San Francesco a Ripa is a church in Rome, Italy. It is dedicated to

Francis of Assisi Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, better known as Saint Francis of Assisi ( it, Francesco d'Assisi; – 3 October 1226), was a mystic Italian Catholic friar, founder of the Franciscans, and one of the most venerated figures in Christianit ...

who once stayed at the adjacent convent. The term ''Ripa'' refers to the nearby riverbank of the

Tiber The Tiber ( ; it, Tevere ; la, Tiberis) is the third-longest river in Italy and the longest in Central Italy, rising in the Apennine Mountains in Emilia-Romagna and flowing through Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio, where it is joined by the Riv ...

History

The origins of this church are related to a

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related Mendicant orders, mendicant Christianity, Christian Catholic religious order, religious orders within the Catholic Church. Founded in 1209 by Italian Catholic friar Francis of Assisi, these orders include t ...

convent in the

Trastevere Trastevere () is the 13th ''rione'' of Rome: it is identified by the initials R. XIII and it is located within Municipio I. Its name comes from Latin ''trans Tiberim'', literally 'beyond the Tiber'. Its coat of arms depicts a golden head of a lio ...

quarter of Rome, which in 1231 annexed a church dedicated to

Saint Blaise Blaise of Sebaste ( hy, Սուրբ Վլասի, ''Surb Vlasi''; el, Ἅγιος Βλάσιος, ''Agios Vlasios''; ) was a physician and bishop of Sebastea in historical Armenia (modern Sivas, Turkey) who is venerated as a Christian saint and m ...

(San Biagio). This church was decorated with the ''St Francis'' cycle by

Pietro Cavallini Pietro Cavallini (1259 – c. 1330) was an Italian painter and mosaic designer working during the late Middle Ages. Biography Little is known about his biography, though it is known he was from Rome, since he signed ''pictor romanus''. His fir ...

, now lost. This cycle probably served as the prototype for the famous ''Legend of St. Francis'' frescoes ascribed to

Giotto di Bondone Giotto di Bondone (; – January 8, 1337), known mononymously as Giotto ( , ) and Latinised as Giottus, was an Italian painter and architect from Florence during the Late Middle Ages. He worked during the Gothic/Proto-Renaissance period. Gi ...

in the Upper Basilica of St Francis in Assisi. The construction of the present church was begun in 1603 by

Onorio Longhi Onorio Longhi (1568–1619) was an Italian architect, the father of Martino Longhi the Younger and the son of Martino Longhi the Elder. Born in Viggiù, Lombardy, Longhi began as assistant for his father, and inherited the latter's commission ...

, starting with the

apse In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an ''exedra''. In ...

. The facade was finished in 1681-1701 with designs by

Mattia de Rossi Mattia de Rossi (14 January 1637 – 2 August 1695) was an Italian architect of the Baroque period, active mainly in Rome and surrounding towns. Biography Born in Rome to a family of architects and artisans, he rose to prominence under the mentors ...

. From 1873 to 1943 the church was used as barracks by the

Bersaglieri The Bersaglieri, singular Bersagliere, (, "sharpshooter") are a troop of marksmen in the Italian Army's infantry corps. They were originally created by General Alessandro La Marmora on 18 June 1836 to serve in the Royal Sardinian Army, which ...

Interior

In the first chapel of the right, there are frescoes by Fra Emanuele da Como and monument to Cardinal Michelangelo Ricci by

Domenico Guidi Domenico Guidi (1625 – 28 March 1701) was a prominent Italian Baroque sculptor. Born in Carrara, Guidi followed his uncle, Giuliano Finelli, a prominent sculptor noted for his feud with Bernini, to Naples. When he fled Naples in 1647 dur ...

. In second,

Domenico Maria Muratori Domenico Maria Muratori (1662–1744) was an Italian painter of the late seventeenth and early eighteenth century, specializing in altarpieces. Muratori was born in Vendrana in the Budrio commune. He was a Bolognese School (painting), Bolognese p ...

frescoed events from the life of ‘’San Giovanni from Capestrano’’ (1725). In the third chapel, is an altarpiece (1685) by Stefano Maria Legnani. In the transept is the chapel of the Rospigliosi-Pallavicini, started by Nicolas Michetti and completed by Ludovico Rusconi in 1725. Inside the altarpiece depicts ''San Pietro d' Alcantara and San Pasquale Baylon'' painted by Tommaso Chiaro and the funeral monuments of Stefano and Lazzaro Pallavicini, Maria Camilla, and Giambattista Rospigliosi based on designs of Michetti. The main altar was completed in 1746. The ''Saint Francis'' is attributed to Fra Diego da Careri, the ''Trinity'' canvas by

Paris Nogari Paris Nogari (c. 1536–1601) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance period, a minor pupil of Cesare Nebbia active mainly in Rome. He painted in the library of the Vatican in a style resembling Raffaellino da Reggio and was among the painters ...

. In the left transept, the chapel Paluzzi-Albertoni designed by Giacomo Mola (1622-1625). Inside this chapel is one of Bernini’s masterpieces, his

Beata Ludovica Albertoni ''Blessed Ludovica Albertoni'' ( it, Beata Ludovica Albertoni) is a funerary monument by the Italian Baroque artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini.Wittkower 1955, p. 294. The Trastevere sculpture is located in the specially designed Altieri Chapel in the ...

(1671-1675). This sculpture readily recalls the recumbent '' Ecstasy of Saint Teresa'' in Santa Maria della Vittoria. Behind the statue is a painting of ''Saint Anna and the Virgin'' by

Giovanni Battista Gaulli Giovanni Battista Gaulli (8 May 1639 – 2 April 1709), also known as Baciccio or Baciccia (Genoese nicknames for ''Giovanni Battista''), was an Italian artist working in the High Baroque and early Rococo periods. He is best known for his grand ...

. In third chapel on the left is a bust of ''Laura Frangipani'' sculpted by

Andrea Bolgi Andrea Bolgi (22 June 1605 – 1656) was an Italian sculptor responsible for several statues in St. Peter's Basilica, Rome. Towards the end of his life he moved to Naples, where he sculpted portrait busts. He died in Naples during a plague epid ...

(1637), on the forehead wall bust by the Orazio Mattei attributed to

Lorenzo Ottoni Lorenzo Ottoni, also known as Lorenzo Ottone or Lorenzone, (1658–1736) was an Italian sculptor who was commissioned by the papacy and various noble houses of Renaissance Italy. Life Ottoni was born in Rome in 1658 and spent the majority of h ...

. In the second chapel, frescoes by

Giovanni Battista Ricci Giovanni Battista Ricci (Novara, circa 1537 – Rome, 1627) nicknamed Il Novara after his birth town, was an Italian painter of the late-Mannerist and early- Baroque period, active mainly in Rome. Biography Ricci moved to Rome from his native Pi ...

. To the center an ''Annunciation'' (1535) by Francesco Salviati. The tomb of Giuseppe Paravicini, an ancestor of the Emperor

Napoleon I Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

of France, was sculpted by

Camillo Rusconi Camillo Rusconi (14 July 1658 – 8 December 1728) was an Italian sculptor of the late Baroque in Rome. His style displays both features of Baroque and Neoclassicism. He has been described as a Carlo Maratta in marble. Biography Initially trained ...

. In the first chapel is a painting by

Marten de Vos Maerten de Vos, Maerten de Vos the Elder or Marten de Vos (1532 – 4 December 1603)Maerten de Vos
at the

(1555), to the right is an ''Assumption'' by Antonio della Corna, on the left, a ''Birth of the Virgin'' (1620) by

Simon Vouet Simon Vouet (; 9 January 1590 – 30 June 1649) was a French painter who studied and rose to prominence in Italy before being summoned by Louis XIII to serve as Premier peintre du Roi in France. He and his studio of artists created religious and m ...

. On the same left transept the chapel of San Carlo hosts the remains of Saint

Charles of Sezze Charles of Sezze (19 October 1613 – 6 January 1670) - born Giancarlo Marchioni - was an Italian professed religious from the Order of Friars Minor. He became a religious despite the opposition of his parents who wanted him to become a priest a ...

, that died in the hospital of the church in 1670. Notable also is a copy of an alleged portrait of St. Francis by the friar

Margaritone d'Arezzo Margarito, Margaritone da Arezzo, or Margaritone d'Arezzo (''fl. c.'' 1250–1290) was an Italian painter from Arezzo in Tuscany. Margaritone's given name was Margarito, but it was transcribed erroneously by Vasari as "Margaritone". It is by ...

: if confirmed, it would be the first true portrait in the history of Italian arts (the original is in the

Pinacoteca Vaticana The Vatican Museums ( it, Musei Vaticani; la, Musea Vaticana) are the public museums of the Vatican City. They display works from the immense collection amassed by the Catholic Church and the papacy throughout the centuries, including several of ...

). The church houses also, in the cell where the saint lived, a black stone he had used as a cushion. In the garden of the friary is an

orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower *Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum * ...

tree, which according to the tradition was planted by St Francis. The square in front of the church has one Ionian column erected by

Pope Pius IX Pope Pius IX ( it, Pio IX, ''Pio Nono''; born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878, the longest verified papal reign. He was notable for convoking the First Vatican ...

, taken from the ruins of

Veii Veii (also Veius; it, Veio) was an important ancient Etruscan city situated on the southern limits of Etruria and north-northwest of Rome, Italy. It now lies in Isola Farnese, in the comune of Rome. Many other sites associated with and in the ...

List of Cardinal Protectors

This is the seat of cardinalatial title of '' Sancti Francisci Assisiensis ad Ripam Maiorem. *

Laurean Rugambwa Laurean Rugambwa (July 12, 1912 – December 8, 1997) was the first modern native African Cardinal of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Dar es Salaam from 1968 to 1992, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1960. Biography Laurea ...

31 March 1960 - 8 December 1997 *

Norberto Rivera Carrera Norberto Rivera Carrera (born 6 June 1942) is a Mexican prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who was archbishop of Mexico City from 1995 to 2017. He was made a cardinal in 1998. He was Bishop of Tehuacán from 1985 to 1995. Early life and minis ...

21 February 1998 - present

Burial

* Antonino da Patti, 16th century *

Giorgio de Chirico Giuseppe Maria Alberto Giorgio de Chirico ( , ; 10 July 1888 – 20 November 1978) was an Italian artist and writer born in Greece. In the years before World War I, he founded the '' scuola metafisica'' art movement, which profoundly influ ...

References

Bibliography

*Federico Gizzi, ''Le chiese barocche di Roma''

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Francesco A Ripa, San Roman Catholic churches completed in 1701 Francesco A Ripa Baroque architecture in Rome

Francesco Francesco, the Italian (and original) version of the personal name " Francis", is the most common given name among males in Italy. Notable persons with that name include: People with the given name Francesco * Francesco I (disambiguation), sev ...

Francesco Rome Churches of Rome (rione Trastevere)