The Costa or St Catherine Chapel ( it, Cappella Costa or Cappella di Santa Caterina) is located in the south aisle of the

Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo it, Basilica Parrocchiale Santa Maria del Popolo , image = 20140803 Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo Rome 0191.jpg , caption = The church from Piazza del Popolo , coordinates = , image_size ...

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. This is the fourth side chapel from the counterfaçade and was dedicated to St

Catherine of Alexandria Catherine of Alexandria (also spelled Katherine); grc-gre, ἡ Ἁγία Αἰκατερίνη ἡ Μεγαλομάρτυς ; ar, سانت كاترين; la, Catharina Alexandrina). is, according to tradition, a Christian saint and virgin, wh ...

. The lunettes were painted by the helpers of

Pinturicchio Pinturicchio, or Pintoricchio (, ; born Bernardino di Betto; 1454–1513), also known as Benetto di Biagio or Sordicchio, was an Italian painter during the Renaissance. He acquired his nickname (meaning "little painter") because of his smal ...

and the marble altar-piece is attributed to

Gian Cristoforo Romano Giovanni Cristoforo (or Giancristoforo) Romano (1456–1512) was an Italian Renaissance sculptor and medallist. Born in Rome to Isaia da Pisa, he was probably a pupil of Andrea Bregno. His first known works are in the Ducal Palace of Urbino, d ...

History

The chapel was originally owned by

Domenico della Rovere Domenico della Rovere (1442 – 23 April 1501) was an Italian cardinal and patron of the arts. Life He was born at Vinovo, near Turin, and was not a relative of Pope Sixtus IV (Francesco Della Rovere), who, however, favoured him in the hope ...

but it was acquired by Portuguese Cardinal

Jorge da Costa Dom Jorge da Costa (1406 – 18 September 1508) was a Portuguese cardinal. Biography Born in Alpedrinha, Fundão, he is often called the Cardinal of Alpedrinha. He was one of many children of Martim Vaz and wife Catarina Gonçalves. He m ...

(the italianized name is Giorgio Costa) for 200 gold ducats in 1488. Costa was a well-known and influential person in the court of

Pope Alexander VI Pope Alexander VI ( it, Alessandro VI, va, Alexandre VI, es, Alejandro VI; born Rodrigo de Borja; ca-valencia, Roderic Llançol i de Borja ; es, Rodrigo Lanzol y de Borja, lang ; 1431 – 18 August 1503) was head of the Catholic Churc ...

. The Cardinal employed the same workshop of painters as the Della Rovere dynasty, the school of Pinturicchio. It is not unlikely that the patron consciously sought out the same artist.Passaglia Bauman, cit., pag. 56. The chapel preserved its original form except one window that was walled up for the creation of a new funeral monument in 1833.

Description

The small chapel is hexagonal with a sexpartite ribbed vault and the entrance is protected by an elegant marble parapet which is decorated by garlands, ribbons and patenas. The fresco decoration was painted by a helper of Pinturicchio, stylistically close to Melozzo da Forli. The side walls are articulated by painted Corinthian

pilaster In classical architecture Classical architecture usually denotes architecture which is more or less consciously derived from the principles of Greek and Roman architecture of classical antiquity, or sometimes even more specifically, from the ...

s decorated with candelabra, flowers and garlands on a yellow background, resting on a fake monochrome pedestal. The ribs and the splays of the two arched windows were decorated with

grotesque Since at least the 18th century (in French and German as well as English), grotesque has come to be used as a general adjective for the strange, mysterious, magnificent, fantastic, hideous, ugly, incongruous, unpleasant, or disgusting, and thus ...

s but only the right-hand window is preserved (the other was later walled up). The vault is covered with a blue carpet and gold stars. The overall concept of the painted decoration is similar to that of the

Della Rovere Chapel The Della Rovere or Saint Jerome Chapel, otherwise the Chapel of the Nativity ( it, Cappella del Presepio or Cappella di San Girolamo) is the first side chapel in the south aisle of the Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome. It was dedicated t ...

but the sculptural elements play a bigger part in the Costa Chapel.

Lunettes

The most important original frescos in the chapel are the paintings of the five lunettes (1488-90). Four of them depict the Fathers of the Church in front of a blue background: St.

Jerome Jerome (; la, Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus; grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος Σωφρόνιος Ἱερώνυμος; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was a Christian presbyter, priest, Confessor of the Faith, confessor, th ...

Ambrose Ambrose of Milan ( la, Aurelius Ambrosius; ), venerated as Saint Ambrose, ; lmo, Sant Ambroeus . was a theologian and statesman who served as Bishop of Milan from 374 to 397. He expressed himself prominently as a public figure, fiercely promo ...

Augustine Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berbers, Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia (Roman pr ...

and

Gregory the Great Pope Gregory I ( la, Gregorius I; – 12 March 604), commonly known as Saint Gregory the Great, was the bishop of Rome from 3 September 590 to his death. He is known for instigating the first recorded large-scale mission from Rome, the Gregori ...

. The central lunette is filled with the sculpted coats-of-arms of Cardinal Costa (the wheel of St Catherine) which is supported by two painted angels.

Sculptural works

The main altar-piece is attributed to

(c. 1505). It was certainly built after 1503 because the inscription at the base calls the Cardinal the Bishop of Porto and Santa Rufina. The tripartite marble reredos is articulated by Corinthian pilasters and crowned by an elaborate pediment with the figure of God, the Father. There are three sculptures of saints in shell-headed niches: St. Catherine of Alexandria in the middle (with the wheel),

St. Vincent Saint Vincent may refer to: People Saints * Vincent of Saragossa (died 304), a.k.a. Vincent the Deacon, deacon and martyr * Saint Vincenca, 3rd century Roman martyress, whose relics are in Blato, Croatia * Vincent, Orontius, and Victor (died 305) ...

(with the ship) and

Anthony of Padua Anthony of Padua ( it, Antonio di Padova) or Anthony of Lisbon ( pt, António/Antônio de Lisboa; born Fernando Martins de Bulhões; 15 August 1195 – 13 June 1231) was a Portuguese people, Portuguese Catholic Church, Catholic priesthood (Cath ...

(with a lily). The latter two are the patrons of the city of

Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...

. Three tondos above them contain reliefs of the Annunciation (with a very fine landscape in the middle). The high pedestal is decorated with the coats-of-arms of Cardinal Costa. The funeral monument of a young Roman knight, Marcantonio Albertoni, who died in a plague at the age of 30 in 1485, covers the right wall. The marble sepulchre with the recumbent effigy of the deceased was created by

Iacopo di Andrea da Firenze Iacopo is a given name, form of Jacopo, an Italian variation of Giacomo. May also refer to: *Iacopo II Appiani (1400–1441), the lord of Piombino from 1405 until 1441 *Iacopo III Appiani (1422–1474), Prince of Piombino of the Appiani dynasty in ...

in 1487. Originally, at least until 1600, it was placed in the right transept. The marble tomb was commissioned by the knight's mother, Caterina Albertoni. It is the only known work of the Florentine sculptor who was mentioned in the contract dated to 20 April 1487.Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani - Vol. 62 (2004) On the opposite side is the monument of Cardinal Jorge da Costa created by the school of Bregno. The lunette is filled by a lovely relief of Mary in mandorla with two angels. Costa died in 1508 but the tomb was probably prepared well before this date, probably few years after the dedication of the chapel. The inscription on the sarcophagus declares that "Giorgio, bishop of Albano, cardinal from Lisbon, while he turned over in his mind that he was mortal, erected his tomb monumentfor himself while still alive". It is very similar to the monument of Cristoforo della Rovere in the Chapel of the Nativity but "in a less masterly workmanship".Gerald S. Davies, cit. pag. 308 The third original monument is the tombstone (in the floor) of Archbishop Giorgio Bracharin by the workshop of

Antonio del Pollaiuolo Antonio del Pollaiuolo ( , , ; 17 January 1429/14334 February 1498), also known as Antonio di Jacopo Pollaiuolo or Antonio Pollaiuolo (also spelled Pollaiolo), was an Italian painter, sculptor, engraver, and goldsmith during the Italian Rena ...

(end of 15th century). The tombstone is undated. The Archbishop lies in full robes, his hands crossed. The relief is very deep and a rich spiral border runs around the slab.Gerald S. Davies, cit. pag. 310 In 1833 another monument was placed in the chapel: the funeral monument of the nine-year old Vincenzo Casciani by Luigi Poletti and Matteo Kassel. The left-hand window was walled up to provide space for the new neoclassical marble monument. A white marble slab was set under the other window in 1830 for Eugen von Ingenheim, the one-year old infant son of Count

Gustav Adolf Wilhelm von Ingenheim Gustav Adolf Wilhelm Graf von Ingenheim (2 January 1789, Berlin4 September 1855, Wiesbaden) was a prominent German art collector. Biography He was the son of King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia and his morganatic wife, Julie von Voss, who had ...

, the

morganatic Morganatic marriage, sometimes called a left-handed marriage, is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which in the context of royalty or other inherited title prevents the principal's position or privileges being passed to the spous ...

son of King

Frederick William II of Prussia Frederick William II (german: Friedrich Wilhelm II.; 25 September 1744 – 16 November 1797) was King of Prussia from 1786 until his death in 1797. He was in personal union the Prince-elector of Brandenburg and (via the Orange-Nassau inherita ...

, who converted to Catholicism. The Ingenheims were owners of the chapel in the 19th century. Effigy of Pietro Foscari The marble and bronze sepulchral monument of Cardinal

Pietro Foscari Pietro Foscari (died 1485) (called the Cardinal of Venice) was an Italian Roman Catholic cardinal. Biography Pietro Foscari was born in Venice ca. 1417. He was the nephew of Francesco Foscari, Doge of Venice. Early in his career he became Abbot ...

was originally placed in the middle of the Foscari Chapel, which was demolished for the building of the

Cerasi Chapel The Cerasi Chapel or Chapel of the Assumption ( it, Cappella Cerasi, Cappella dell'Assunta) is one of the side chapels in the left transept of the Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome. It contains significant paintings by Michelangelo Merisi ...

in 1600. It was made by a Sienese sculptor, Giovanni di Stefano in the 1480s but previously thought to have been created by

Vecchietta Lorenzo di Pietro (1410 – June 6, 1480), known as Vecchietta, was an Italian Sienese School painter, sculptor, goldsmith, and architect of the Renaissance. He is among the artists profiled in Vasari's ''Le Vite delle più eccellenti pittori, ...

. The prelate wears a richly folded robe, gloves, boots and a particularly sumptuous mitre which all serve to emphasize his dignity. All the details are modelled with great precision and virtuosity. The austere dark colour of the bronze is further enhanced by the contrasting white marble support. This bier is decorated with gilded reliefs of festoons, winged angels and trophies and it is covered by a folded drapery. The head rests on an embroidered cushion sculpted of glossy white marble.Antonio Foscari: Il cardinale veneziano Pietro Foscari e lo scultore senese Giovanni di Stefano in Santa Maria del Popolo a Roma, in: "Arte Documento", n. 14, Edizioni della Laguna, Gorizia 2000, pp. 59-63

Gallery

File:Cappella costa, gian cristoforo romano, ss. vincenzo, caterina d'aless e antonio da pd, 1505 ca.JPG, The marble altar-piece by Gian Cristoforo Romano File:Tomb Cardinal Pietro Foscari, Santa Maria del Popolo, Rome, Italy.jpg, Tomb of Cardinal Pietro Foscari by Giovanni di Stefano File:Cappella costa, scuola di a. bregno, monum al cardinale giorgio costa, 1508 ca, 01.JPG, Monument of Jorge da Costa by the school of Bregno File:Cappella costa, jacopo d'andrea da firenze, monum a marcantonio albertoni, 1487, 02.JPG, Monument of Marcantonio Albertoni by Jacopo d'Andrea da Firenze File:Cappella costa, jacopo d'andrea da firenze, monum a marcantonio albertoni, 1487, 03.JPG, Effigy of Marcantonio Albertoni File:Cappella costa, scuola di a. bregno, monum al cardinale giorgio costa, 1508 ca, 02.JPG, Inscription on the tomb of Cardinal Costa with his coats-of-arms File:Cappella costa, bottega di a. del pollaiolo, lastra tombale del vescovo giorgio bracharin, fine xv sec.JPG, Tombstone of Giorgio Bracharin by the workshop of Pollaiolo File:Costa Chapel Vault.JPG, The sixpartite ribbed vault with the lunettes File:Cappella costa, lunette di aiuti del pinturicchio 01.JPG, Sts Ambrose and Gregory the Great by Pinturicchio (lunettes) File:Cappella costa, lunette di aiuti del pinturicchio 03.JPG, Sts Jerome and Augustine by Pinturicchio (lunettes) File:Cappella costa, lunette di aiuti del pinturicchio 02.JPG, The coat-of-arms of Cardinal Jorge da Costa with the wheel (central lunette)

Notes

Bibliography

* Lisa Passaglia Bauman, Piety and Public Consumption: Domenico, Girolamo and Julius II della Rovere at Santa Maria del Popolo; in: Patronage and Dynasty. The Rise of the Della Rovere in Renaissance Italy, Truman State University Press, 2007 * Sara Magister: Iacopo di Andrea, in: Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani - Vol. 62 (2004) * Gerald S. Davies: Renascence. The Sculptured Tombs of the Fifteenth Century in Rome, E. P. Dutton and Company, New York, 1916 {{Pinturicchio

Costa Costa may refer to: Biology * Rib (Latin: ''costa''), in vertebrate anatomy * Costa (botany), the central strand of a plant leaf or thallus * Costa (coral), a stony rib, part of the skeleton of a coral * Costa (entomology), the leading edge of th ...

Church frescos in Rome Paintings by Pinturicchio Rome R. IV Campo Marzio