The Church of the Theatines (Teatini), also known as Santa Maria della Pietà is a

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

-style church and monastery located on Corso della Giovecca, in central

Ferrara Ferrara (; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Emilia-Romagna, Northern Italy, capital of the province of Ferrara. it had 132,009 inhabitants. It is situated northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main ...

, region of

Emilia-Romagna Emilia-Romagna (, , both , ; or ; ) is an Regions of Italy, administrative region of northern Italy, comprising the historical regions of Emilia (region), Emilia and Romagna. Its capital is Bologna. It has an area of , and a population of 4.4 m ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. In 1618, prompted by Laura Sighizzi, along with Cardinal Carlo Emanuel Pio of Savoy bought a house in the neighborhood of Giovecca to open an oratory for the Theatine Order dedicated to the Madonna della Pieta. The architect Luca Danese was commissioned to design the church, which was completed in 1653 and decorated in Baroque fashion. The facade remains incomplete in brick. The interiors are highly decorated according to an inventory from the late 18th century. In the choir were paintings depicting the '' Life of San Gaetano'' by Clemente Maiola. Maiola also frescoed angels in a ceiling for the chapel near the presbytery, which also has works by

Scarsellino Scarsellino or Ippolito Scarsella (1550 (or 1551) – 28 October 1620) was an Italian mid-to-late sixteenth century reformist painter and one of the most important representatives of the School of Ferrara (Painting), School of Ferrara. His lands ...

. The canvas depicting ''John the Baptist'' to the right of the main chapel was painted by

Andrea Sacchi Andrea Sacchi (30 November 159921 June 1661) was an Italian painter of High Baroque Classicism, active in Rome. A generation of artists who shared his style of art include the painters Nicolas Poussin and Giovanni Battista Passeri, the sculptor ...

. The main chapel has a ''Mary at the Temple'' by

Guercino Giovanni Francesco Barbieri (February 8, 1591 – December 22, 1666),Miller, 1964 better known as (il) Guercino (), was an Italian Baroque painter and draftsman from Cento in the Emilia region, who was active in Rome and Bologna. The vigorous n ...

. A ''Sant'Andrea Avellino'' was painted by Camillo Ricci. The ceiling of the sacristy is frescoed with a ''Glory of San Gaetano'' by

Alessandro Naselli Alessandro Naselli was an Italian painter, active in his native Ferrara in the mid to late 17th century. He was active in a late Mannerist style during the Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque archite ...

. In the first chapel is a '' San Gregorio Taumaturgo'' by Costanzo Cattanio. Another chapel has a ''San Gaetano'' and a ''Resurrection'' by Alfonso Rivarola known as il Chenda. Among the columns and pilasters, are canvases depicting the ''Life of San Gaetano'' by Cesare Mezzogori. He also painted friezes of angels in chiaroscuro on the ceiling and canvases around the Altar of the ''Purification of the Virgin''. The latter work was completed along with Giovanni Battista Felletti, who painted a ''San Gaetano and the Jesus Child''. Under the altar of St John the Baptist is the body of the San Secondino, Bishop and Martyr; and in chapel of the Virgin of the Graces, the relics of San Faustino Martire, both transported here supposedly from the Cemetery of Santa Lucina in Via Aurelia outside of Rome. The General Antonio Domenico Balbiani is buried in the last chapel. The general defended Ferrara for Pope Clement XI. He was named Grand Prior of Armenia and Grand Admiral of Malta. The oratory of the Theatines adjacent to the church is also decorated with painted artworks. The main altarpiece was a ''Santissima Virgin'' by

Costanzo Cattani Francesco Costanzo Catanio, (1602 – 3 July 1665) was a painter of the Italian Baroque period, born and mainly active in Ferrara. He was variously known as Catanio, Cattani, Cattaneo, or Cattanio, sometimes without the forename Francesco. L ...

. In the walls of the oratory were canvases depicting an ''Annunciation'' by Giovanni Braccioli; a ''Purification at the Temple'' by

Camillo Setti Camillo Setti (active 1675) was an Italian people, Italian painter, active in a Baroque art, Baroque style mainly in his native Ferrara. Biography He was a pupil of the painter Costanzo Cattaneo. Among his works are a ''Purification of the Virgin ...

; a ''Flight to Egypt'' by

, and others by

Tommaso Capitanelli Tommaso is an Italian given name. It has also been used as a surname. Notable people with the name include: Given name A * Tommaso Acquaviva d'Aragona (1600–1672), Roman Catholic prelate * Tommaso Aldrovandini (1653–1736), Italian painter of ...

. The ceiling was painted by Francesco Ferrari.Guida pel forestiero in Ferrara
by Luigi Napoleone Cittadella, p156.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Teatini, Ferrara Roman Catholic churches in Ferrara Baroque architecture in Ferrara 17th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Roman Catholic churches completed in 1653 1653 establishments in Italy