San Frediano is a Romanesque-style

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

church in

Pisa Pisa ( , or ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the cit ...

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze''). Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...

, Italy. It now functions as the official church of the

University of Pisa The University of Pisa ( it, Università di Pisa, UniPi), officially founded in 1343, is one of the oldest universities in Europe. History The Origins The University of Pisa was officially founded in 1343, although various scholars place ...

.Comune of Pisa
tourism entry on church.

History

Its existence is documented as early as 1061. Founded by the family Buzzaccherini-Sismondi and originally dedicated to Saint Martin, it once had a hospital annexed to it. The Romanesque façade, dating to the early 12th-century shows some of the typical features of the Pisane medieval architecture, such as the blind arcades, the lozenges and the use of bichrome stones (present also in the city's cathedral). The upper section is crowned by a large

mullioned window A mullion is a vertical element that forms a division between units of a window or screen, or is used decoratively. It is also often used as a division between double doors. When dividing adjacent window units its primary purpose is a rigid supp ...

. The interior, despite being damaged by fire in 1675, has maintained the original basilica plan with a central nave and two aisles. The marble columns have capitals decorated with Romanesque-style sculpted figures. It houses a rare wooden cross painted on a gilded panel and titled the ''Crucifix and Histories of the Passion'' (12th century), several Baroque altars and a few 17th-century paintings by

Ventura Salimbeni Ventura di Archangelo Salimbeni (also later called Bevilacqua; 20 January 1568 – 1613) was an Italian Counter-Maniera painter and printmaker highly influenced by the ''vaghezza'' and sensual reform of Federico Barocci. Biography Salimbe ...

(''Annunciation'' and ''Nativity''),

Aurelio Lomi Aurelio Lomi (29 February 1556 – 1622) was an Italian painter of the late-Renaissance and early- Baroque periods, active mainly in his native town of Pisa, Tuscany. __NOTOC__ Biography He may have initially been trained by his father, Giovann ...

(''Adoration of the Magi''), as well as frescoes by

Domenico Passignano Domenico Passignano (1559 – 17 May 1638), born Domenico Cresti or Crespi, was an Italian painter of a late-Renaissance or Counter-''Maniera'' (Counter-Mannerism) style that emerged in Florence towards the end of the 16th century. Biography ...

. The frescoes of the dome were completed by

Rutilio Manetti Rutilio di Lorenzo Manetti (c. 1571 – 22 July 1639) was an Italian painter of late-Mannerism or proto-Baroque, active mainly in Siena. Biography He was influenced and/or taught by the local artists Francesco Vanni and Ventura Salimbeni. He is k ...

. The sturdy bell tower is in

brickwork Brickwork is masonry produced by a bricklayer, using bricks and mortar. Typically, rows of bricks called '' courses'' are laid on top of one another to build up a structure such as a brick wall. Bricks may be differentiated from blocks by s ...

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Frediano Pisa

Frediano Fridianus ( it, San Frediano, also Frigidanus, Frigidian, Frigianu), was an Irish prince and hermit, fl. 6th century. Tradition names him as a son of King Ultach of Ulster. He later migrated to Italy, where he was appointed as Bishop of Lucca. The ...

12th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Romanesque architecture in Pisa