San Martino, Bologna
| Church of San Martino | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Basic information | |
| Location | Bologna, Italy |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| Province | Bologna |
| Architectural description | |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Architectural style | Renaissance |
| Groundbreaking | 15th century |
San Martino church, also called San Martino Maggiore is an ancient church in Bologna, originally founded in association with an adjacent Carmelite Monastery.
A church at the site was initially built in 1217; the brick tracery vaults of the ceiling were added in 1457. The present facade was dates from 1879, and displays statues of various saints . In the piazza just in front of the church is a statue of the Madonna (1705) by Andrea Ferreri. Above the side entrance portal is a bas-relief of St Martin (1531) by F. Manzini
Along the right hand nave is this first chapel is a painting of the Adoration of the Wise Men (1532) by Girolamo da Carpi. The next one shows Carmelite Saints (mid 17th century) by Cesari Gennari. Along the right hand of the nave, on a stone column, are 15th-century frescoes depicting St. Anthony, Onofrius, and Elia by Lippo Dalmasio .
Vitale da Bologna’s Crucifixion was completed in the 1400s for this church. The main altarpiece is an Enthroned Madonna with saints (1548) by Girolamo da Sermoneta.
The first chapel on the left is decorated with an Assumption of the Virgin (1506) by Lorenzo Costa. The statue of Santa Maria Maddalena de Pazzi was named after the ancient and noble family of Pazzi who originally came from Florence. The statue was actually transferred here from the Carmelite monastery of Santa Maria in Florence.
On the left, is a chapel dedicated to the Madonna del Carmine. The sculptural decoration was completed by Alfonso Torreggiani in 1756. Vittorio Bigari, Guglielmo Borgognone, Alessandro Tiarini and Giacomo Sementi also worked on the decoration.
In this last chapel the first above the altar here is the Madonna and Saints by Francesco Francia from the late 1400s, while under the altar table is a Deposition (early 1500s) by Amico Aspertini. This painting of St Elia the Prophet is by Alessandro Guardassoni followed with a fragment of the Nativity (mid-1400s) by Paolo Uccello, and a terracotta statue of the Madonna del Carmine by Jacopo Della Quercia from the 1400s.
In a room next to the church is the sacristy. Along the right hand side of the sacristy is where that small piece of the Nativity by Paolo Uccello used to be. In fact, the fresco spanned the entire side, but was destroyed during reconstructions.
Source
Coordinates: 44°29′50″N 11°20′48″E / 44.49722°N 11.34667°E