Santo Stefano dei Cavalieri is a church in central

Pisa Pisa ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Tuscany, Central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for the Leaning Tow ...

located on

Piazza dei Cavalieri Piazza dei Cavalieri () is a landmark in Pisa, Italy, and the second main square of the city. This square was the political centre in medieval Pisa. After the middle of 16th century the square became the headquarters of the Order of the Knights ...

(Knight's Square). Construction began on 17 April 1565 in order to build a church for the Order of Knights of St Stephan, founded by the Grand Duke

Cosimo de' Medici Cosimo di Giovanni de' Medici (27 September 1389 – 1 August 1464) was an Italian banker and politician who established the House of Medici, Medici family as effective rulers of Florence during much of the Italian Renaissance. His power derive ...

to fight

Saracen upright 1.5, Late 15th-century German woodcut depicting Saracens ''Saracen'' ( ) was a term used both in Greek and Latin writings between the 5th and 15th centuries to refer to the people who lived in and near what was designated by the Rom ...

piracy in the Mediterranean. The project with designs and oversight by

Giorgio Vasari Giorgio Vasari (30 July 1511 – 27 June 1574) was an Italian Renaissance painter, architect, art historian, and biographer who is best known for his work ''Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects'', considered the ideol ...

and David Fortini was to build a church on the site of an older church called San Sebastiano alle Fabbriche Maggiori, which dated at least to 1074. The new church on the site was consecrated by 21 December 1569. The facade, in white marble was designed by Don Giovanni de' Medici, illegitimate son of Cosimo I, with the help of Alessandro Pieroni; their designs were chosen over Vasari’s original plan. An inscription commemorates completion during the reign of

Ferdinando I de' Medici Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (30 July 1549 – 17 February 1609) was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1587 to 1609, having succeeded his older brother Francesco I, who presumably died from malaria. Early life Ferdinando was the ...

. The bell-tower, also designed by Vasari, was completed by 1572 by Giovanni Fancelli. The main altar designs were by Pier Francesco Silvani. Many alterations and additions were proposed and made over the next two centuries, including plans by Gherardo Mechini, Paolo Guidotti, Ranieri Gherardi, Torpè Donati, Alessandro Gherardesca, Florido Galli, Niccolò Matas, and Pasquale Poccianti. The final reconstruction in 1859, completed after the suppression of the order, creates the clearer interior systematization of columns we see today.

Interior

The church display numerous trophy banners, captured during naval encounters with Saracen pirates. The font for holy water (1568) was sculpted by Giovanni Fancelli, based on designs by Vasari. In the counterfacade are five monochrome paintings of ''Stories of St Stefano Pope and Martyr'', including one celebrating the entrance of Ferdinando I on 31 March 1588. This grand-duke was to commission the wooden ceiling by Bartolomeo Atticciati (1604). The Ceiling has six paintings on wood depicting episodes historic events in which the military order was active, including the ''Granting of uniforms by Cosimo I de' Medici'' by il Cigoli, the ''Return of the Fleet from the

Battle of Lepanto The Battle of Lepanto was a naval warfare, naval engagement that took place on 7 October 1571 when a fleet of the Holy League (1571), Holy League, a coalition of Catholic states arranged by Pope Pius V, inflicted a major defeat on the fleet of t ...

'' and ''Sacking of Prevesa'' by

Jacopo Ligozzi Jacopo Ligozzi (1547–1627) was an Italian painter, illustrator, designer, and miniaturist. His art can be categorized as late-Renaissance and Mannerism, Mannerist styles. Biography Born in Verona, he was the son of the artist Giovanni Erma ...

, ''The embarcation at Livorno of Maria de' Medici'' by Allori, ''Victory in the Greek Archipelago'' and ''Capture of Bona'' by l'Empoli, The polychrome pulpit (1627) was completed by Chiarissimo Fancelli. It contains paintings by the Pisan Aurelio Lomi of ''Madonna and child with Saints Joseph and Stefano'' (1593) and a painting of the palace of the Order. The Main altar (1702–1709) in the presbytery was designed and sculpted by Giovanni Battista Foggini with a statue of ''St Stefano Pope'' and ''allegorical figures of Religion and Faith'', and on the bronze throne, a relief with the ''Decapitation of St Stefano''. At the right is a painting by

, with the ''Entombment of St Stefano'' (1571), while at the right is a ''Birth of Christ'' (1564) by

Bronzino Agnolo di Cosimo (; 17 November 150323 November 1572), usually known as Bronzino ( ) or Agnolo Bronzino, was an Italians, Italian Mannerism, Mannerist painter from Florence. His sobriquet, ''Bronzino'', may refer to his relatively dark skin or r ...

. In the

Sacristy A sacristy, also known as a vestry or preparation room, is a room in Christianity, Christian churches for the keeping of vestments (such as the alb and chasuble) and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records. The sacristy is us ...

is a sculptural group by Foggini of ''St Stefano and the allegory of Reason and the Trinity'' (1683), made in occasion of the translation of the body of the saint to this church in 1682. The chapel of the Holy Sacrament was completed in 1837 by Florido Galli.

Organ

There are three organs in the church, the first from 1571 by the Cortonese organ-maker Onofrio Zeffirini. On the left is an organ by the Sienese Azzolino Bernardino della Ciaja reconstructed in 1733. In 1931, Giovanni Tamburini builds a new organ behind the 1733 organ. The modern organ is the only functioning one in the church. Composer Giovanni Bettini was organist at the church from 1616 through 1624. Image:Pisa Stefano.jpg, Interior Image:Santo stefano dei cavalieri inside 06.JPG, Ottoman and Saracen Standards Image:Chiesa di Santo Stefano Pisa, Jacopo Ligozzi, il ritorno dei Cavalieri di Santo Stefano da Lepanto.jpg, Jacopo Ligozzi, ''The Cavalieri di Santo Stefano return from the

'' Image:Chiesa di Santo Stefano Pisa, Giorgio Vasari, Lapidazione di Santo Stefano.jpg, Giorgio Vasari, ''Entombment di Santo Stefano''

Notes

{{Authority control Stefano dei Cavalieri Roman Catholic churches completed in 1569 Renaissance architecture in Pisa 1569 establishments in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany 16th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Giorgio Vasari buildings

Interior

Organ

See also

Notes