San Filippo Neri is a

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

-style church on via Lomellini in central

Genoa Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...

History

The order of the

Oratory of Saint Philip Neri The Confederation of Oratories of Saint Philip Neri (), abbreviated C.O. and commonly known as the Oratorians, is a Catholic Church, Catholic society of apostolic life of pontifical right for men (priests and Religious brother, religious brot ...

had arrived in Genoa in 1643, under the sponsorship of the Oratorian and Marchese Camillo

Pallavicini Pallavicini () is a surname from Northwest Italy, derived from a medieval given name. Notable people with the name include: * the following members of the noble Pallavicini family: ** Agostino Pallavicini (1577–1649), Doge of Genoa and King of Co ...

, born in Genoa. Originally housed in the church of

San Pancrazio The basilica of San Pancrazio (; ) is a Catholic minor basilica and titular, conventual, and parish church founded by Pope Symmachus in the 6th century in Rome, Italy. It stands in via S. Pancrazio, westward beyond the Porta San Pancrazio tha ...

, the order moved to this new site by 1674, and built their church and chapter house on the site of a former palace of the Lomellino family. In 1834 the church became the residence of the

Genoa Conservatory The Conservatorio Niccolò Paganini (English: Conservatory of Music Niccolò Paganini), better known in English as the Genoa Conservatory, is a music conservatory in Genoa, Italy. The school was founded in 1829 as the Scuola Gratuita di Canto, ...

, and the building was used solely by that music school until it was reclaimed by an edict of the

Holy See The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...

in 1928. The nearby building on via Brignole De Ferrari houses the chapter house for the ''Oratory of

Philip Neri Saint Philip Neri , born Filippo Romolo Neri, (22 July 151526 May 1595) was an Italian Catholic priest who founded the Congregation of the Oratory, a society of secular clergy dedicated to pastoral care and charitable work. He is sometimes refe ...

''. Designed by the architect Giovanni Battista Montaldo, it was built during the same period as the church. It is not clear who designed the church.

Interior

The ornate interior decoration was begun in 1674. The

quadratura Illusionistic ceiling painting, which includes the techniques of perspective di sotto in sù and quadratura, is the tradition in Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo art in which ''trompe-l'œil'', perspective tools such as foreshortening, and other ...

and some of the gilded and stucco decoration were completed by 1706 by Antonio Maria Haffner, the brother of the Bolognese painter Enrico Haffner. The nave ceiling frescoes depict the ''Glory of St Philip Neri'' (1714) painted by

Marcantonio Franceschini Marcantonio Franceschini (; 1648 – 24 December 1729) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, active mostly in his native Bologna. He was the father and teacher of Giacomo Franceschini.''The picture collector's manual'' by James R. Hob ...

, who also painted the cornices with ''Miracles and Life of the Saint''. In the first chapel to the right are two statues of ''Mansuetude'' and ''Divine Love'' by Domenico Parodi, the son of

Filippo Parodi Filippo Parodi (1630 – 22 July 1702) was an Italian sculptor of the Baroque period, "Genoa's first and greatest native Baroque sculptor". Biography Filippo Parodi was born in Genoa into a family of sculptors. His father, Giovanni Battista, w ...

. On the lateral walls are paintings by Giacomo Boni and Enrico Vaymer depicting ''Events in the life of St Francis of Sales''. In the second chapel to the right, are frescoes by Boni, and a ''Rest on the Flight to Egypt'' attributed to Franceschini. In the first chapel on the left is a statue of an angel by Daniele Solari and a canvas depicting ''

Pope Pius V Pope Pius V, OP (; 17 January 1504 – 1 May 1572), born Antonio Ghislieri (and from 1518 called Michele Ghislieri), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 January 1566 to his death, in May 1572. He was an ...

verifies the stigmata of St Francis of Assisi'' by

Domenico Piola Domenico Piola (1627 – 8 April 1703) was a Genoese painter of the Baroque period. He was the leading artist in Genoa in the second half of the 17th century, working on ceiling frescoes for many Genoese churches and palaces and canvas paintin ...

. The wooden sculpture of the ''Pietà'' was carved by

Anton Maria Maragliano Anton Maria Maragliano (18 September 1664 – 7 March 1739) was an Italian sculptor of the Baroque period, known primarily for his wooden statues. He was born in Genoa, where he led an important workshop. He is called also Maraggiano by some ...

. In the second chapel on the left, a painting by

depicting the ''St Catherine’s Vision of Christ on the Cross'' as well as episodes of the life of St. Philip by Boni. In the presbytery the billowing statuary group of ''St Philip in Heaven'', designed and begun by

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

, was completed with the help of his assistant Honoré Pelle. The pediment statues are attributed to Giacomo Antonio Ponsonelli, while the 1712 frescoes are attributed to Stefano Maria Legnani. The oratory contains a statue of St Philip and of the ''Immaculate Conception'' by Pierre Puget. In also has frescoes by Giacomo Boni and a canvas depicting ''St Philip in Ecstasis'' by Simon Dubois. The church organ was built by Giuseppe II Serassi in 1816. It was restored in 1995. In 1834 the church became the residence of the

, and the building was used solely by that school until it was reclaimed by an edict of the

in 1928. The nave of the San Filippo Neri was used as the school's concert hall during those years, and the adjacent rooms and structures were turned into classrooms.

References

Sources

*{{cite book, first=Lorenzo , last=Pareto, author2=Camillo Pallavicino , author3=Massimiliano Spinola , author4=Giovanni Cristoforo Gandolfi , title= Descrizione di Genova e del Genovesato , Volumen III, publisher= Tipografia Ferrando , year=1846, pages= 117–118

External links

Oratory websitebooks.google.com

Filippo Neri Saint Philip Neri , born Filippo Romolo Neri, (22 July 151526 May 1595) was an Italian Catholic priest who founded the Congregation of the Oratory, a society of secular clergy dedicated to pastoral care and charitable work. He is sometimes re ...

Baroque architecture in Liguria Roman Catholic churches completed in 1674

1674 establishments in Italy