San Domenico, Perugia
San Domenico is a basilica church in Perugia, Umbria, central Italy. It is the largest religious building in the whole of Umbria.
Description
The church shows externally a late 16th century portal and a double Baroque staircase. The original building dates to 1304, and was constructed over a pre-existing one (known as San Domenico Vecchio), which had become inadequate after the growth of the Dominican Order. According to Giorgio Vasari, it was designed by Giovanni Pisano[1] The church was consecrated in 1459. Based on the Hallenkirche northern-European scheme, it ruined in 1614-1615. The interior was thus renovated in 1629-1632 by Carlo Maderno, and shows similarities with the nave of St. Peter's Basilica, also by him, aside from the absence of windows. The new designed included a nave and two aisles.
Of the original edifice, today the cloister (1455–1579) and a very large Gothic window (21 x 8.5 m) near the choir, executed by Bartolomeo di Pietro in 1411, remain. This window is also shown in a fresco now in the Palazzo dei Priori of Perugia. The bell tower was built in 1454-1500 by the Lombard architect Gasperino di Antonio. Originally it was taller than its current appearance,[2] but it was later reduced for stability reasons.
In the interior of the church are a funerary monument to Pope Benedict XI, who died at Perugia in 1304 (perhaps executed by a pupil of Arnolfo di Cambio[3]), the Rosary Altar by Agostino di Duccio and the wood choir, dating to the late 14th century. The church once housed also the Perugia Altarpiece by Fra Angelico, now in the Galleria Nazionale dell'Umbria.
The annexed cloister houses the National Archaeological Museum of Umbria, with pre-historic, Roman and Etruscan items excavated in Umbria.
References
Sources
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