Santa Maria della Misericordia is a Renaissance-style, Roman Catholic basilica church and Marian shrine located on Piazza San Vincenzo Maria Strambi, next to the Cathedral, in the center of Macerata, region of

Marche Marche ( , ) is one of the twenty regions of Italy. In English, the region is sometimes referred to as The Marches ( ). The region is located in the central area of the country, bordered by Emilia-Romagna and the republic of San Marino to the ...

, Italy.

History

A votive chapel has existed at the site since 1447, erected in a single day, after the waning of a

plague Plague or The Plague may refer to: Agriculture, fauna, and medicine *Plague (disease), a disease caused by ''Yersinia pestis'' * An epidemic of infectious disease (medical or agricultural) * A pandemic caused by such a disease * A swarm of pes ...

epidemic. It arose around a venerated icon of the '' Madonna della Misericordia'' (Our Lady of the Mercies). In 1497, the chapel was refurbished, and soon thereafter the main altarpiece became a canvas depicting the ''Madonna della Misericordia Surrounded by Saints Julian, Andrew, Roch and Sebastian'', which was painted on the wall surrounding the bishop's orchard. The painting has been attributed to Lorenzo Costa. In 1734, the present church was erected using designs by Luigi Vanvitelli. The interior space is richly decorated with frescoes, marble, and stucco. In the central Vanvitellian nave, the frescoes, painted by Francesco Mancini depict the ''Life of Mary'', including a ceiling fresco depicting an ''Assumption of Mary'' and walls with four ovals depicting ''Mary at the Temple'', ''Annunciation'', ''Visitation'', and ''Presentation of Jesus at the Temple''. The church has two large canvases depicting an ''Immaculate Conception'' and a ''Birth of Mary'' by Sebastiano Conca. The main altarpiece is the Mater Misericordia work described above now framed by a modern

iconostasis In Eastern Christianity, an iconostasis ( gr, εἰκονοστάσιον) is a wall of icons and religious paintings, separating the nave from the sanctuary in a Church (building), church. ''Iconostasis'' also refers to a portable icon stand t ...

. An ambulatory was added around the nave of Vanvitelli between 1860-1893. In 1921, the painter

Biagio Biagetti Biagio Biagetti (21 July 1877 – 2 April 1948) was an Italian painter and art-restorer, mainly working with sacred subjects. Biography He was born in Porto Recanati and died in Macerata. He trained under Ludovico Seitz. In 1921, Pope Benedic ...

frescoed in the ambulatory a depiction of the Life of Jesus, in a style influenced by the Italian

stile liberty Liberty style ( it, Stile Liberty) was the Italian variant of Art Nouveau, which flourished between about 1890 and 1914. It was also sometimes known as ''stile floreale'', ''arte nuova'', or ''stile moderno''. It took its name from Arthur Lasenby ...

. These frescoes depict a ''Birth of Jesus'', ''Flight to Egypt'', ''Marriage at Cana'', ''Crucifixion'', ''Deposition'', ''Pentecost'', ''Dormitio Virginia'', and a ''Holy Family''. Biagetti also provided the designs for the stained glass windows completed by Cesare Picchiarini. The structure was provided with an external portico and elegant iron gates. The bronze doors (1952) were completed by C. Cantalamessa.Official website of Basilica

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maria della Misericordia Macerata 18th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Baroque architecture in Marche Minor basilicas in Marche Roman Catholic churches in Macerata