The Oratory of St Joseph (Oratorio di Santo Giuseppe) is a series of two 16th-century small chapels or prayer halls located in Via Francesco Barocci #57, in Urbino, Region of the

Marche Marche ( , ) is one of the twenty regions of Italy. In English, the region is sometimes referred to as The Marches ( ). The region is located in the central area of the country, bordered by Emilia-Romagna and the republic of San Marino to the ...

, Italy.

History

It was built from 1503 to 1515 for a confraternity founded in 1500 by the Franciscan friar Gerolamo Recalchi of Verona. The confraternity had the patronage of

Guidobaldo I da Montefeltro Guidobaldo (Guido Ubaldo) da Montefeltro (25 January 1472 – 10 April 1508), also known as Guidobaldo I, was an Italian condottiero and the Duke of Urbino from 1482 to 1508. Biography Born in Gubbio, he succeeded his father Federico da Montefel ...

and Elisabetta Gonzaga. The oratory was refurbished in the 1680s, with the patronage of the aristocratic Albani family of Urbino. Among former brothers of the confraternity were numbered artists from the family of the Viti, Urbani, Brandani, and Roncalli. Other members included the

Duke Francesco Maria I Della Rovere Francesco Maria I della Rovere (25 March 1490 – 20 October 1538) was an Italian condottiero, who was Duke of Urbino from 1508 to 1516 and, after retaking the throne from Lorenzo II de' Medici, from 1521 to 1538. Biography He was bor ...

and James III Stuart. The oratory has a ''Presepe'' (1545) by

Federico Brandani Federico Brandani (1522/1525 – 1575) was an Italian sculptor and stuccoist who worked in an urbane Mannerist style as a court artist of Guidobaldo II della Rovere, Duke of Urbino. Early life Born in Urbino, Brandani was apprenticed ther ...

, and a bas-relief of a ''Madonna and Child'' by Domenico Roselli. Other decorations include paintings by Carlo Roncalli and sculptures of ''St Joseph'' by Giuseppe Lironi and a ''Madonna col Bambino'' (1730) by

Maurizio Sparagnini Maurizio Sparagnini (1706- 1748) was an Italian painter active in a late-Baroque style, active in the Marche Marche ( , ) is one of the twenty regions of Italy. In English, the region is sometimes referred to as The Marches ( ). The region ...

. In the sacristy, some landscapes were painted by Alessio De Marchis.Urbino Tourism
entry on oratory.

References

Roman Catholic churches in Urbino 16th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Roman Catholic churches completed in 1515 Renaissance architecture in le Marche {{Italy-RC-church-stub