San Girolamo is a

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

-style

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

church located just outside the old walled city of

Volterra Volterra (; Latin: ''Volaterrae'') is a walled mountaintop town in the Tuscany region of Italy. Its history dates from before the 8th century BC and it has substantial structures from the Etruscan, Roman, and Medieval periods. History ...

, Italy. The church and attached

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...

convent, a complex also known as of ''San Girolamo al Vellosoli'', were designed by

Michelozzo Michelozzo di Bartolomeo Michelozzi (; – 7 October 1472), known mononymously as Michelozzo, was an Italian architect and sculptor. Considered one of the great pioneers of architecture during the Renaissance, Michelozzo was a favored Medici ...

and construction was completed by about 1445. Some have questioned the attribution and even suggested that it was designed by another famous Florentine architect,

Lorenzo Ghiberti Lorenzo Ghiberti (, , ; 1378 – 1 December 1455), born Lorenzo di Bartolo, was an Italian Renaissance sculptor from Florence, a key figure in the Early Renaissance, best known as the creator of two sets of bronze doors of the Florence Baptister ...

.Guida di Volterra
by Annibale Cinci; Tipografia Volterrana (1885); page 149. Among its patrons was the Duke

Cosimo de' Medici Cosimo di Giovanni de' Medici (27 September 1389 – 1 August 1464) was an Italian banker and politician who established the House of Medici, Medici family as effective rulers of Florence during much of the Italian Renaissance. His power derive ...

from Florence. The long

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cu ...

in front of the church has similarities to another Michelozzo work, the church and convent of Bosco ai Frati in

San Piero a Sieve San Piero a Sieve is an urban centre and ''frazione'' of the ''comune'' (municipality) of Scarperia e San Piero, located in the Metropolitan City of Florence, in Tuscany, ItalyIt was an Italian municipality, with a population of 4,065 in 2010, unt ...

. The facade has a long asymmetric portico leading to two chapels. Each contain terracotta reliefs by

Giovanni della Robbia Giovanni della Robbia (1469–1529) was an Italian Renaissance sculptor, mostly in ceramics. Biography Giovanni della Robbia was the son of Andrea della Robbia (1435–1525), brother of Girolamo della Robbia (1488–1566) and grandnephew of Luca ...

depicting ''St Francis of Assisi consigns the third order to St Louis of France and St Elizabeth of Hungary'' and the ''Last Judgement'' (1501). The main altar is flanked by two paintings: an ''Annunciation'' by

Benvenuto di Giovanni Benvenuto di Giovanni, also known as Benvenuto di Giovanni di Meo del Guasta (13 September 1436 – c. 1518) was an Italian painter and artist known for his choral miniatures, pavement designs, and frescoes. Working chiefly in Siena, he was first ...

, and a ''Madonna and Child with Saints'' by

Domenico di Michelino Domenico di Michelino (1417–1491) was an Italian Renaissance painter who was born and died in Florence. His birth name was Domenico di Francesco. The patronymic "di Michelino" was adopted in honour of his teacher, the cassone painter Michelino ...

. An interior chapel has an ''Immaculate Conception'' by

Santi di Tito Santi di Tito (5 December 1536 – 25 July 1603) was one of the most influential and leading Italian painters of the proto-Baroque style – what is sometimes referred to as "Counter-Maniera" or Counter-Mannerism. Biography He was born in Sa ...

. The glazed terracotta statues of St Jerome and St Francis are attributed to Giovanni Gonmelli, also called ''il Cieco di Gambassi'' (blind man of Gambassi). The adjacent convent is now a youth hostel and hotel.

Sources

Hall Information
{{Authority control Buildings and structures completed in 1445 Churches completed in the 1440s

Girolamo Girolamo may refer to: * Girolamo (given name) * Girolamo (surname) See also * San Girolamo (disambiguation) San Girolamo may refer to: * San Girolamo, Italian for Saint Jerome Jerome (; ; ; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of S ...