San Filippo Benizi, Todi
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San Filippo Benizzi, formerly Santa Maria delle Grazie 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 ...
sanctuary church and convent on Via Giacomo Matteoti, just inside the Porta Romana and across the Street from San Niccolo, in the center of
Todi Todi (; ''Tuder'' in antiquity) is a town and ''comune'' (municipality) of the province of Perugia (region of Umbria) in central Italy. It is perched on a tall two-crested hill overlooking the east bank of the river Tiber, commanding distant view ...
, province of Perugia, region of
Umbria Umbria ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region of central Italy. It includes Lake Trasimeno and Cascata delle Marmore, Marmore Falls, and is crossed by the Tiber. It is the only landlocked region on the Italian Peninsula, Apennine Peninsula. The re ...
, Italy.


History

In the 15th-century, the Confraternity of San Giovanni and Rocco built a likely round sanctuary or oratory apparently comprising the present apse. In 1660, the church was granted to the
Servite order The Servite Order, officially known as the Order of Servants of Mary (; abbreviation: OSM), is one of the five original mendicant orders in the Roman Catholic Church. It includes several branches of friars (priests and brothers), contemplative nu ...
monastery and expanded. The restricted space inside the town walls meant that part of the monastery was built against the facade. The portal awkwardly has two caryatids. The church is notable for putatively holding the relics of St Filippo Benizi, founder of the Servites, and a large marble baroque sculpture (1673–1675) attributed in the past to
Gianlorenzo Bernini Gian Lorenzo (or Gianlorenzo) Bernini (, ; ; Italian Giovanni Lorenzo; 7 December 1598 – 28 November 1680) was an Italian sculptor and architect. While a major figure in the world of architecture, he was more prominently the leading sculptor ...
, but instead carved by Pietro Paolo Naldini, a sculptor in Bernini's studio.Fondazione Zeri
The saint died in Todi in 1285, and with the granting of this church to the Servites, his body was moved here. The altar statue is flanked by pink marble columns. The relics are in a glass sarcophagus that serves as the altar.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Filippo Todi Churches in Todi Baroque architecture in Umbria 17th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Baroque church buildings in Italy