The Church of San Clemente is a medieval Catholic church in Piazza dei Signori, one of the central historic squares of Padua. It faces the Clock Tower and stands a short distance from Palazzo della Ragione, Piazza della Frutta, and Piazza delle Erbe, in the city’s old market district. The church is dedicated to Pope Clement I, traditionally considered one of the earliest bishops of Rome. Although tradition gives the building a very ancient origin, its first secure documentary mention dates to 1190. Today, it is a rectory dependent on Padua Cathedral, not an independent parish. The Church of San Clemente is not a large monument, but it is important because of its location, medieval origin, Mannerist façade, guild connections, and interior artworks. The building is enclosed by residential and commercial structures, so only the façade clearly defines its exterior presence in Piazza dei Signori. The interior preserves works attributed or linked to important artists active in Padua and northern Italy. These include Jacopo Bellini, Pietro Damini, Luca Ferrari da Reggio, Giovan Battista Bissoni, Giulio Cirello, Francesco Zanella, and Giacomo Manzoni, covering several centuries of religious art. Short History of the Church of San Clemente Early Tradition and Read more [...]
Tag: Mannerism in Padua
Loggia del Consiglio
Loggia del Consiglio is a beautiful Late Renaissance palace in Padua, located in the southwestern corner of Piazza dei Signori. Beginning with 1240, when the large hall of Palazzo della Ragione was destroyed in a fire, the city’s council met in the Loggia del Consiglio, hence the name of the building. The palace is also known as the Loggia della Gran Guardia, because it was used as a military commandment during the Austrian domination. SHORT HISTORY The elegant Mannerist building was designed by Annibale Maggi from Bassano, and built starting with the year 1496. The works proceeded slowly and were often interrupted by long pauses, of which the longest was after the Siege of Padua by the Roman Emperor Maximilian I, in 1509, during the War of the League of Cambrai. The work resumed in 1516 under the guidance of Biagio del Bigio from Ferrara, and later, starting with 1530, continued under the direction of the architect Giovanni Maria Falconetto. Faconetto, due also to his work on the Torre dell’Orologio, played an important role in the new configuration of the square. In 1866, the Loggia del Consiglio became part of the municipal patrimony, and was subsequently used for cultural Read more [...]
