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Church of the Gesù

Coordinates:41°53′45″N12°28′47″E/ 41.89583°N 12.47972°E/41.89583; 12.47972
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Church of the Gesù
Church of the Most Holy Name of Jesus
Italian:Chiesa del Santissimo Nome di Gesù
Giacomo della Porta's façade, precursor ofBaroque
Map
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41°53′45″N12°28′47″E/ 41.89583°N 12.47972°E/41.89583; 12.47972
Location54 Piazza del Gesu,Rome
CountryItaly
DenominationCatholic Church
Religious instituteJesuits
Websitechiesadelgesu.org
History
StatusMother church of theSociety of Jesus,titular church
DedicationHoly Name of Jesus
Consecrated1584
Cult(s)presentSacred Heart of Jesus
Relicsheld
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Architect(s)
Style
Groundbreaking1568
Completed1580
Specifications
Length75 metres (246 ft)
Width35 metres (115 ft)
Navewidth25 metres (82 ft)
Other dimensionsFaçade direction:W
Number ofdomes1
Administration
DioceseRome

TheChurch of the Gesù(Italian:Chiesa del Gesù,pronounced[ˈkjɛːzadeldʒeˈzu]) is themother churchof theSociety of Jesus(Jesuits), aCatholic religious order.Officially namedChiesa del Santissimo Nome di Gesù[1][a](English:Church of the Most Holy Name of Jesus),[2]its façade is "the first trulybaroquefaçade ", introducing the baroque style into architecture.[3]The church served as a model for innumerableJesuitchurches all over the world, especially inCentral Europeand inPortuguese colonies.Its paintings in the nave,crossing,andside chapelsbecame models for art in Jesuit churches throughout Italy and Europe, as well as those of other orders.[4]The Church of the Gesù is located at the Piazza del Gesù inRome,and is one of the great 17th century preaching churches built byCounter-Reformationorders like the Jesuits in theCentro Storico(the others beingSant'Ignazio,also of the Jesuits,San Carlo ai Catinariof theBarnabites,Sant'Andrea della Valleof theTheatines,and theChiesa Nuovaof theOratorians).

First conceived in 1551 by SaintIgnatius of Loyola,the Spanish founder of theSociety of Jesusand active during theProtestant Reformationand the subsequentCatholic Counter-Reformation,the Gesù was also the home of theSuperior General of the Society of Jesusuntil the widesuppression of the orderin 1773. The church having been subsequently regained by the Jesuits, the adjacentpalazzois now a residence for Jesuit scholars from around the world studying at theGregorian Universityin preparation forordinationto thepriesthood.

History

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AlthoughMichelangelo,at the request of the Spanish cardinalBartolomeo de la Cueva,offered, out of devotion, to design the church for free, the endeavor was funded byCardinal Alessandro Farnese,[5]grandson ofPope Paul III,the pope who had authorized the founding of the Society of Jesus. Ultimately, the main architects involved in the construction wereGiacomo Barozzi da Vignola,[6]architect of the Farnese family, andGiacomo della Porta. The church was built on the same spot as the previous churchSanta Maria della Strada,where SaintIgnatius of Loyolahad once prayed before an image of the Holy Virgin. This image, now adorned with gems, can be seen in the church in the chapel of Ignatius on the left side of the altar.

Construction of the church began on 26 June 1568 to Vignola's design. Vignola was assisted by the Jesuit Giovanni Tristano, who took over from Vignola in 1571. When he died in 1575 he was succeeded by the Jesuit architect Giovanni de Rosis. Giacomo della Porta was involved in the construction of thecross-vault,dome,and theapse.[7]

The revision of Vignola's façade design by della Porta has offered architectural historians opportunities for a close comparison between Vignola's balanced composition in three superimposed planes and Della Porta's dynamically fused tension bound by its strong vertical elements.[3]Vignola's rejected design remains in an engraving of 1573.

The design of this church set a pattern for Jesuit churches that lasted into the twentieth century; its innovations require enumerating. Aesthetics across the Catholic Church as a whole were strongly influenced by theCouncil of Trent.Although the Council itself said little about church architecture, its suggestion of simplification promptedCharles Borromeoto reform ecclesiastical building practise. Evidence of attention to his writings can be found at the Gesù. There is nonarthexin which to linger: the visitor is projected immediately into the body of the church, a single nave without aisles, so that the congregation is assembled and attention is focused on thehigh altar.In place of aisles there are a series of identical interconnecting chapels behind arched openings,[b]to which entrance is controlled by decorative balustrades with gates. Transepts are reduced to stubs that emphasize the altars of their end walls.

Dome

The plan synthesizes the central planning of the High Renaissance,[c]expressed by the grand scale of the dome and the prominent piers of thecrossing,with the extended nave that had been characteristic of the preaching churches, a type of church established byFranciscansandDominicanssince the thirteenth century. The Jesuits relied heavily on the acoustics of the church; they wanted the faithful to clearly hear the words of the sermon. This is why the church was constructed with a single nave, and a dome at the nave, transept intersection.[8]

Everywhere inlaid polychrome marble revetments are relieved by gilding, frescoed barrel vaults enrich the ceiling and rhetorical white stucco and marble sculptures break out of their tectonic framing. The example of the Gesù did not eliminate the traditionalbasilicachurch with aisles, but after its example was set, experiments in Baroque church floor plans, oval or Greek cross, were largely confined to smaller churches and chapels.

The church was consecrated by CardinalGiulio Antonio Santorio,the delegate of popeGregory XIII,on 25 November 1584.

Façade

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The façade of the church was modified and done later by Giacomo Della Porta. We can see two main sections which are decorated withacanthus leaveson pilasters and column capitals. The lower section is divided by six pairs of pilasters (with a mix of columns and pilasters framing the main door). The main door is well decorated with low relief, the papal coat of arms, and a shield with theinitialismSPQR,tying this church closely to the people of Rome. The main door stands under a curvilineartympanumand over it a large medallion with the letters IHS representing theChristogramand an angel. The letters IHS are the Latin form of the first three letters of the Greek spelling of the name Jesus, indicative of both the central figure of Christianity and the Jesuit's formal name, Society of Jesus.

The two other doors have triangle pediments, and in the higher part of this first level, two statues are set in the alignment of each of these doors. A statue of St Francis Xavier stands on the right of the façade. His left foot on a human body. On the other side stands a statue of St Ignatius of loyola.

The upper section is divided with four pairs of pilasters and no statues. Upper and lower sections are joined by avoluteon each side.

Interior decoration

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Main nave and altar

The first high altar is believed to have been designed by Giacomo della Porta. It was removed during the renovations in the 19th century and its tabernacle was subsequently purchased byarchbishop Patrick Leahyfor hisnew cathedralwhere it was installed after some minor modifications.[9]

The present high altar, designed by Antonio Sarti (1797–1880), was constructed towards the middle of the 19th century. It is dominated by four columns under a neo-classicalpediment.Sarti also covered the apse with marble and made the drawings of thetabernacle.The angels surrounding the IHS aureole were sculpted by Rinaldo Rinaldi (1793–1873). The two angels kneeling at each side of the aureole are the work of Francesco Benaglia and Filippo Gnaccarini (1804–1875). The altarpiece, representing theCircumcision of Jesus,was painted by Alessandro Capalti (1810–1868).[10]The ceiling of the apse is adorned by the paintingGlory of the Mystical Lambby Baciccia (Giovanni Battista Gaulli).[11]

The most striking feature of the interior decoration is the ceilingfresco,the grandioseTriumph of the Name of Jesus(1678-1679)[12]byGiovanni Battista Gaulli.Gaulli also frescoed the cupola, including lantern and pendentives, central vault, window recesses, and transepts' ceilings.[11]

The first chapel to the right of the nave is theCappella di Sant'Andrea,so named because the church previously on the site, which had to be demolished to make way for the Jesuit church, was dedicated toSt. Andrew.All the painted works were completed by the FlorentineAgostino Ciampelli.The frescoes on the arches depict the male martyrs saints Pancrazio, Celso, Vito, and Agapito, while the pilasters depict the female martyred saints Cristina, Margherita, Anastasia, Cecilia, Lucy, and Agatha. The ceiling is frescoed with theGlory of the Virgin surrounded by martyred saints Clemente, Ignazio di Antiochia, Cipriano, and Policarpo.The lunettes are frescoed withSaints Agnes & Lucy face the stormandSt. Stephen and the Deacon St. Lawrence.The altarpiece depicts theMartyrdom of St Andrew.

Detail of ceiling showing thetrompe l'oeileffect

The second chapel to the right is theCappella della Passione,with lunette frescoes depicting scenes of the Passion:Jesus in Gethsemane,Kiss of Judas,and six canvases on the pilasters:Christ at the column Christ before the guards,Christ before Herod,Ecce Homo,Exit to Calvary,andCrucifixion.The altarpiece of theMadonna with child and beatified Jesuitsreplaces the original altarpiece byScipione Pulzone.[d]The program of paintings is indebted toGiuseppe Valerianoand painted byGaspare Celio.The altar has a bronze urn with the remains of 18th century JesuitSt. Giuseppe Pignatelli,canonized byPius XIIin 1954. Medals on the wall commemorate P. Jan Roothaan (1785–1853) and P. Pedro Arrupe (1907–1991), the 21st and 28thSuperior General of the Society of Jesus.

The third chapel to the right is theCappella degli Angeli,which has a ceiling fresco of theCoronation of the Virginand the altarpiece ofAngels worshiping the TrinitybyFederico Zuccari.He also painted the canvases on the walls,Defeat of the rebel angelson right, andAngels liberate souls from Purgatoryon the left. Other frescoes represent Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory. The angles in the niches of the pilasters were completed by both Silla Longhi andFlaminio Vacca.

Saint Francis Xavier Chapel altar

The largerSaintFrancis XavierChapel,in the right transept, was designed byPietro da Cortona,originally commissioned by CardinalGiovanni Francesco Negroni.The polychromatic marbles enclose a stucco relief representingFrancis Xavier welcomed to heaven by angels.The altarpiece shows theDeath of Francis Xavier inShangchuan IslandbyCarlo Maratta.The arches are decorated with scenes from the life of the saint, includingApotheosis of the saintin the center,Crucifixion,Saint lost at sea,and at left,Baptism of an Indian princess,by Giovanni Andrea Carlone. The silver reliquary conserves part of the saint's right arm (by which he baptized 300,000 people), his other remains are interred in the Jesuit church inGoa.

The last chapel on the far end of the nave, to the right of the high altar, is the chapel of theSacro Cuore(Sacred Heart of Jesus), and contains the famousSacred Heart of Jesus paintingbyPompeo Batoni.

The sacristy is on the right. In the presbytery is abust of CardinalRobert BellarminebyBernini.The sculptor prayed daily in the church.[13]

The first chapel to the left, originally dedicated to the apostles, is now theCappella di San Francesco Borgia,the former Spanish Duke of Gandia, who renounced his title to enter the Jesuit order, and become its third "Preposito generale". The altarpiece,SaintFrancesco Borgiain PrayerbyPozzo,is surrounded by works by Gagliardi. Ceiling frescoes of (Pentecost) and lunettes (leftMartyrdom of St. Peter,to sidesFaith and Hope,and rightMartyrdom of St. Paul) with allegorical Religion and Charity are works ofNicolò Circignani(Il Pomarancio).Pier Francesco Molapainted the walls, on left withSt. Peter in jail baptizes saintsProcesso & Martiniano,to right is theConversion of St. Paul.There are four monuments by Marchesi Ferrari.

St. Ignatius Chapel altar

The second chapel on the left is dedicated to the Nativity and calledCappella della Sacra Famiglia,commissioned by patron Cardinal Cerri who worked for the Barberini family. The altarpiece of the nativity is byCircignani.In the roof, theCelestial celebration on the nativity of Christ,on the pinnacles areDavid,Isaiah,ZechariahandBaruch,on the right lunette anAnnunciation to the Shepherds,and on the left aMassacre of the Innocents.Also are frescoes onPresentation of Jesus to the TempleandAdoration by Magi.Four allegorical statues represent Temperance, Prudence on right; and Fortitude and Justice.

The third chapel to the left is theCappella della Santissima Trinità,commissioned initially by the clerical patron Pirro Taro, named due to the main altarpiece byFrancesco Bassano the Younger.The frescoes were completed mainly by three painters and assistants during 1588–1589; the exact attributions are uncertain, but it is said the Creation, the angels on the pilasters, and the designs of some of the frescoes are by the Florentine Jesuit painter,Giovanni Battista Fiammeri.Painted with assistants was the Baptism of Christ on the right wall. TheTransfigurationon the left wall and theAbraham with three angelson the right oval were byDurante Alberti.God the Father behind a chorus of angelsin the left oval and in the pinnacles angels with God's attributes were completed byVentura Salimbeni.The reliquary on the altar holds the right arm of the polish Jesuit St.Andrew Bobola,martyred in 1657 and canonized byPius XIin 1938.

Chapel of Madonna della Strada

The imposing and luxuriousSt. Ignatius Chapelwith the saint's tomb is located on the left side of the transept and is the church's masterpiece, designed byAndrea Pozzobetween 1696 and 1700. The altar by Pozzo shows theTrinityon top of a globe. Thelapis lazuli,representing the Earth, was thought to be the largest piece in the world but is actually mortar decorated with lapis lazuli. The four lapis lazuli-veneered columns enclose the colossal statue of the saint byPierre Legros.The latter is a copy, probably by Adamo Tadolini working in the studio ofAntonio Canova.Pope Pius VIhad the original silver statue melted down, ostensibly to pay the war reparations toNapoleon,as established by theTreaty of Tolentino,1797.

Originally the project was designed by Giacomo della Porta, then by Cortona; but ultimately Pozzo won a public contest to design the altar. A canvas of the Saint receives the monogram with the name of Jesus from the celestial resurrected Christ attributed to Pozzo. The urn of St. Ignatius is a bronze urn byAlgardithat holds the body of the saint; below are two groups of statues whereReligion defeats heresybyLegros(with a putto – on the left side – tearing pages from heretical books by Luther, Calvin and Zwingli), andFaith defeats idolatrybyJean-Baptiste Théodon.

The St. Ignatius Chapel also hosts the restoredmacchina baroccaorbaroque machineofAndrea Pozzo.During daytime the statue of St. Ignatius is hidden behind a large painting, but every day at 17.30 triumphal music is played and the painting is lowered by the machine into the altar, revealing the statue, with spotlights used to highlight various aspects of the Ignatian Altar, while describing aspects of the history and spirituality of the Society of Jesus.[14]

The last chapel on the far end of the nave, to the left of the high altar, is theChapel of the Madonna della Strada.The name derives from a medieval icon, once found in a now-lost Church in the piazza Altieri, venerated by Saint Ignatius. The interior is designed and decorated by Giuseppe Valeriani, who painted scenes from thelife of the Virgin.The cupola frescoes were painted by G.P. Pozzi. The painting depicting the death of Saint John Francis Regis byJacopo Zoboliis located in the sacristy rooms.

The pipe organ was built by the Italian firm, Tamburini. It is a large, three manual instrument with 5 divisions (pedal, choir, great, swell, and antiphonal). The swell and choir are enclosed. The pipes are split into three separate locations within the church. Two ornamented façades flank the transept walls (Swell and Great on the left and Choir and Pedal on the right) and a small antiphonal division is located above the liturgical west entrance.

Influence

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The Church of the Gesù was the model of numerous churches of the Society of Jesus throughout the world, starting from theChurch of St. MichaelinMunich(1583–1597), theCorpus Christi ChurchinNyasvizh(1587–1593), theSaints Peter and Paul Church,Kraków(1597–1619), theCathedral of Córdoba(Argentina) (1582–1787) as well as the Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola inBuenos Aires(1710–1722),[15]the Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Tbilisi (1870–1877), and the Church of the Gesù inPhiladelphia(1879–1888). Various parishes also share the name of the Church of the Gesù in Rome.

Cardinal-deacons

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In 1965, the Church of the Gesù was made atitular church,to be held by acardinal-deacon.

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See also

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References

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Footnotes

  1. ^The name ofChiesa del Sacro Nome di Gesùis also used.
  2. ^The Gesù's scheme of wide-arched bays defined by paired pilasters has its origin inAlberti's Sant'Andrea, Milan, begun in 1470.
  3. ^The exemplar isBramante's original plan forSt. Peter's Basilica.
  4. ^Now in theMetropolitan Museum of New York

Citations

  1. ^Society of Jesus."Official Website".Archived fromthe originalon 2009-02-25.Retrieved2009-01-23.
  2. ^"Strasbourg Tower" was a name for this area of Rome (presently therioneofPigna),
  3. ^abWhitman 1970,p. 108.
  4. ^Bailey, Gauvin Alexander(2003).Between Renaissance and Baroque: Jesuit art in Rome, 1565–1610.University of Toronto Press.ISBN1442610301.[page needed]
  5. ^Haskell, Francis (2002).Patrons and Painters: A Study in the Relations Between Italian Art and Society in the Age of the Baroque.New Haven: Yale University Press. p. 65-67.
  6. ^Bruno Adorni,Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola(New York: Skira, 2008)
  7. ^T. Vitaliano,Giacomo Della Porta: un architetto tra Manierismo e Barrocco(Roma: Bulzoni 1974).
  8. ^Klaus, Reichold. Graf, Bernhard, and Wynne, Christopher.Buildings that Changed the World.New York: Prestel, 1999, p. 102
  9. ^Peter Galloway:The Cathedrals in Ireland,ISBN0-85389-452-3,pp. 204–205.
  10. ^Betti, Salvatore,Giornale arcadico di scienze, lettere, ed arti,Volumes 199-201, Nella Stamperia de Romanis, 1867, p. 44
  11. ^abHaskell 2002,p. 83.
  12. ^Hughes, Robert (2011).Rome.
  13. ^Johnson, Paul.Art: A New History,Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2003, p. 391.
  14. ^(in Italian)Presentazione della macchina barocca ideata da Fr. Andrea PozzoArchived2008-12-19 at theWayback Machine(visited september 16th 2009)
  15. ^Pagano, José León (1947).Documentos de Arte Argentino, Cuaderno XXII: El Templo de San Ignacio(in Spanish). Buenos Aires: Publicaciones de la Academia Nacional de Bellas Artes. p. 18.
  16. ^"The Official Catholic Directory for the Year of Our Lord..."P.J. Kenedy. August 30, 1982 – via Google Books.
  17. ^"The Official Catholic Directory for the Year of Our Lord..."P.J. Kenedy. August 30, 2009 – via Google Books.
  18. ^"Santissimo Nome di Gesù (Cardinal Titular Church) [Catholic-Hierarchy]".catholic-hierarchy.org.
  19. ^"La Nación / Nación Media en el Vaticano: Francisco, fiel a su estilo, moviliza a la Iglesia".lanacion.py.

Bibliography

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  • Whitman, Nathan T. (1970), "Roman Tradition and the Aedicular Façade",The Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians,29(2): 108–123,doi:10.2307/988645,JSTOR988645

Further reading

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  • Bailey, Gauvin Alexander (2003),Between Renaissance and Baroque: Jesuit Art in Rome, 1565–1610,University of Toronto Press.[1]Archived2020-01-02 at theWayback Machine
  • Pecchiai, Pio (1952).Il Gesù di Roma(in Italian). Rome: Società Grafica Romana.
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External videos
video iconPozzo's Saint Ignatius Chapel in the church Il Gesù, 1695 (Rome),Smarthistory[1]
video iconIl Gesù, Rome,Smarthistory[2]
Wikimedia Commons has media related toChurch of the Gesu.
  1. ^"Pozzo's Saint Ignatius Chapel in the church Il Gesù, 1695 (Rome)".SmarthistoryatKhan Academy.RetrievedJanuary 6,2013.
  2. ^"Il Gesù, Rome".SmarthistoryatKhan Academy.RetrievedJanuary 6,2013.
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