The Minor Basilica of Santi Vicenzo e Caterina de' Ricci is a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

church, built in the 16th to 18th centuries, and located in the town of

Prato Prato ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, Italy, the capital of the Province of Prato. The city lies in the north east of Tuscany, at the foot of Monte Retaia, elevation , the last peak in the Calvana chain. With more than 200,000 i ...

, in

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. Adjacent to the church is a 16th-century monastery.

Construction

The original church of San Vicenzo had been built in the 16th century, but refurbished over the following centuries. The church is now also dedicated to Caterina de' Ricci (1522-1590), who had been a nun associated with the adjacent convent of San Vicenzo Ferrer. About 150 years after her death, Catherine was beatified (1732) and subsequently canonized (1742). After her beatification, this church underwent major refurbishment (1732-1735) under Giovanni Battista Bettini (il Cignaroli) and Girolamo Ticciati. Saint Catherine's remains are displayed under the main altar. The reconstruction and canonization led to making the church a

minor basilica In the Catholic Church, a basilica is a designation given by the Pope to a church building. Basilicas are distinguished for ceremonial purposes from other churches. The building need not be a basilica in the architectural sense (a rectangular ...

. Both the interior and exterior are

baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

in style.

Works of art

The church houses a ''Nativity'' (16th century) by Michele delle Colombe, a marble relief of ''Madonna and Child'' (15th century) by

Matteo Civitali Matteo Civitali (1436–1501) was an Italian Renaissance sculptor and architect, painterThe only known painting attributed to Matteo, a triptych of the ''Virgin and Child with Saints Michael Archangel, John the Baptist, Biagio and Peter'', execut ...

, and the ''Martyrdom of Saint Catherine of Alessandria'' by

Vincenzo Meucci Vincenzo Meucci (1694–1766) was an Italian painter of the late- Baroque period. Born in Florence. He was a pupil first of the painter Sebastiano Galeotti, then of Giovanni Gioseffo dal Sole in Bologna. He was patronized by the Marchese Giova ...

. On the wall of the nave and above the altar is a series of framed relief sculptures by Girolamo Ticciati and Vicenzo Foggini (died 1755), son of the better-known sculptor

Giovanni Battista Foggini Giovanni Battista (Giambattista) Foggini (25 April 1652 – 12 April 1725) was an Italian sculptor active in Florence, renowned mainly for small bronze statuary. Biography Born in Florence, the young Foggini was sent to Rome by the Medici Gran ...

, depicting various miracles associated with Saint Catherine. The ceiling canvases are by Pucci.

Adjacent monastery

Next to the church is the cloistered monastery founded in 1503 and later expanded during the life of Caterina de’ Ricci. The atrium leads to the Papalini Madonna Chapel. Legends hold that the chapel houses a 16th-century

maiolica Maiolica is tin-glazed pottery decorated in colours on a white background. Italian maiolica dating from the Renaissance period is the most renowned. When depicting historical and mythical scenes, these works were known as ''istoriato'' wares ( ...

bust that caused the Spanish troops of

Ferdinand II of Aragon Ferdinand II ( an, Ferrando; ca, Ferran; eu, Errando; it, Ferdinando; la, Ferdinandus; es, Fernando; 10 March 1452 – 23 January 1516), also called Ferdinand the Catholic (Spanish: ''el Católico''), was King of Aragon and Sardinia from ...

and

Pope Julius II Pope Julius II ( la, Iulius II; it, Giulio II; born Giuliano della Rovere; 5 December 144321 February 1513) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1503 to his death in February 1513. Nicknamed the Warrior Pope or th ...

to spare the monastery during the 1512 Sack of Prato. The altar has two panels depicting and ''Assumption'' and ''Scenes from the Passion'' (circa 1576) by Michele delle Colombe; it also houses precious paintings by

Simone Pignoni Simone Pignoni (April 17, 1611 – December 16, 1698) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period. He apprenticed with Fabrizio Boschi, then with the more academic and puritanical Domenico Passignano, and finally with Francesco Furini. He is ...

(''Saints Catherine and Tecla'');

Lorenzo Lippi Lorenzo Lippi (3 May 1606 – 15 April 1665) was an Italian painter and poet. Biography Born in Florence, he studied painting under Matteo Rosselli. Both Baldassare Franceschini and Francesco Furini were also apprenticed with Rosselli, th ...

(''St Francis di Sales''); Ridolfo del Ghirlandaio (''Madonna and Child''); as well from the studio of

Giovanni Battista Naldini Giovanni Battista Naldini (1535–1591) was an Italian painter in a late-Mannerist style, active in Florence and Rome. Biography His first apprenticeship (1549–1557) was in the studio of Jacopo Pontormo. He went from Rome for a number of mon ...

. There is an altarpiece by

Michele Tosini Michele Tosini, also called ''Michele di Ridolfo'', (1503–1577) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance and Mannerist period, who worked in Florence. Biography He apprenticed initially with Lorenzo di Credi and Antonio del Ceraiolo, but then ...

in the garden of the Chapel of Madonna di Loreto. Some sites in the convent are closed to visitors.Fondazione Pistoia Vignole
entry on church and monastery.

Images

File:Santi Vincenzo e Caterina-nave 1.jpg, Internal view File:Santi Vincenzo e Caterina-to the exit.jpg, The choir of the nuns File:Santa caterina de' ricci, reliquie 02.JPG, The preserved corpse of Saint Catherine de' Ricci File:Basilica di Santa Caterina de' Ricci interno 07.JPG, High Altar

References

{{coord missing, Italy Vicenzo e Caterina 15th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Renaissance architecture in Tuscany 17th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Basilica churches in Tuscany