San Giovanni dei Fiorentini
From Churches of Rome Wiki
| San Giovanni Battista dei Fiorentini | |
|---|---|
| | |
| English name: | St John the Baptist of the Florentines |
| Dedication: | St John the Baptist |
| Denomination: | Roman Catholic |
| Type: | Titular church, Minor basilica |
| Built: | 1509-1734, facade 1738 |
| Architect(s): | Jacopo Sansovino A. Sangallo Michelangelo et.al. |
| Artists: | Antonio Raggi |
| Contact data | |
| Address: | 2 Via Acciaioli 00186 Roma |
| Phone: | 06 68 89 20 59 |
| Homepage: | www.sangiovannideifiorentini.com |
San Giovanni Battista dei Fiorentini is a titular church dedicated to St John the Baptist.
Contents |
[edit] History
When the Florentines decided to build a church in Rome in the 15th century, four architects competed to design it: Raphael, Giuliano de Sangallo, Baldassare Peruzzi and Jacopo Sansovino. Sansovino won and started building it in 1509, but did not manage to complete the church. The church was not finished until 1734, so they went through another 5 architects; Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Giacomo della Porta, Carlo Maderno, Francesco Borromini and finally Alessandro Galilei.
St Philip Neri was a parish priest here, and it was here that he founded the Congregation of the Oratory.
Pope John XXII established the church as a cardinalite title in 1960. It had three titular cardinals since then. The current titular is Carlo Cardinal Caffarra, archbishop of Bologna.
[edit] Exterior
The cupola was completed in 1634 by Carlo Maderno.
The present façade is the last part that was completed, in 1738. The architect was Alessandro Galilei, who died the year before it was completed. It was cleaned and restored a few years ago.
[edit] Interior
At the high altar is a sculpture of the Baptism of Christ by Antonio Raggi. The altar itself and the crypt is Borrominis last work.
Over the sacristy door, in the third bay on the right, was a statue of a young St John the Baptist in 15th century Florentine style. It has been attributed to Donatello, which seems likely because of both the style and the subject; now attributed to Michelangelo, after the study of ancient documents, the statue is visible at San Giovanni de' Fiorentini Museum, with other masterpieces of the church like two statues of the young Gian Lorenzo Bernini.
Borromini is buried under the cupola, on the right, in the tomb of Carlo Maderno, but you will find a commemorative plaque on the left, because the pavement was changed in the 19th century.
The last chapel on the right side is the chapel of St Philip Neri.
[edit] Special notes
The faithful are allowed to bring their pets here to be blessed, and at Easter an annual ceremony where lambs are blessed takes place here.
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