Rome in the Footsteps of an XVIIIth Century Traveller

You may wish to see a page on the history and fortifications of Perugia or on Borgo S. Pietro, the neighbourhood at the end of which the Benedictine abbey is located, first.

(left) Porta S. Costanzo (late XVIth century), at the end of Borgo S. Pietro; (right) the bell tower of S. Pietro seen from Porta S. Costanzo

It has a slender tower with a fringe of machicolation half-way up, and a low spire, conspicuous in all distant views of Perugia.
Augustus J. C. Hare - Cities of Northern and Central Italy - 1878
The church stands on a commanding position that dominates the entire Tiber Valley. The original church probably arose between the IVth and the VIth centuries in the site of an Etruscan-Roman cemetery area where according to tradition several Christian martyrs were buried, including St. Costanzo, the first bishop of Perugia. S. Pietro is traditionally considered the first cathedral of Perugia, in the sense that it was the first seat of the episcopal chair and in favour of this opinion there are numerous elements, first of all the fact that this was the burial place of its first bishops.

(left) XIVth century frescoes next to the entrance to the church; (centre/right) base and tip of the bell tower

Only a few traces of the medieval façade remain, consisting of three blind arches in pink stone from Assisi, inside which are fragments of frescoes. In the outermost one on the left there is an image of the suffering Christ with the instruments of the Passion and below, Sts. Peter and Paul. In the largest arch the Annunciation is depicted and in the lower part, St. George slaying the Dragon. This subject is placed at the entrance of a sacred place almost as a defence against the forces of Evil.
The bell tower stands out with its imposing mass, a true symbol of the abbey and of the entire neighbourhood. It was presumably erected in the second half of the XIIIth century on a circular base that is probably what remains of a Roman funerary monument. The first part of the bell tower up to the frame has a dodecagonal plan, then it becomes hexagonal with elegant Gothic windows. The structure is crowned by a slender spire. Originally, its appearance was much more sumptuous and rich in decorations including a golden statue of St. Peter placed on the top. The troubled events and struggles that involved the abbots in the Middle Ages and in addition the frequent damage from lightning led to a downsizing of the structure that was restored and brought to its current state by Bernardo Rossellino in 1463-1468. The Florentine architect designed also the elegant classical decoration at the base of the spire.

XVIIth century entrance courtyard

On their way to Perugia, the popes or their representatives stopped at S. Pietro where they were paid homage by the highest city authorities (along with the symbolic gift of the keys of the gates, the prisons and the public palace tied to a wand) and then they entered the city followed by a procession of members of the city brotherhoods. In the early XVIIth century the entrance courtyard was redesigned in order to provide these ceremonies with a proper scene and the illustrious visitors with an immediate feeling of the importance of the church.

(left) Renaissance portal of the church; (right) detail of its marble and wooden decoration

In the XIIIth and XIVth centuries the abbey grew of importance, thanks above all to its large estates along the Tiber valley. The abbot was one of the most important city authorities and he often took part in person in the conflicts that shook Perugia, similar to what the abbots of Farfa and Subiaco did. In 1398 during one of these rifts the monastery was set on fire by the citizens of Perugia who had risen up against the abbot Francesco Guidalotti. Having fallen into almost complete ruin, in 1436 Pope Eugene IV assigned the monastery to the Congregation of S. Giustina da Padova aka as Congregatio Casinensis with reference to the Benedictine Abbey of Montecassino. S. Pietro regained its prestige and the church was given a new elegant portal with a decoration based on a festoon of fruit, an allegory of abundance.

Interior

The Benedictine monastery of St. Peter, S. Pietro de Casinensi, is one of those fine establishments of the order which exhibit the combined characteristics of cleanliness and order throughout the building, and gentlemanlike courtesy on the part of the brethren. The church presents a specimen of the ancient basilica, supported by eighteen columns of granite and marble taken from an ancient temple. It is quite a gallery of pictures.
John Murray - Handbook for travellers in central Italy - 1843
The Benedictine monastery of St. Peter has a fine church of the basilica style . Here are numerous pictures , some of the Venetian school , but few favorably placed for being seen. (..) This monastery is grandly situated, and from a public walk near by an incomparable view may be enjoyed.
George Stillman Hillard - Six Months in Italy in 1847-1848
In the late XVIth century the interior of the church underwent a major redesign. Valentino Martelli, a local architect, profoundly transformed the entire structure until it reached its current appearance. Upon entering, the environmental unity that results from the splendid late Mannerist decoration and the medieval basilica plan that is still perfectly noticeable, appears extraordinary. In fact, all the construction phases of the building are held together by the decorative apparatus that covers the naves up to the Gothic apse. In origin there were many windows and a large rose window on the façade that gave much more light to the interior, which today is characterized by an evocative golden light.

(left) Right nave; (right) portrait of St. Benedict on one of the columns

Here the church, being complete as a picture gallery, has not been robbed of its contents. It bears some resemblance to S. Maria Maggiore at Rome, and is an ancient basilica, built before 1007 by Vincioli, the first abbot of the convent. The nave is supported by eighteen granite and marble columns, with Ionic capitals, taken from S. Angelo. Hare
In 936, Bishop Rogerio transferred the episcopal seat to S. Stefano del Castellare, where centuries later the complex of S. Domenico would be built. Subsequently, the ancient church was donated to Pietro Vincioli, a Benedictine abbot from a noble family. He rebuilt the church at his own expense and in 969 Pope John XIII consecrated it. The second column in the row on the left bears the image of Pietro Vincioli to whom a miracle is attributed (he is considered a saint, but in reality he was never canonized). During the construction of the church it is said that when this column was being erected it risked crushing the workers and it was the sign of the cross traced by Vincioli that prevented the disaster and miraculously put the column back into position. For symmetry with this column, the image of St. Benedict was painted on the one in front (see an example of painted column at S. Maria in Aracoeli in Rome).

Wooden ceiling: the rosettes are all different from one another (you may wish to see a similar ceiling in Rome)

The finely carved and decorated coffered ceiling is the work of Benedetto Pierantoni da Montepulciano (1554) and it features two crossed keys in the centre, the symbol of St. Peter. Each neighbourhood of Perugia is characterized by a precise and peculiar symbol. Over the centuries, various symbols have been used to identify Borgo S. Pietro including the Crossed Keys. This is the most common symbol of this district, linked to the place of worship dedicated to the Prince of the Apostles and to the strong bond with the papal power. The two keys represent the two powers in the hands of the Pope, spiritual and temporal. They refer to the passage of the Gospel (Matthew 16:19) in which Christ gave Peter the authority to bind and loose. "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven".

Rear façade: "telero" (large canvas) depicting the Glory of the Benedictine Order by L'Aliense

The central nave retains the most important cycle of canvases by a Venetian artist that is preserved in Umbria, where painting was based on frescoes. The artist, Antonio Vassillachis (1557-1629), known as l'Aliense (the Foreigner) because of his Greek origin, depicted scenes from the Old and New Testaments in large canvases (as his master Tintoretto had done in the Scuola di S. Rocco in Venice).
The contract was signed directly in Venice and the abbot of S. Pietro was able to take advantage of the decisive support of the Congregation of S. Giustina of Padua on which the monastery depended. The first five paintings were made in Venice and shipped by sea to Pesaro from where they arrived in Perugia. The remaining five, begun in Venice, were finished on site in 1594. In addition to these, Aliense created for the counter-façade a grandiose canvas with the Glory of the Benedictine Order, in which the swarming of figures and spectacular light effects create a scenographic and impressive composition.

L'Aliense: Baptism of Jesus and behind the main subject Naaman is healed of leprosy

In the nave are the ten paintings by Aliense, representing the Life of the Saviour, one of which, among the five on the right side, was painted at Venice under the direction of Tintoretto. Murray
Above are pictures by Antonio Vassilacci, commonly called L'Aliense, a pupil of Tintoretto, who exactly copied his manner, and here carried his style. Hare
Each of the ten paintings along the nave depicts an episode from the life of Christ in the foreground and an episode from the Old Testament in the background. This feature is used by the artist to effectively underline how Christ's life is the fulfilment of the prophecies in the Old Testament. In the scene of the Baptism of Christ, one can grasp all the contribution that Tintoretto's art gave to the formation of l'Aliense. The light becomes a manifestation of the Divine, a symbol of the presence of the Holy Spirit and dramatically and scenographically tears apart the clouds and the stormy skies, which evoke the darkness of the world. In this way l'Aliense created an effective example of painting in line with the Catholic Reformation principles stated by the Council of Trent. You may wish to see the ceiling of il Gesù in Rome where the light/darkness effect reaches its apex.

Altar

In 1592 Valentino Martelli replaced the old altar with a lavish structure that could contain the urn with the bones of the holy abbots. The tabernacle is temple-shaped and like the entire altar it is made of precious marbles and semiprecious stones. This richness is evidence of the fashion for coloured marbles which spread from Rome to the provincial towns of the Papal State at the end of the XVIth century (see a chapel in the Cathedral of Spoleto).

Stalls of the choir

The choir is enriched with stalls of walnutwood, worked in bas-relief by Stefano da Bergamo from the designs of Raphael: they are all different, and the inimitable grace and exquisite fancy of the great master appear to have been here, as in the loggie of the Vatican, quite inexhaustible. Besides these, the doors and other portions of wood-work present remarkable specimens of tarsia (inlays) by Fra Damiano da Bergamo. Murray
The presbytery houses the magnificent wooden choir begun in 1526 by Bernardino di Luca Antonini and completed after his death by Stefano da Antoniolo Zambelli from Bergamo in collaboration with carvers from Bologna and Florence.
I do not want Michael Angelo for breakfast - for luncheon - for dinner - for tea - for supper - for between meals. I like a change, occasionally.
Mark Twain - The Innocents Abroad - 1869.
In the XIXth century there was a widespread tendency towards attributing the finest works of art to Michelangelo or Raphael or some other great Italian artist, without a proper documentation.

(left) A "tarsia" (inlay) in the stalls with a "grotesque" pattern (another detail is shown in the image used as background for this page); (right) the Crucifixion of St. Peter in the table supporting the lectern

Many excellent wood carvers were active at Perugia in the late XVth and XVIth centuries. Other examples of their talent can be seen at Collegio della Mercanzia and in the Cathedral. You may wish to see the Renaissance wooden choirs of the Cathedral of Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges in Southern France and of that of Toledo in Spain.

Lectern: (left) side view; (right) front with a bronze decoration and a book with a miniature of Sts. Peter and Paul and music notes

The books of the choir are an invaluable series of illuminated works: they are rich in miniatures and initial letters of the early times of the art, painted with exceeding beauty by monks of the Benedictine order. Murray

Cappella Vibi in the left nave: 1473 marble tabernacle (a receptacle for the Holy Oil) attributed to Mino da Fiesole; it was commissioned by a member of the Baglioni family

In the left aisle are, a bas-relief of the Saviour, St. John, and St. Jerome, by Mino da Fiesole. Murray
These small gilded tabernacles became popular in the second half of the XVth century and they can be seen in many churches of Rome, e.g. S. Maria in Trastevere and of the provincial towns, e.g. Capranica. Mino da Fiesole sculpted a series of low reliefs with scenes from the life of St. Jerome for S. Maria Maggiore.

(left) Left nave: 1478 wooden crucifix in a XVIIth century altar; (right) sacristy: 1487 Renaissance marble altar with bronze crucifix by Alessandro Algardi, a XVIIth century leading sculptor in Rome

The main feature of the basilica is that it retains works of art of the different periods of its history which were adapted to changes in style and fashion by placing them in new frames or by enriching them with more modern elements.

Sacristy: ceiling of the late XVIth century perhaps by Silla Piccinini with a decoration of grotesques framing scenes of the Old Testament

Many Italian churches are veritable galleries of paintings and statues, e.g. S. Maria sopra Minerva in Rome, S. Pietro perhaps surpasses them all. The sacristy was built in 1451 and it was decorated with frescoes in the late XVIth century. On the walls are episodes from the lives of Sts. Peter and Paul.

Sacristy: St. Peter baptizing the Centurion by Girolamo Danti (1574), brother of Vincenzo Danti who made the statue of Pope Julius III near the Cathedral

Cornelius, a Roman centurion, is considered to be the first gentile to convert to the Christian faith, as related in Acts of the Apostles. His baptism is an important event in the history of the early Christian church as he may have belonged to gens Cornelia, a prominent Roman family.

Presbytery: Jesus gives the keys to St. Peter by Giovan Battista della Marca (1591)

The same artists who worked in the sacristy painted also the side walls of the apse with the Delivery of the Keys to St. Peter and the Conversion of St. Paul. Their paintings were made at approximately the same time as the canvases by l'Aliense and they clearly show the difference in style with them. Their airy frescoes reflect the impact that Raphael had on painting.

Details of two detached frescoes (ca 1548): (left) The Liberation of St. Peter by Orazio Alfani (loosely based on a fresco by Raphael - it opens in another window); (right) The Shipwreck of St. Paul at Malta by Leonardo Cungi, Alfani's assistant

On the right of the entrance are pictures of S. Peter in prison, and S. Peter healing the lame man by Alfani. Hare
The church retains a large number of paintings which are fragments of cycles of frescoes which were covered by the new decoration or canvases which belonged to the apartments of the abbots and were bequeathed to the church.

Left nave: (left) St. Paul by Guercino (see a large painting by Guercino in Rome); (right) Judith holding the head of Holofernes by il Sassoferrato

On the pillar, is a Judith, a very grand piece of colour by Sassoferrato. Hare

Right nave: (left) Samson with a view of Arco di Costantino by François Perrier (1590-1650), a French painter and printmaker who worked in Rome for long periods; (right) the Vision of Pope Gregory the Great at Castel Sant'Angelo by Ventura Salimbeni (1568-1613 see another painting by him at Palazzo Altieri of Oriolo)

In the right aisle the Vision of St. Gregory at the castle of St. Angelo, by Ventura Salimbeni. Murray

Move to Walls and Gates, The Two Piazzas, The Papal Street (Borgo S. Pietro), The Tomb of the Volumni, The Archaeological Museum or wander about to see other churches, palaces and fountains.