Tag: church in Ferrara

The Church of Santo Spirito is a church in Ferrara, located in the western part of the historical center of the city.   SHORT HISTORY The works for the construction of the Church of the Holy Spirit began in 1519. On the death of Duke Alfonso I d’Este, in 1534, the works were interrupted, but the structure was largely completed. In 1570, the church was heavily damaged by the disastrous earthquake that struck the city. Immediately after the earthquake, it was decided to renovate the church and the adjacent convent. The works were completed only in 1630, and the church was consecrated in 1656 by Cardinal Carlo Pio. The convent and the church experienced their period of greatest prestige during the end of the 17th century and throughout the 18th century. Between 1796 and 1799, the French troops of Napoleon Bonaparte settled in the convent. In 1810, all the friars were expelled and the convent was placed at the disposal of the army. On that occasion, many documents were lost. The convent was reopened in 1816. In 1830, the ceiling of the church collapsed, destroying all the decorations and paintings of the vaults. With the royal decree of June 7, Read more [...]

The Church of San Francesco is a church dedicated to Saint Francis of Assisi, located in the homonymous square, in the western part of the historical center of Ferrara.   SHORT HISTORY The Church of San Francesco was built in 1494 on a pre-existing building belonging to the Franciscans, which was used until the beginning of the 15th century as a mausoleum for the Este family. The church is considered one of the best creations of the architect Biagio Rossetti. Following the 2012 earthquake, the interior, with the exception of a transept and an adjacent chapel, was for a long time unusable and closed to the public. Currently, the central nave and the right aisle can be visited, while the left aisle is only partially accesible.   ART AND ARCHITECTURE The facade has typically Renaissance lines, with the volutes, inspired by Leon Battista Alberti, and the marble pilasters that stand out on the terracotta walls. The interior of the church, with three naves, has a Latin cross plan and eight chapels on each side. In the first chapel on the left, there is a remarkable fresco of the Arrest of Jesus by Benvenuto Tisi, better known as Garofalo. In the Read more [...]