Sacred Buildings of the City Centre of Carpi in Emilia-Romagna
Sacred buildings of the Carpi historical centre: The Pieve della Sagra and the Cathedral, Temple of San Nicolò, San Francesco, San Bernardino from Siena, SS. Crocifisso church
St. Mary's Church in the Castle
"The Sagra" dates back to the establishment of the Longobards with King Astolfo (752). Only certain traces of the original foundations and small areas in the crypt still exist . The actual medieval construction showing Romanesque styled architectural canons and decorations, which can be noticed on the walls and in the bell tower, are from the Matildic era (XII century).
The facade was made in 1515 with the project of Baldassarre Peruzzi, when the Medieval church, with a basilican layout was reduced to its actual size, allowing the construction of the Cathedral; the XII century portal was recovered from the antique church. The marble ambo with basso-rilievi (XII century), the sarcophagus of Manfredo Pio and more than anything the frescos which date back between the XIII and the XV centuries (central nave, the chapel of San Martino and the chapel of St. Catherine of Alessandria) are of outstanding interest . The Cathedral closes Piazza dei Martiri at one end.
The construction began in 1515 by wish of Prince Alberto III Pio, works were suspended in 1525, and it was finished with the inside decorations at the end of the 19th century. It was designed along the lines of Raffaello's classicized model of St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome, with a basilican layout of a nave and two aisles, with a transept and dome. In 1525, before the suspension of the works, the apsidal, the transept and the foundations of the whole building had been completed; the faade (Baroque), the nave and the aisles were begun in 1606, instead, the dome, which was begun in 1768, was modified in 1771.
Further works to the facade were carried out during 1800 and 1900; the inside decorations, works of Lelio Rossi together with Albano Lugli and Fermo Forti were carried out between 1873 and 1893.
Temple of San Nicolo'
This was also built by wish of Alberto III Pio, represents one of the most interesting, religious buildings in Carpi. The temple, built over an older medieval church, still preserves the outlines of the original project, inspired by Bramante, in the apsidal of the central plan.
In 1516 the nave and aisles were added using Baldassarre Peruzzi's project and in 1522 the church was officially opened. Although the building is a combination of two different structures,the interior presents a monumental space which is architecturally unified.
Rich pictorial decorations complete the structure which were started by Giovanni del Sega in 1516, with successive remakings (middle 1800's) by Pietro Gualdi and Claudio Rossi, and later on, from 1881 onwards, by Fermo Forti and Albano Lugli. The antependiums in scagliola are of great interest and they are surely the best in Carpi, as are the paintings of Bernardino Loschi, "l'Annunciazione" and "San Rocco".
San Francesco's Church
This was built in its current form in 1681, although there had been a monastery (Farti Minori) with an adjacent church since 1200. The building was completed in the 1700's, even though the facade remained incomplete. The majestic interior, has only one nave with transepts and four minor chapels on the sides. The pictorial decorations were carried out by Algimiro Lugli in 1876, although, also of outstanding interest, is a torn fresco of Antonio Alberti (XV century).
Church of San Bernardino of Siena
This church was constructed near San Francesco's in 1605. The seventeenth century facade is very simple and inside it has a single hall with four side chapels. The Renaissance styled interior decorations were started in 1898 by Algimiro Lugli, with the collaboration of Albano Lugli and Fermo Forti. There is also an interesting altar-piece entitled "The Martyrdom of San Lorenzo" by Jacopo Palma the Younger.
Church of the Holy Crucifix
It was constructed with the project of Carlo Lugli between 1761 and 1765. The faade is featured with sinuous lined cornices moulded with scrolled stucco. Inside, the single hall presents an extraodinary effect of movement for the various forms of architecture and play of perspective with scenographic intent.
|