Santi Vicenzo e Caterina de' Ricci, Prato

Facade of church.
Nave interior towards altar.

The Minor Basilica Basilica of Santi Vicenzo e Caterina de' Ricci is located in the town of Prato, in Tuscany, Italy.

The church of San Vicenzo had been built by 15th century. Now the church is dedicted also to Caterina de' Ricci (1522-1590), who had been a nun associated with the adjacent convent of San Vicenzo Ferrer in Prato. About 150 years after her death, Catherine was beatified (1732) and subsequently canonized (1742). After beatification, the church underwent major reconstruction (1732-1735) under Giovan Battista Bettini and Girolamo Ticciati. Saint Catherine's remains are displayed under the main altar. This led to making the church a minor basilica.

The plain exterior does not match the interior, which has a highly decorated Baroque style.[1]

The church houses a Nativity (16th century) by Michele delle Colombe, a marble relief of Madonna and Child (15th century) by Matteo Civitali, and the Martyrdom of Saint Catherine of Alessandria by Vincenzo Meucci. The wall of the nave and above the altar is a series of framed relief sculptures by Girolamo Ticciati and Vicenzo Foggini (died 1755), son of the better-known sculptor Giovanni Battista Foggini, depicting various miracles associated with Saint Catherine. The ceiling canvases are by Pucci.

Next to the church is the cloistered monastery founded in 1503 and later enlarged during the life of Caterina de’ Ricci. The atrium leads to the Papalini Madonna Chapel which houses a 16th-century maiolica bust that legend holds caused the Spanish troops of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Pope Julius II to spare the monastery during the 1512 Sack of Prato. The altar has two panels depicting and Assumption and Scenes from the Passion (circa 1576) by Michele delle Colombe; it also houses precious paintings by Simone Pignoni (Saints Catherine and Tecla); Lorenzo Lippi (St Francis di Sales); Ridolfo del Ghirlandaio (Madonna and Child); as well from the studio of Giovanni Battista Naldini. There is an altarpiece by Michele Tosini in the garden of the Chapel of Madonna di Loreto.[2] Some sites in the Convent are closed to visitors.[3]

References

  1. ↑ Prato Tourism site.
  2. ↑ Tuscan Tourism site.
  3. ↑ Fondazione Pistoia Vignole, entry on church and monastery.

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