The facade of the church San Domenico in Cortona San Domenico is a

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

-style,

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 located on via Berrettini in

Cortona Cortona (, ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Arezzo, in Tuscany, Italy. It is the main cultural and artistic centre of the Val di Chiana after Arezzo. Toponymy Cortona is derived from Latin Cortōna, and from Etruscan 𐌂𐌖𐌓� ...

, 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.

History

A convent and a small church were built here beginning in 1230, but after new land adjacent to these structures was acquired, the new church we see today was completed in 1438. The complex was built outside the walls of the time, near where once stood the Porta Peccioverardi. A major refurbishment occurred in the 1590s. The Dominican convent was suppressed by the Grand-Duke's edict in 1786, and the convent was occupied by the

Servites The Servite Order, officially known as the Order of Servants of Mary ( la, Ordo Servorum Beatae Mariae Virginis; abbreviation: OSM), is one of the five original Catholic mendicant orders. It includes several branches of friars (priests and brothe ...

until their suppression in 1800. The church fell into disrepair, and the most of the convent was destroyed to build new roads in 1817-1819. The unfinished grey stone brick facade with a peaked portal and a single small oculus leads into a well organized interior nave with elaborate side altars. In the lunette over the doorway there is a fresco by

Fra Angelico Fra Angelico (born Guido di Pietro; February 18, 1455) was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance, described by Vasari in his '' Lives of the Artists'' as having "a rare and perfect talent".Giorgio Vasari, ''Lives of the Artists''. Pengu ...

, depicting the ''Madonna and child with Saints Dominic and Peter Martyr''. Fra Angelico once lived in the monastery. The main altarpiece is a triptych by

Lorenzo di Niccolò Lorenzo di Niccolò or Lorenzo di Niccolò di Martino was an Italian painter who was active in Florence from 1391 to 1412. This early Renaissance artist worked in the Trecento style, and his work maintains influences of the Gothic style, marking a ...

of Florence, depicting the ''Coronation of the Virgin'', the ''Annunciation'', the ''Crucifixion'', and other scenes. Epigraphs and signatures on the work document the painter and that it was donated in 1440 by

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 ...

. Some of the lateral altarpieces have been moved to the Diocesan Museum, and occasionally re-placed at their original sites. On the left is a ''Madonna with Angels and Franciscan Saints'' by

Luca Signorelli Luca Signorelli ( – 16 October 1523) was an Italian Renaissance painter from Cortona in Tuscany, who was noted in particular for his ability as a draftsman and his use of foreshortening. His massive frescos of the ''Last Judgment'' (1499–15 ...

. A triptych by

Sassetta ''For the village near Livorno, see Sassetta, Tuscany'' Stefano di Giovanni di Consolo, known as il Sassetta (ca.1392–1450 or 1451) was an Tuscan painter of the Renaissance, and a significant figure of the Sienese School.Judy Metro, ''Italian ...

and an ''Assumption'' by

Bartolomeo della Gatta Bartolomeo della Gatta (1448–1502), born Pietro di Antonio Dei, was an Italian (Florentine) painter, illuminator, and architect. He was the son of a goldsmith. He was a colleague of Fra Bartolommeo. In 1468, Bartolomeo became a monk in the O ...

can now be admired in the Diocesan Museum.Cortona antica: notizie archeologiche storiche ed artistiche
By Alberto Della Cella, page 192-193.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Domenico Cortona 1245 establishments in Europe 13th-century establishments in Italy Roman Catholic churches in Cortona 13th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Roman Catholic churches completed in 1438 Gothic architecture in Tuscany