''Miracles of St Bernardino'' is a series of eight tempera-on-panel paintings showing miracles associated with Bernardino of Siena. They date to 1473 and are now in the Galleria Nazionale dell'Umbria. Attributed to the ''Master of 1473'' or the ''Studio of 1473'' and influenced by

Piero della Francesca Piero della Francesca (, also , ; – 12 October 1492), originally named Piero di Benedetto, was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance. To contemporaries he was also known as a mathematician and geometer. Nowadays Piero della Francesca i ...

, they involved several of the most notable Umbrian painters of the era such as

Perugino Pietro Perugino (, ; – 1523), born Pietro Vannucci, was an Italian Renaissance painter of the Umbrian school, who developed some of the qualities that found classic expression in the High Renaissance. Raphael was his most famous pupil. Ear ...

, Pinturicchio and

Piermatteo Lauro de' Manfredi da Amelia Piermatteo de' Manfredi da Amelia (circa 1445 - died 1503/1508) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance period. Biography Piermatteo was born in Amelia, in Umbria. He is first recorded as being part of the circle of Filippo Lippi, active bet ...

History

In 1473 the

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related Mendicant orders, mendicant Christianity, Christian Catholic religious order, religious orders within the Catholic Church. Founded in 1209 by Italian Catholic friar Francis of Assisi, these orders include t ...

friars of

Perugia Perugia (, , ; lat, Perusia) is the capital city of Umbria in central Italy, crossed by the River Tiber, and of the province of Perugia. The city is located about north of Rome and southeast of Florence. It covers a high hilltop and part o ...

commissioned Perugino and other artists to paint eight panels to hang above a niche holding a statue of Bernardino in the town's oratorio di San Bernardino. Bernardino had only be canonised in 1450. At least five hands took part in the commission. One of the best paintings in the series is ''St Bernardino Curing a Young Girl'', attributed to Perugino himself. ''The Miracle of the Stillborn Child'' is partly attributed to him. It is unknown when the series was taken down and later found rehung in the church of San Francesco al Prato in the town.

List of works

#''Saint Bernardino Curing a Young Girl'' (Perugino) #''Saint Bernardino Giving Sight to a Blind Man After His Death'' (Perugino and Pinturicchio) #''Saint Bernardino Appearing After His Death and Freeing a Prisoner'' (Pinturicchio) #''Saint Bernardino Reviving a man found under a tree on the road to Verona'' (Pinturicchio) #''Saint Bernardino curing Nicola di Lorenzo da Prato, attacked by a bull'' #''The Miracle of the Stillborn Child'' (School of Perugino) #''Saint Bernardino Appearing at Night to Giovan Antonio Tornaro and Healing His Wound from a Trap'' #''Saint Bernardino appearing after his death and curing Giovanni Antonio da Parma, injured by a shovel'' Pietro Perugino cat08.jpg, ''Saint Bernardino Curing a Young Girl'' Pinturicchio, san bernardino guarisce un cieco.jpg, ''Saint Bernardino Giving Sight to a Blind Man After His Death'' Pinturicchio, san bernardino appare post mortem e libera un prigioniero.jpg, ''Saint Bernardino Appearing After His Death and Freeing a Prisoner'' Pinturicchio, san bernardino richiama alla vita un uomo morto trovato sotto un albero.jpg, ''Saint Bernardino Reviving a man found under a tree on the road to Verona'' Tavolette di s. bernardino, 1473, san bernardino guarisce nicola di lorenzo da prato travolto da un toro.jpg, ''Saint Bernardino curing Nicola di Lorenzo da Prato, attacked by a bull'' Tavolette di s. bernardino, 1473, san bernardino guarisce una donna sterile o resuscita un bambino nato morto.jpg, ''The Miracle of the Stillborn Child'' Tavolette di s. bernardino, 1473, san bernardino appare di notte a giov.antonio tornato ferito in un agguato e lo risana.jpg, ''Saint Bernardino Appearing at Night to Giovan Antonio Tornaro and Healing His Wound from a Trap'' Tavolette di s. bernardino, 1473, s.bernardino risana giovanni antonio da parma ferito con la pala.jpg, ''Saint Bernardino appearing after his death and curing Giovanni Antonio da Parma, injured by a shovel''

Bibliography (in Italian)

* Vittoria Garibaldi, ''Perugino'', in ''Pittori del Rinascimento'', Scala, Florence, 2004 * Pierluigi De Vecchi, Elda Cerchiari, ''I tempi dell'arte'', volume 2, Bompiani, Milan, 1999 * Stefano Zuffi, ''Il Quattrocento'', Electa, Milan, 2004 {{Pinturicchio Paintings by Pietro Perugino Paintings by Pinturicchio 1470s paintings Collections of the Galleria Nazionale dell'Umbria