Religion: Buildings
INTRODUCTION
The family's parish church of pope Pius XII (the pope during the Second World War) in Rome was the Chiesa Nuova where the body of St. Philip Neri was under the altar in a silver casket. The saint, with his unending sense of humor and love for education, music and culture, was one of the great heroes of young Eugenio Pacelli. Eugenio served as an altar boy at Chiesa Nuova, and, after his ordination as a priest, took weekly confessions there, celebrating often at the altar in the sacristy. He was born just behind the church. Padre Peppino, one of my mentors, had wonderful memories of the young pope Pius XII. And it’s amazing how this church and it’s spirituality, build by st. Philip Neri in the sixteenth century, still can have so much influence today (look my article about the Oratory). Think about it: Pius XII, born in the parish, his successor, the joyful John XXIII as historian wrote his doctorate on the successor of st. Philipp, Ven. Card. Cesare Baronius the historian. Pope Paulus VI came from the parish of the Oratorians in Brescia and had as confessor and spiritual director father (and nominated by him) Cardinal Bevilacqua. We can say for sure that the spirituality of that strange man, St. Philip Neri, determined a great deal of our modern history. I would say that his spirit was of the forces that led to the Second Vatican Council. And ... very recent, Prime Minister Tony Blair (at that time still Anglican) send his children to school in the Brompton Oratory of St. Philip in London.
To understand the man, and his witty spirit, who originated the church described below, please visit the page: The Oratory of st. Philip Neri.
HISTORY OF THE CHURCH (1)
A young Nobleman wanted to become member of the Congregation. Philip Neri said that it was no problem for him, but before becoming a member, he should go for two week through the streets of the city with a fox-tale stitched on his beautiful clothes. The young nobleman never became a member....
In the same spirit, there was very little space for individual glory of the benefactors, as we see in most roman churches. The only space left for them was the floor. And that floor became one of the most beautiful inlay-works of marble and precious stones. But in his Republic, the fathers were sitting together to create the spiritual program of the whole church that reflected the profound Marian devotion of the founder. This church, with it’s united program of the life of Mary - Mother of God, would inspire a friend of Philip Neri, St. Charles Borromeo, to write his trattato di Architettura, the blueprint for a lot of churches in the north of Italy. It was inspired on the Visit of the Seven Churches, founded by st. Philip. A church shouldn’t be a mix together of chapels of benefactors, but should be build around a theme. In the Chiesa Nuova (the New Church) as it was commonly named by the people, every chapel is dedicated to a part of the life of Mary. From the beginning of her life (Her presentation in the Temple) until Her coronation in heaven. Everything in the church swings between Alfa and Omega, the Beginning and the End. The frescoes and the colors of the marble in the chapels are in harmony and related to the altar-piece. Rarely you will find one church with so much harmony. Also the fact that in less than forty years all the chapels of the church were completed, added a lot to it’s harmony. If you are in Rome on May, 26th, go and visit that church. It’s the feast of st. Philip, and the whole church is still decorated in those days with gold silk and red damask.
List of the different chapel’s and their artists
Presbyterium: Glory of Mary and Angels
on left: Gregory the Great/Maurus and Papius
on right: Domitilla Flavia, Achileo and Nereo (all by Pieter Pauwel Rubens, 1608)
Chapel of st. Philip Neri (Guido Reni)
Chapel of st. Charles Borromeo (Carlo Maratta)
Chapel of the Presentation of the Vergin Mary in the Temple (Federico Barocci, 1603)
Chapel of the Coronation of Mary in heaven (Cavalier d’Arpino, 1615)
Annunciation (Pasignano, 1591)
Assumption of Mary in Heaven (Domenico Cerrini, +/- 1650
Visitation of st. Elisabeth (Federico Barocci, 1586) (left)
Pentecost (Giovanni Maria Morandi, 1689)
Nativity (Durante Alberti, 1590)
Ascension (Girolamo Muziano, 1587)
Adoration by Kings (Cesare Nebia, 1578)
Deposition (Originally by Caravaggio 1604) (right)
Purification (Cavalier d’Arpino, 1627)
Crucifixion (Scipione Pulzone, 1586)
All frescoes are made by Pietro della Cortona around 1635-1645
Sacristy: Statue of st. Philip Neri, Algardi
Clicking on the names bold and italic, brings you to another page of my website
Usefull links
Introduction to the Vatican Museum
A Renaissance Museum: Plato and Aristotle
The Pinacoteca - the Painting Gallery
Rooms of Raphael