San Paolo a Ripa d'Arno (St. Paul on the bank of the Arno) is a
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 ...
, region of
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
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
. It is a pre-eminent example of Tuscan
Romanesque church architecture. The church is also locally known as ''Duomo vecchio'' (old cathedral).
The church
Reports of the founding of the church trace to around 925, but by 1032, a church structure existed. It was initially affiliated with a Benedictine monastery. By 1092, the church was annexed to a monastery of the
Vallumbrosan monks and, later to a hospital 1147.
The building, whose design is attributed to the architect Bruschetto, was modified in the 11th-12th centuries in a style similar to that of the local
Duomo
''Duomo'' (, ) is an Italian term for a church with the features of, or having been built to serve as, a cathedral, whether or not it currently plays this role. Monza Cathedral, for example, has never been a diocesan seat and is by definition not ...
,
[Pandolfo Titi,(1751), page 212.] being reconsecrated by
Pope Eugene III
Pope Eugene III ( la, Eugenius III; c. 1080 – 8 July 1153), born Bernardo Pignatelli, or possibly Paganelli, called Bernardo da Pisa, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 February 1145 to his death in 1153. He w ...
in 1148.
In 1409 the building complex was transferred to the administration of the
cardinal
Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to:
Animals
* Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds
**''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae
**''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...
Landolfo di Marramauro, then since 1552 was given to the Grifoni family of San Miniato. After 1565, it was transferred to the
Holy Order of St. Stephen. After its suppression, in 1798 the church became a
Parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...
.
In 1853 the building underwent some significant reconstruction, directed by Pietro Bellini, which aimed to restore its romanesque origins. During the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, this church, like many in Pisa, suffered damage. Restoration efforts were pursued in 1949-1952. In the course of this work, the buildings in the back were demolished, restoring the small Sant'Agata chapel to its original free-standing state.
The exterior has bichrome marble bands which re-use Roman stones. The façade, designed in the 12th century, but completed in 14th maybe by
Giovanni Pisano
Giovanni Pisano (c. 1250 – c. 1315) was an Italian sculptor, painter and architect, who worked in the cities of Pisa, Siena and Pistoia. He is best known for his sculpture which shows the influence of both the French Gothic and the Ancient Rom ...
, has two corps with pilaster strips, blind arches, marble
intarsia
Intarsia is a form of wood inlaying that is similar to marquetry. The start of the practice dates from before the seventh century AD. The technique of intarsia inlays sections of wood (at times with contrasting ivory or bone, or mother-of-pear ...
s and three orders of loggias in the upper section.
The interior is on the Latin cross plan with a nave and two aisles divided by columns in granite from
Elba
Elba ( it, isola d'Elba, ; la, Ilva) is a Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino on the Italian mainland, and the largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago. It is also part of the Arcipelago Toscano National ...
, an
apse
In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an ''exedra''. In ...
and a dome on the crossing with the
transept
A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform ("cross-shaped") building withi ...
. It houses a 13th-century ''Crucifix'' on panel, frescoes by
Buonamico Buffalmacco
Buonamico di Martino, otherwise known as Buonamico Buffalmacco (active c. 1315–1336), was an Italian Renaissance painter who worked in Florence, Bologna, and Pisa. Although none of his known work has survived, he is widely assumed to be the ...
and a ''Madonna with Saints'' by
Turino Vanni (14th century), but most of all a 2nd-century Roman sarcophagus used as medieval tomb. The relief on this sarcophagus was used as a model by both
Nicola Pisano
Nicola Pisano (also called ''Niccolò Pisano'', ''Nicola de Apulia'' or ''Nicola Pisanus''; c. 1220/1225 – c. 1284) was an Italian sculptor whose work is noted for its classical Roman sculptural style. Pisano is sometimes considered to be the ...
and his pupil
Arnolfo di Cambio
Arnolfo di Cambio (c. 1240 – 1300/1310) was an Italian architect and sculptor. He designed Florence Cathedral and the sixth city wall around Florence (1284–1333), while his most important surviving work as a sculptor is the tomb of Cardin ...
Sant'Agata Chapel
Behind the church is located the St. Agatha Chapel, a small Romanesque chapel built around 1063 by the monks. It was built to celebrate the conquest of the city of
Palermo
Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan ...
in that year and dedicated to the Saint, who was martyred in Sicily. However, the first written attestation of the chapel's existence is from 1132.
It is an octagonal structure in brickwork, featuring pilasters, arches including
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 ...
s and an unusual pyramidal cusp. The interior houses remains of 12th century wall decorations. The choice of the octagonal plan and the date of construction (i.e. the 12th century) suggest
Diotisalvi as its architect.
Until the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the chapel was within a cloister which blocked it from view from outside. In the bombardment of 1943, the surrounding structure was destroyed and when it was reconstructed it was decided not to restore it and to leave the chapel in an area of public parkland instead.
References
*
External links
Page with details on decorations
{{DEFAULTSORT:Paolo A Ripa D'arno
10th-century churches in Italy
12th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy
Paolo a Ripa d'Arno
Romanesque architecture in Pisa