The Tempio della Beata Vergine della Ghiara (Temple of the Blessed Virgin of Ghiara), also known as Basilica della Madonna della Ghiara, is a church in Reggio Emilia, northern

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

. The building is the property of the ''

comune The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...

'' (municipality) of the city.

History

The church was built in response to an alleged miracle, occurring in 1596, associated with a local votive image of the Madonna which had been painted by

Lelio Orsi Lelio Orsi (1508/1511 – 1587), also known as Lelio da Novellara, was a Mannerist painter and architect of the Reggio Emilia school in northern Italy. He was born and died in Novellara, and much of his work was completed in Reggio. He appear ...

. The image soon became a place of pilgrimage, and the offerings of the faithful led to the construction of a new temple into which the votive fresco was moved. The cornerstone was laid on June 6, 1597 by the bishop Claudio Rangone, in the presence of Duke Alfonso II d'Este and Duchess Margherita Gonzaga. Part of the former convent and church were demolished in order to make way for the new structure. The plan was by the local architect and sculptor Francesco Pacchioni, who also designed the dome and the interior stuccoes. The church was consecrated on May 12, 1619. Ghiara cupola affreschi reggio emilia

Overview

The plan of the church is on the Greek cross, with, at the centre, a dome surmounted by a lantern. Four smaller domes, not visible from outside, are at the inner angle of the cross. The façade has Doric columns on the lower part and Ionic columns on the upper one. It is built of laterite, with white Veronese marble insets. The central portal has a marble bas-relief portraying the ''Vergine della Ghiara'', (1642). The side portals were executed in 1631. The interior is in Late Renaissance style, with rich decorations in gold, marbles, as well as large frescoes of the

Carracci The Carracci were a family of Italian artists. Notable members include: * Agostino Carracci (1557–1602), Italian painter and printmaker * Annibale Carracci (1560–1609), Italian Baroque painter and brother of Agostino Carracci * Ludovico Carracc ...

school covering the domes and the vaults. These depicts stories of women of the Old Testament. The ceiling painted by

Alessandro Tiarini Alessandro Tiarini (20 March 1577 – 8 February 1668) was an Italian Baroque painter of the Bolognese School. Biography Alessandro Tiarini was born in Bologna. His mother died when he was a child, and he was raised by an aunt. Early on his f ...

is considered his masterwork. The dome frescoes are by Lionello Spada (1616). The church has a nearly central plan. The arm of the church constituting the entry has ceiling frescoes (1645-1646) depicting ''Gentleness'' (Mansuetudine), ''Faith'', ''Adam and Eve evicted from Paradise'', ''Abraham served by Angels, Rebecca and Eleazar'' by

Luca Ferrari Luca Ferrari (February 17, 1605 – February 8, 1654) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period. Biography Also called ''Luca da Reggio''. He was reputedly initially a trainee of Alessandro Tiarini. Moschini identifies him as a pupil of Gu ...

. The walls have canvases depicting the ''Miracle of Domenico Crotti'' by

Pier Martire Armani Pier Martire or Pier Martino Armani (January 14, 1613 – July 10, 1699) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period. He was born and worked in Reggio. He trained as a pupil of Leonello Spada and Sebastiano Vercellesi. He was one of the artists ...

and the ''Miracle of Domenico Carattieri'' by Pietro Desani. The first chapel on the right has cupola frescoes (1629-1630) depicting the eight virtues, and saints showing devotion to God. In the spandrels, are depictions of ''Isaiah'', ''Daniel'', ''Ezechiel'', and ''Jeremiah'', by Camilo Gavasseti. The altar has a ''Madonna and child with St Francis'' by

. The nave to the right of the center has a ceilings (1615-1616) frescoed with ''Abigail feeds David'', ''Judith and Holofernes'', ''Ester and Assuerus'' by Lionello Spada. The walls have canvases (1615) depicting ''Two Miracles attributed to the Maddona della Ghiara'', painted by Michele Mattei. The Altarpiece here depicts a Madonna by

Giovanni Battista Magnani Giovanni Battista Magnani (21 September 1571 – 1653) was an Italian architect working entirely in Parma in the first half of the 17th century. He was the most successful of a family of masons and architects that included his father Nicostrato and ...

. In the second chapel of the right is a canvas of ''Madonna of Loreto and Saints Jerome and John the Baptist'' attributed

Sebastiano Vercellesi Sebastiano is both a masculine Italian given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include: * Sebastiano Antonio Tanara (1650–1724), Italian cardinal * Sebastiano Baggio (1913–1993), Italian clergyman * Sebastiano Bianchi (16th cen ...

. The second altar an ''Annuciation'' by Tiarini and the ceiling was frescoed (1642) with the Evangelists and the eight Religious Orders by Pietro Desani. The distal nave before the presbytery, the ceilings are frescoed with ''Deborah and Barak'', ''Samuel offered by mother to priest'', ''Abishag serves David'', and ''David and Harp'' (1619); as well as ''St Michael defeats devil'' and ''Solomon in throne'' (1625–29), all works by Tiarini. In the presbytery walls are paintings depicting a ''Resurrection of Laura di Correggio'' by Pietro Desani and a ''Miracle of Paolo Melli'' (1633) by Sebastiano Vercellessi. In the apse is a ''Coronation of the Virgin'' (1625-1629) by Tiarini. The central cupola has frescoes depicting Alms, Faith, Hope, and Charity and the four patron saints of the city and four Servite Saints and eight persons of the Old Testament and the ''Apotheosis of the Madonna''; all by Lionello Spada. The

quadratura Illusionistic ceiling painting, which includes the techniques of perspective ''di sotto in sù'' and ''quadratura'', is the tradition in Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo art in which ''trompe-l'œil'', perspective tools such as foreshortening, an ...

was completed by Tommaso Sandrini. In the left nave the ceiling frescoes depict (1647-1648) ''Rachel at the Well'', ''Gisele and Sisara'' and the ''Drowning of the Pharoah's army'', Purity and Virginity, all by

. On the city altar, erected by the Commune and designed by

is a canvas (1624-1625) depicting ''Christ on cross consoled by Angels'' by

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

. On the walls are canvases (1648) depicting the ''Miracle of Agramante Milani'' by Giulio Cesare Mattei (Son of Matteo) and the ''Miracle of Nicolo Lagoner'' by Francesco Burani. In the second chapel on left are altarpieces depicting '' San Filippo Benizzi'' (1673) by Orazio Talami and ''San Giorgio lead to Martyrdom with St Catherine'' by

Ludovico Carracci Ludovico (or Lodovico) Carracci (21 April 1555 – 13 November 1619) was an Italian, early-Baroque painter, etcher, and printmaker born in Bologna. His works are characterized by a strong mood invoked by broad gestures and flickering light th ...

. In the cupola are frescoed (1622) the Doctors of the Church and with Beatitudes and ''Spiritual Power'' by

Carlo Bononi Carlo Bononi (1569? - 1632) was an Italian painter. From an 1876 book: '' Giulio Cromer, Carlo Bononi a pupil of Bastaruolo, and Alfonso Rivarola or Chenda, were the last artists of any eminence in Ferrara.'' Page 175 Biography Born and act ...

. In the first chapel on the left are depicted (1619) the ''Four Sibyls'', ''Four Virtues'', and ''Angels carrying the Symbols of the Passion'', by Tiarini. Emilia Romagna
by the Touring Club Italiano, page 436-437.

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Basilica Della Ghiara Roman Catholic churches in Reggio Emilia Renaissance architecture in Emilia-Romagna 17th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Roman Catholic churches completed in 1619 1619 establishments in Italy Reggio Emilia