Santa Petronilla is a 17th-century

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 and former convent located near the start of via Camillo Benzo Cavour, corner with via Santa Petronilla 1, in the city of

Siena Siena ( , ; lat, Sena Iulia) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena. The city is historically linked to commercial and banking activities, having been a major banking center until the 13th and 14th centuri ...

, 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. It is located outside the medieval walls of Siena, near the antiporta of Camollia.

History

A church, convent and hospital stood at the site since the 13th-century, but the convent of Clarissan nuns was destroyed during one of the sieges of Siena during the years 1554–1559. The nuns had relocated into the city to the Convent of the Umiliati; the republic of Siena had converted the convent into a fort before the forces of

Cosimo I de Medici Cosimo I de' Medici (12 June 1519 – 21 April 1574) was the second Duke of Florence from 1537 until 1569, when he became the first Grand Duke of Tuscany, a title he held until his death. Life Rise to power Cosimo was born in Florence on 12 ...

destroyed it. The church, dedicated to

Saint Petronilla Petronilla (Aurelia Petronilla) is an early Christian saint. She was venerated as a virgin martyr by the Catholic Church. She died in Rome at the end of the 1st century, or possibly in the 3rd century. Identity Petronilla is traditionally iden ...

. That small church fell into ruin, and was finally razed in 1895. Construction of the present church and convent was commissioned in 1622-1632 by the

Capuchin Order The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (; postnominal abbr. O.F.M. Cap.) is a religious order of Franciscan friars within the Catholic Church, one of Three " First Orders" that reformed from the Franciscan Friars Minor Observant (OFM Obs., now OFM) ...

of monks. Until 1537, the Capuchins owned a convent in Monte Celso near Siena. But because of growth, they sought a new location, and chose one closer to the city. The convent and church they built was dedicated to the ''Santissima Concezione di Maria'' (Holiest Conception of Mary). The Granduke of Tuscany was present at the ceremony to lay the first stone, and a decade later the convent was inaugurated under the guidance of the Archbishop of Siena, Ascanio

Piccolomini The House of Piccolomini (pronounced ) is the name of an Italian noble family, Patricians of Siena, who were prominent from the beginning of the 13th century until the 18th century. The family achieved the recognised titles of Pope of the Cathol ...

. The convent, which once housed 100 monks, now is a home for disabled individuals. When the remains of the old church was razed, the title of ''Santa Petronilla'' was transferred to the church. The church now belongs to the Archdiocese of Siena, Colle di Val D'Elsa, Montalcino. The Capuchin convent was briefly suppressed by Napoleonic authorities in 1810, which was renewed in 1866. After this, the convent underwent a number of diverse uses, including as a lazzeretto to quarantine cholera, as barracks, school, orphanage, barracks, and armory. The neo- Romanesque belltower of the church remained incomplete for centuries, and was only completed only after World War II. Among the bells are some from 1623 and another from 1790. The wide steps that lead to the portal were completed during the 1940s. The remains in a small cemetery and ossuary in front of the church was relocated to the church. The interior contains a variety of paintings: including a ''Glory of St Joseph'' (1629) by

Raffaello Vanni Raffaello Vanni (1590 ca-1673) was an Italian painter of the Baroque. Biography He was born at Siena. He first trained with his father, Francesco Vanni, who died in 1610. He was afterwards sent to Rome, and recommended to the care of Antonio Ca ...

; a ''Martyrdom of St Catherine of Alexandria'' by a painter of the school of Alessandro Casolani; a ''Death of the Virgin'' (1633) by

Astolfo Petrazzi Astolfo Petrazzi (1583–1665) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, active mainly in his hometown of Siena, but also Spoleto and Rome. He was a pupil of mainly Francesco Vanni, but also worked under Ventura Salimbeni and Pietro Sorri. ...

, a ''Martyrdom of St Lawrence by and unknown 17th-century painter; a ''Deposition of Christ'' (1704) and an ''Ecstasy of St Francis of Paola'' (1722) by

Giuseppe Nicola Nasini Giuseppe Nicola Nasini (January 25, 1657– July 3, 1736) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, active in Rome and Tuscany. Biography Born in Castel del Piano, now in the Province of Grosseto, Giuseppe was the son of the painter Frances ...

. The lunettes have ''Stories of Famous Franciscans'' (circa 1850) by

Vincenzo Dei Vincenzo is an Italian male given name, derived from the Latin name Vincentius (the verb ''vincere'' means to win or to conquer). Notable people with the name include: Art *Vincenzo Amato (born 1966), Italian actor and sculptor * Vincenzo Bell ...

.Santa Petronilla
official website. It would be anachronistic to compare the present church facade with that found in a

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 smal ...

fresco in the

Piccolomini Library Siena Cathedral ( it, Duomo di Siena) is a medieval church in Siena, Italy, dedicated from its earliest days as a Roman Catholic Marian church, and now dedicated to the Assumption of Mary. It was the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Siena, and ...

of the

Cathedral of Siena A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denomination ...

. The scene of the 15th-century encounter of Frederick III with Eleonora of Portugal supposedly took place near this site, a church adjacent to a city gate resembles the present facade. It is not known if the facade of the raze church resembled the present facade.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Petronilla, Siena Roman Catholic churches in Siena Baroque architecture in Siena 17th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Roman Catholic churches completed in 1632 1632 establishments in Italy