Cappella del santo sepolcro,tempietto, interno 04

The Rucellai Sepulchre is a small funerary chapel built inside the Rucellai Chapel of the church of San Pancrazio, Florence. It was commissioned by

Giovanni di Paolo Rucellai Giovanni di Paolo Rucellai (1403–1481) was a member of a wealthy family of wool merchants in Renaissance Florence, in Tuscany, Italy. He held political posts under Cosimo and Lorenzo de' Medici, but is principally remembered for building Palaz ...

and built to designs by

Leon Battista Alberti Leon Battista Alberti (; 14 February 1404 – 25 April 1472) was an Italian Renaissance humanist author, artist, architect, poet, priest, linguist, philosopher, and cryptographer; he epitomised the nature of those identified now as polymaths. H ...

in imitation or emulation of the Holy Sepulchre in the Anastasis in

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

. It contains the tombs of Giovanni Rucellai and members of his family.

Names

The Rucellai sepulchre is known by various names, including Sacellum of the Holy Sepulchre, Chapel of the Holy Sepulchre, it, Tempietto del Santo Sepolcro, italic=no, and .

History

probably began work on the Rucellai Chapel and on the sepulchre within it in about 1458; the origins of the chapel date to 1417, when the walls of the nave of San Pancrazio were built. According to the inscription above the door, the Sepulchre was completed in 1467. The Rucellai Chapel was closed for many years for restoration. Since 16 February 2013 it has been re-opened to the public. Access is through the Marino Marini Museum, which occupies the deconsecrated part of the church of San Pancrazio.

Description

The inner walls and vault of the sepulchre are entirely frescoed, work that one author has attributed to Giovanni da Piamonte.

Inscriptions

The sepulchre has two inscriptions: one, on a square panel above the door, reads: meaning approximately "Giovanni di Paolo Rucellai, in order that his salvation might be prayed for from where, through Christ, the resurrection of all was achieved, had this temple built in the shape of the tomb in Jerusalem n1467". The other inscription runs round the top of the building and reads: or approximately "you seek Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified; he rose, he is not here; this is the place where they put him".

Gallery: exterior

References

{{Authority control, state=collapsed Tombs in Italy Monuments and memorials in Florence Renaissance architecture in Florence Chapels in Florence Funerary art Leon Battista Alberti buildings