Sant’Andrea is a 14th-century church located in

Spello Spello (in Antiquity: Hispellum) is an ancient town and ''comune'' (township) of Italy, in the province of Perugia in eastern-central Umbria, on the lower southern flank of Mt. Subasio. It is 6 km (4 mi) NNW of Foligno and 10 km ( ...

province of Perugia The Province of Perugia ( it, Provincia di Perugia) is the larger of the two provinces in the Umbria region of Italy, comprising two-thirds of both the area and population of the region. Its capital is the city of Perugia. The province covered al ...

, region of

Umbria it, Umbro (man) it, Umbra (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , ...

, Italy.

History

A church at this site is documented since 1025, as belonging to Camaldolese monks from the monastery of San Silvestro on Monte Subasio. In the 13th century, the church came under the rule of the bishop of

Spoleto Spoleto (, also , , ; la, Spoletum) is an ancient city in the Italian province of Perugia in east-central Umbria on a foothill of the Apennines. It is S. of Trevi, N. of Terni, SE of Perugia; SE of Florence; and N of Rome. History Spolet ...

, who then granted it, and surrounding farms, to monks of the Franciscan order. Soon thereafter a

Franciscan , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans , abbreviation = OFM , predecessor = , ...

monastery was begun. In 1254,

Pope Innocent IV Pope Innocent IV ( la, Innocentius IV; – 7 December 1254), born Sinibaldo Fieschi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 25 June 1243 to his death in 1254. Fieschi was born in Genoa and studied at the universitie ...

, and again in 1256

Pope Alexander IV Pope Alexander IV (1199 or 1185 – 25 May 1261) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 12 December 1254 to his death in 1261. Early career He was born as Rinaldo di Jenne in Jenne (now in the Province of Rome), he ...

, confirmed these grants. In 1258, the latter pope granted indulgences to be offered over ten years to help pay for the erection of the monastery. The monastery was aided by its affiliation with the blessed Andrea Caccioli (1194-1254), who had been an original novice under St Francis, and had been the earliest leader of this monastery. In 1360, the blessed monk was proclaimed a "co-patron" of the town, although he did not get ''cultus confirmation'' by the Vatican until 1738, and has never been

beatified Beatification (from Latin ''beatus'', "blessed" and ''facere'', "to make”) is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their nam ...

. The church and convent have undergone many refurbishments over the centuries. The latter was twice secularized: once by the French occupation in 1810, and again in 1860 and 1866, when it became an orphanage for girls. The Franciscan order returned in 1982 to restore the monastery.Entry on church in website of Comune of Spello

Interior Artworks

Pinturicchio, madonna in trono e santi, 1507-1508, 318x257 cm, spello, chiesa di sant'andrea

*''St Francis'' in 16th century marble aedicule (wooden icon on right entry wall) *''Madonna and Child with Saints Anne, Roch and Nicola of Bari'' (1532, right wall) by Tommaso Corbo *''Meeting of Saints Joachim and Anne'' (1565, right wall) attributed to

Dono Doni Dono Doni, also known as Adone Doni or Dono dei Doni (1505-1575) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance period active mainly in Umbria. Biography Doni was born at Assisi. While is said by Lanzi and others to have been a disciple of Pietro ...

*''Madonna and Child'' (first half of 14th century, nich on right wall. *''Madonna and Child, Saints Lawrence, Francis, Ludovico, Sant'Andrea Apostle, and a young John the Baptist'' (1507-1508) by

Pinturicchio Pinturicchio, or Pintoricchio (, ; born Bernardino di Betto; 1454–1513), also known as Benetto di Biagio or Sordicchio, was an Italian painter during the Renaissance. He acquired his nickname (meaning "little painter") because of his sma ...

with the help of Eusebio da San Giorgio and Giovanni di Francesco Ciambella *''Ecstasy of St Anthony'' (17th century, Chapel of St Anthony of Padua) *''Blessed Franciscan'' (1662, Chapel of St Anthony of Padua) by follower of

Giovanni Battista Pacetti Giovanni Battista Pacetti, nicknamed Lo Sguazzino (1593–1630) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, active in his native Città di Castello. His nickname derives from the splashed on technique. He was prolific in painting altarpieces and ...

Wooden intaglio choir (17th century, apse) *''Twelve apostles'' (1913, apse) by Benvenuto Crispoldi *''Crucifixion'' (circa 1400, apse) by follower of Giotto Funeral Urn of Blessed Andrea Caccioli (17th century, Chapel of St Francis) *''Miracle of the Blessed Andrea Caccioli in Reggio Emilia'' (1610, Chapel of St Francis) by

Cesare Sermei Cesare Sermei (Città della Pieve, c.1581 – Assisi, 1668) was an Italian painter. Son of painter Fernando Sermei, he learned to paint in the workshop of Cesare Nebbia, primarily moving between Orvieto and Rome. In 1608 Sermei established hi ...

*''Blessed Beata Veronica Giuliani'' (17th century, Fresco in chapel of St Anthony) Other frescoes in the Chapel of St Anthony include a ''Madonna and child with Angels'' (14th century) by the school of

Cola Petruccioli Cola Petruccioli (1360–1401) was an Italian painter from Orvieto in Umbria, known as an apprentice to Ugolino di Prete Ilaro, active in the period around 1400 and contemporary of the Sienese School. His works are seen in the Cathedral of A ...

and an ''Enthroned Madonna and Child with St Anthony abbot and St James the Pilgrim and Donors'' (14th century) by the Master of Santa Giuliana In the chapel of the Holy Sacrament are 20th century paintings by Benvenuto Crispoldi and a fresco of the ''Madonna and Child with Saints Catherine and Lucy'' (16th century) by followers of Ascensidonio Spacca and frescoes by followers of Mazzaforte The Convent is under restoration. It has had some frescoes (late 17th century) attributed to Carlo Lamparelli and a canvas depicting ''St Ursula'' attributed to

Sebastiano Conca Sebastiano Conca (8 January 1680 – 1 September 1764) was an Italian painter. Biography He was born at Gaeta, then part of the Kingdom of Naples, and apprenticed in Naples under Francesco Solimena. In 1706, along with his brother Giovanni, who ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Andrea Spello Churches in Spello 12th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy