Volterra Cathedral
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Volterra Cathedral (, or ''Duomo di Volterra'') 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 ...
cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...
in
Volterra Volterra (; Latin: ''Volaterrae'') is a walled mountaintop town in the Tuscany region of Italy. Its history dates from before the 8th century BC and it has substantial structures from the Etruscan, Roman, and Medieval periods. History ...
, Italy, dedicated to the
Assumption of the Virgin Mary The Assumption of Mary is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Pope Pius XII defined it on 1 November 1950 in his apostolic constitution as follows: It leaves open the question of whether Mary died or whether she was ra ...
. It is the seat of the bishop of Volterra.


History

The present church was rebuilt after the earthquake of 1117 that destroyed most of the town, and consecrated by Pope
Calixtus II Pope Callixtus II or Callistus II ( – 13 December 1124), born Guy of Burgundy, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from February 1119 to his death in 1124. His pontificate was shaped by the Investiture Controversy ...
in 1120. Details of the earlier church on the site are not clear, although a church dedicated to Saint Mary is known from the 9th century. This was not the original cathedral, which was dedicated to
Saint Peter Saint Peter (born Shimon Bar Yonah; 1 BC – AD 64/68), also known as Peter the Apostle, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and one of the first leaders of the Jewish Christian#Jerusalem ekklēsia, e ...
and located next to the bishop's palace; it was destroyed by the Florentines during a siege in 1472, after which the bishop's seat was transferred to the present cathedral.
Nicola Pisano Nicola Pisano (also called ''Niccolò Pisano'', ''Nicola de Apulia'' or ''Nicola Pisanus''; /1225 – ) was an Italian sculpture, sculptor whose work is noted for its classical Ancient Rome, Roman sculptural style. Pisano is sometimes considered ...
is said to have been involved in further reconstruction in the mid 13th century. The rustic stone façade was built in Romanesque style using
spolia ''Spolia'' (Latin for 'spoils'; : ''spolium'') are stones taken from an old structure and repurposed for new construction or decorative purposes. It is the result of an ancient and widespread practice (spoliation) whereby stone that has been quar ...
from the Roman theater of Volterra in the portal. The
intarsia Intarsia is a form of wood inlaying that is similar to marquetry. The practice dates from before the seventh century AD. The technique inserts sections of wood (at times with contrasting ivory or bone, or mother-of-pearl) within the solid wood ...
over the door is attributed to Pisano.Attribution by
Giorgio Vasari Giorgio Vasari (30 July 1511 – 27 June 1574) was an Italian Renaissance painter, architect, art historian, and biographer who is best known for his work ''Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects'', considered the ideol ...
cited b
City Hall website, entry on the cathedral
/ref> In 1580, bishop Guido Serguidi, with the approval of
Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (30 July 1549 – 17 February 1609) was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1587 to 1609, having succeeded his older brother Francesco I, who presumably died from malaria. Early life Ferdinando was the ...
, commissioned the decoration of the intricately coffered ceiling of the nave and crossings, designed by Francesco Capriani, carved by Jacopo Pavolini, and gilded by Fulvo della Tuccia. The ceiling has sculpted reliefs of Saints Ugo, Giusto, Pope Linus, Clemente, Attinea, and Greciniana, round a central symbol of the Holy Spirit. The
campanile A bell tower is a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells even if it has none. Such a tower commonly serves as part of a Christian church, and will contain church bells, but there are also many secular bell to ...
of 1493 replaced an older belltower.


Interior

The elongated nave and interior space form a Latin cross. The nave spans 22 columns decorated with stucco simulating rose-colored granite. Much of the interior was restored in 1842-1843. The stucco capitals were completed in the 16th century by Giovanni Paolo Rossetti and Leonardo Ricciarelli. In the 19th century, the walls of the interior were painted in stripes that suggest typical Tuscan decorative church architecture. The floor has tiles of alternating dark and white marble. The pulpit has three reliefs depicting the ''Last Supper'', the ''Annunciation'', and the ''Sacrifice of Isaac'', and the lions at the base of the columns are undoubtedly 12th-century works of the Guglielmo school, perhaps carved by the
Pisan Pisa ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Tuscany, Central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for the Leaning To ...
sculptor Bonamico. Other elements and the alabaster intarsia were added in 1584, when an earlier balustrade was dismantled and the pulpit was reconstructed. To the left of the entrance is the funeral monument of Francesco Gaetano Incontri, former
archbishop of Florence The Archdiocese of Florence () is a Latin Church metropolitan see of the Catholic Church in Italy.
, who died in 1781. The monument was erected in 1840, with a bust by
Aristodemo Costoli Aristodemo Costoli (1803–1871) was an Italian sculptor who spent his entire career in the city of Florence. He is also known for attempting in 1843 to clean and conserve the famed Renaissance-era sculpture ''David (Michelangelo), David'' by ...
and decoration by Mariano Falcini. Below the monument are eight marble intarsia panels, originally part of a 12th-century Tuscan balustrade. The main altar, mainly dating from the 19th century, has a marble ciborium with flanking angels (1471) by
Mino da Fiesole Mino da Fiesole (c. 1429 – July 11, 1484), also known as Mino di Giovanni, was an Italian Renaissance sculptor from Poppi, Tuscany. He is noted for his portrait busts. Career Mino's work was influenced by his master Desiderio da Settignano and ...
. The
choir stalls A choir, also sometimes called quire, is the area of a church or cathedral that provides seating for the clergy and church choir. It is in the western part of the chancel, between the nave and the sanctuary, which houses the altar and Church tab ...
were completed in the 14th century. In the ceiling of the crossing are depictions of ''God the Father'' and ''Stories of the Life of the Virgin'' (1585) above the choir by
Niccolò Circignani Niccolò Circignani (c. 1517/1524 – after 1596) was an Italian painter of the late-Renaissance or Mannerism, Mannerist period. Biography Born in Pomarance, he is one of three Italian painters called Pomarancio (disambiguation), Pomaranci ...
.


Chapels

In the first chapel, the Chapel of Saint Ottaviano, the relics of this saint are kept in a marble
sarcophagus A sarcophagus (: sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a coffin, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from the Greek language, Greek wikt:σάρξ, σάρξ ...
to the right of the altar, sculpted by Raffaello di Andrea Cioli. It was commissioned in 1522 to thank the saint for his intervention in stopping an epidemic of the plague; the candle holders depicting angels are by
Andrea Ferrucci Andrea Ferrucci (1465–1526), also known as Andrea di Piero Ferruzzi and as Andrea da Fiesole, was an Italian sculptor who was born in Fiesole, Fiesole, Tuscany, in 1465. He was a first cousin once removed of the artist Simone Ferrucci, Franc ...
. To the left is the chapel commissioned by Ludovico Incontri in 1645. Its marble sarcophagus holds the remains of Saint Ugo dei Saladini, a 12th-century bishop of Volterra. The next chapel is the Chapel of the Madonna dei Chierici, referring to a wooden icon of the Madonna, donated by Jacopo di Ciglio (known as il Barbialla), and carved by
Francesco di Valdambrino Francesco di Valdambrino (1435) was an Italian sculptor in wood, active in Tuscany. He was born near Siena. He was one of the contestants for the commission to decorate the doors of the Baptistery of Florence. He was a colleague of Jacopo della ...
(early 15th century). The Chapel of Saint Paul opens off the north transept. This chapel was commissioned by the Inghirami family, built for Admiral Jacob Inghirami, and designed by
Alessandro Pieroni Alessandro Pieroni (18 April 1550 in Impruneta – 24 July 1607 in Livorno) was an Italian architect and painter. He was active mainly in a Mannerist style, working for the courts of Grandukes Francesco I and Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke ...
. The admiral, in a scene including the Baptistery of Volterra, appears in conversation in the
lunette A lunette (French ''lunette'', 'little moon') is a crescent- or half-moon–shaped or semi-circular architectural space or feature, variously filled with sculpture, painted, glazed, filled with recessed masonry, or void. A lunette may also be ...
of the ''Procession to Damascus'' above the altar. Giovanni Mannozzi (Giovanni di San Giovanni) painted the frescoes of the ''Life of Saint Paul'' on the ceiling. On the walls, are paintings of ''The Mission of St. Paul in Damascus'' by
Matteo Rosselli Matteo Rosselli (10 August 1578 – 18 January 1650) was an Italian painter of the late Florentine Counter-Mannerism and early Baroque. He is best known however for his highly populated grand-manner historical paintings. Biography He first appr ...
and the ''Beheading of St. Paul'' (1623) by
Domenichino Domenico Zampieri (, ; October 21, 1581 – April 6, 1641), known by the diminutive Domenichino (, ) after his shortness, was an Italian Baroque painter of the Bolognese School of painters. Life Domenichino was born in Bologna, son of a shoe ...
. Above the door to the rectory hangs a canvas of ''The Immaculate Conception with Saints'' by Cosimo Daddi. Other artists that contributed to the decoration include
Gherardo Silvani Gherardo Silvani (14 December 1579 – 23 November 1675) was an Italian architect and sculptor, active mainly in Florence and other sites in Tuscany during the Baroque period. Biography His son Pierfrancesco also became an architect. He worked ...
,
Giovanni Caccini Giovanni Battista Caccini or Giovan Battista Caccini (24 October 1556 – 13 March 1613) was an Italian sculptor from Florence, who worked in a classicising style in the later phase of Mannerism. Life Giovanni Battista Caccini was born at Mont ...
, and
Francesco Curradi Francesco Curradi or Currado (15 November 1570 – 1661) was an Italian painter of the style described as Counter-''Maniera'' or Counter-Mannerism, born and active in Florence. Biography Curradi was the son of a jeweller, Taddeo. He trained un ...
. Along the north side of the nave is the Chapel of St. Sebastian with a painting by Francesco Cungi of the ''Martydom of St Sebastian'' (1587). The cathedral contains the funeral monument of the humanist
bishop of Cavaillon The former French diocese of Cavaillon (''Lat.'' dioecesis Caballicensis) existed until the French Revolution as a diocese of the Comtat Venaissin, a fief of the Church of Rome. It was a member of the ecclesiastical province headed by the Metrop ...
, Mario Maffei, who died in Volterra in 1537. The figure of the prelate dressed in his finery in a sleeping pose on the sarcophagus was executed by
Giovanni Angelo Montorsoli Giovanni Angelo Montorsoli (1507 – 31 August 1563), also known as Giovann'Agnolo Montorsoli, was a Florentine sculptor and Servite friar. He is today as often remembered for his restorations of famous classical works as his original crea ...
, one of
Michelangelo Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (6March 147518February 1564), known mononymously as Michelangelo, was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was inspir ...
's assistants. The Oratory of the Virgin Mary (Cappella dell'Addolorata) contains a fresco of the ''Nativity'' with a ''Journey of the Magi'' by
Benozzo Gozzoli Benozzo Gozzoli (; born Benozzo di Lese; 4 October 1497) was an Italian Renaissance painter from Florence. A pupil of Fra Angelico, Gozzoli is best known for a series of murals in the Magi Chapel of the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi, depicting festi ...
on the left and an ''Epiphany'' on the right. Glazed
terracotta Terracotta, also known as terra cotta or terra-cotta (; ; ), is a clay-based non-vitreous ceramic OED, "Terracotta""Terracotta" MFA Boston, "Cameo" database fired at relatively low temperatures. It is therefore a term used for earthenware obj ...
figures, almost life-size, have recently been attributed to
Giovanni della Robbia Giovanni della Robbia (1469–1529) was an Italian Renaissance sculptor, mostly in ceramics. Biography Giovanni della Robbia was the son of Andrea della Robbia (1435–1525), brother of Girolamo della Robbia (1488–1566) and grandnephew of Luca ...
. The Chapel of the Holiest Name of Jesus has an architectural 16th-century frame preserving the monogram of Christ donated to Volterra by San Bernardino of Siena encased in a precious silver 18th-century shrine. It also contains an ''Annunciation'' (1497) by Fra Bartolomeo della Porta. The Verani Chapel contains an ''Immaculate Conception'' (1586) painted by
Niccolò Circignani Niccolò Circignani (c. 1517/1524 – after 1596) was an Italian painter of the late-Renaissance or Mannerism, Mannerist period. Biography Born in Pomarance, he is one of three Italian painters called Pomarancio (disambiguation), Pomaranci ...
. The Chapel of the Annunciation contains an ''Annunciation'' by Albertinelli in collaboration with
Fra Bartolomeo Fra Bartolomeo or Bartolommeo (, , ; 28 March 1472 – 31 October 1517), also known as Bartolommeo di Pagholo, Bartolommeo di San Marco, Bartolomeo di Paolo di Jacopo del Fattorino, and his original nickname Baccio della Porta, was an Ital ...
who painted the angel in the canvas in 1497. The first chapel to the right of the entrance, the Giorgi Chapel, has an altarpiece by Pieter de Witte, depicting the ''Offering of Volterra to Virgin and Saints'' (1587) commissioned by Captain Francesco del Bovino of the Giorgi family who appears in the left-hand corner of the painting. The second chapel to the right, the Collaini Chapel, has a ''Birth of the Virgin'' (1618) by
Francesco Curradi Francesco Curradi or Currado (15 November 1570 – 1661) was an Italian painter of the style described as Counter-''Maniera'' or Counter-Mannerism, born and active in Florence. Biography Curradi was the son of a jeweller, Taddeo. He trained un ...
, and the third chapel to the right, the Perissi Chapel, a ''Presentation in the Temple of the Virgin'' (1590) by Gianbattista Naldini. Over the door of the Chapel of San Carlo is a painting of the ''Crucifixion with the Virgin, Saints John, Anthony Abbot, Francis and Augustine'' 1611) painted by Curradi. Above the altar is a canvas of the ''Ecstasy of St Carlo Borromeo before the Virgin'' by
Jacopo Chimenti image:San Lorenzo,L'Empoli, il Martirio di San Sebastiano.JPG, 250px, ''Martyrdom of St. Sebastian'', San Lorenzo di Firenze, San Lorenzo, Florence Jacopo da Empoli (30 April 1551 – 30 September 1640) was an Italian Florentine Reformist painter ...
, and on the side walls ''Saint Mary Magdalene of Scolaro'' by
Guido Reni Guido Reni (; 4 November 1575 – 18 August 1642) was an Italian Baroque painter, although his works showed a classical manner, similar to Simon Vouet, Nicolas Poussin, and Philippe de Champaigne. He painted primarily religious works, but al ...
and an ''Immaculate Conception'' by Francesco Brini. Off the south transept is the entrance to the Serguidi Chapel (1595), previously the Chapel of the Holiest Sacrament, or Chapel of the Miracles, the design of which is attributed to Vasari. It was decorated in stucco by Leonardo Ricciarelli and painted by
Giovanni Balducci Giovanni Balducci, called Il Cosci after his maternal uncle, (c. 1560 — after 1630) was an Italian mannerist painter. Biography Born in Florence, Balducci was trained by Giovanni Battista Naldini. Under the guidance and supervision of Vasar ...
. The cost of the decoration was more than ten thousand ducats. Above the altar is a wooden panel of the ''Resurrection of Lazarus'' (1592) by
Santi di Tito Santi di Tito (5 December 1536 – 25 July 1603) was one of the most influential and leading Italian painters of the proto-Baroque style – what is sometimes referred to as "Counter-Maniera" or Counter-Mannerism. Biography He was born in Sa ...
. On the side walls are two paintings on canvas, also by Balducci: ''Expulsion of the Non-believers from the Temple'' and ''Parable of the Loaves and Fishes'' (1591). Balducci also painted the frescoes on the ceiling and to either side of the altar.
Agostino Veracini (Niccolò) Agostino Veracini (14 December 1689 – 18 November 1762) was an Italian painter and engraver. He was the second son of Benedetto Veracini, also a painter. Agostino was the cousin of Francesco Maria Veracini, the violinist and compo ...
painted the ''Patron Saints of Volterra'' (1741) featured on the walls. The altar has relics of Saints Attinia and Greciana. The Chapel of the Deposition has a group of five wooden polychrome figures representing the ''Deposition of Christ'' executed in 1228 by an unknown Volterran artist. The rectory stalls are the work of Francesco del Tonghio and Andreoccio di Bartolomeo, while the fine 15th-century
intarsia Intarsia is a form of wood inlaying that is similar to marquetry. The practice dates from before the seventh century AD. The technique inserts sections of wood (at times with contrasting ivory or bone, or mother-of-pearl) within the solid wood ...
on the bishop’s throne and the chaplain's benches are the work of unknown Tuscan masters.


Notes


Sources


City hall entry about the Cathedral
*''Guida di Volterra'', 1903, pages 85–10

{{authority control Roman Catholic churches in Volterra 12th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Roman Catholic cathedrals in Italy Cathedrals in Tuscany