints Lucia and Apollonia, has a canvas depicting ‘’Saints before Madonna, child, St. Joseph, and angel’’ by Alessandro Maganza. The next altar originally had a painting of ‘’Saints Anthony of Padua with St Anthony Abbot and Nicola of Tolentino’’ by Moretto, but now it has a copy by Bortolo Schermini. Over the lateral door is a painting of the ''Nativity'' by Callisto Piazza. The next altar has a canvas depicting ‘’St Francis Regis’’ by Simone Brentana. The chapel at the head of the nave has a ''Madonna and child in Glory with Saints Rocco, Martin, and Sebastian'' by Moretto. On the left wall is a painting of ''San Martin resuscitates the child of a widow'' by Francesco Maffei.

Presbytery

To the sides of the holy ark are conserved relics of St. Jerome. The main altar has a modern copy of the ''Nativity'' by Moretto (original in Pinacoteca Tosinengo). In the choir walls are canvases of the ''Marriage of Mary'' (1609) and ''Visitation by Mary and Elizabeth'' by the monk Tiburzio Baldini, the ''Circumcision of Jesus'' by Francesco Giugno, ''Adoration of the Magi’‘ (1610) by Grazio Cossali , and a ''Purification of the Virgin’‘ (1660) by Antonio Gandino.

The organ (1844) by Serassi replaces the earlier organ that had been constructed by Giangiacomo Antegnati, and which had been decorated by Pietro Rosa with ''The Emperor Augustus hears the Cumaen Sybil foretell the coming Christ''. At the sides of the organ is an ''Annunciation'' and ''Presentation of Jesus at the Temple'' by Gandino, a ''Massacre of the Innocents'' by Baldini, and a ''Birth of the Virgin’‘ by Camillo Procaccini.

Left nave

The chapel in the left of the apse, contains a ''Deposition'' and ''Crucifixion'' by brother Baldini, and conserves a 16th-century painted wooded Crucifix. The chapel has the marble mausoleum of Tommaso Caprioli (1620), a condottiero for the Republic. Over the entrance to the cloister is an ''Adoration by the Shepherds with Jesuits'' by a follower of Pietro Maria Bagnadore. The next altar is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, and has a stucco decoration from the late 16th century, and a canvas depicting ''St Anne and young John'' by Bagnadore, next to which is a depiction of the Immaculate Conception surrounded by angels by Giuseppe Tortelli. Next, the altar of St Aloysius Gonzaga, has a ''Virgin with St Aloysius Gonzaga and Stanislaus Kostka'', protector of the order, painted by Antonio Paglia

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