San Francesco di Paola ai Monti
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San Francesco da Paola ai Monti is a 17th century titular church in Rome. It is dedicated to St Francis of Paola[1], and is located in the Monti rione.
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[edit] History
It was built 1645-50 with funds given by Olimpia Aldobrandini Pamphili, who (like St Francis) had roots in Calabria. It was designed by Gioan Pietro Morandi, given to the Minim Friars, and became the national church of the Calabrians. The late Baroque high altar was made by Giovanni Antonio de Rossi c. 1655 (who is also credited with the church's wooden tabernacle, set into a sculptured entrance of a military pavilion).[2] No new bell tower was built for the church - instead the 12th century Torre dei Margani was used, preserving its medieval coat-of-arms on the tower has been preserved.
However, the church as a whole was not consecrated until 10 July 1728, by Pope Benedict XIII. The lower part of the façade was refinished in plaster in the 18th century, and the whole church was then restored about a century later by Pope Leo XII. The church is now often closed, but you may ask to be admitted at the monastery.
The present titular deacon of the church is Renato Raffaele Cardinal Martino, who was created Cardinal on 21 October 2003.
[edit] Chapels
The church contains an icon of Francis said to be a copy of a portrait, along with scenes from the life and miracles of the saint which can be seen in the sacristy and examples by Giuseppe Chiari in the second chapel on the south side.
The ceiling of the sacristy was painted by Sassoferrato, with a motif of "The Blessed Virgin appearing to St Francis of Paola". On the side wall is the Crucifixion and St Francis of Paola by Francesco Cozza.
By the door to the presbytery are the tombs of Lazzarro Pallavicini and Giovanni Pizzullo, both with busts by Agostino Corsini.
- South side
- dedicated to Saint Anne, Joachim and the Madonna, with an altarpiece by Filippo Luzi and ceiling frescoes by Onofrio Avellino.
- Francis, with paintings of Francis
- frescoed by Antonio Grecolini, and has a depiction of Sts Francis of Paola and Francis of Sales, patrons of the Order.
- On the north side
- chapel with a painting of St Michael the Archangel by Giacomo Triga and relics of Blessed Nicola of Langobardi in a porphyry urn.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Founder of the Minim Friars, whose friars serve this church and whose Generalate is attached to it.
- ^ The pavilion is a reference to the original meaning of tabernacle, a tent. It also refers to God's presence among the Jews when they carried the Ark of the Covenant with them and kept it in a tent-temple - God is present in this tabernacle as He was with the Jews.
