GENOA - Church of Santa Maria delle Vigne

The basilica of Santa Maria delle Vigne is considered the oldest Marian sanctuary in Genoa and it seems that the first sacred building was built a few years before the year one thousand. It was remodeled several times starting from the 13th century, however the first significant changes to the original Romanesque complex took place starting from 1585, when the expansion of the apse area was decided on the initiative of the Grillo family, benefactress of the Collegiate Church. It was only around the middle of the seventeenth century that Cardinal Stefano Durazzo, on a pastoral visit, noticed a deterioration of the complex and ordered the execution of new works. The works concerned in particular the complete reconstruction of the naves, with the total replacement of the columns and the construction of the dome which were entrusted to the architect Daniele Casella. With the transformation of the interior in Baroque style, the chapels and side altars were also totally restructured by the brotherhoods and noble families, enriched with paintings and sculptures (the vaults will be frescoed only in the following 18th century). Around 1820 the frescoes in the vaults were completed; between 1841 and 1848 the church had a new marble façade, in neoclassical style, built to a design by Ippolito Cremona. After the construction of the facade, the building has not undergone substantial changes. So that the numerous alterations have made the church of Santa Maria delle Vigne a completely different building from the original Romanesque style, of which traces remain, in addition to the bell tower, the only part preserved completely intact from the time of its construction. A green Levanto marble column on which the image of the "Madonna della Vita" dating back to the 14th century would also be part of the original structure. The column, according to Alizeri, would have been preserved precisely because of the presence of this image, much revered by the faithful. Inside, the frescoes in the vaults, with the exception of the one in the vault of the presbytery, depicting the Glory of Mary, a work of 1612 by Lazzaro Tavarone, were only painted between the 18th and 19th centuries. The main altar, the last work of Giacomo Antonio Ponsonelli from 1730, was built to a design by Pierre Puget.
Among the works present:
- on the counter-façade, above the main entrance portal, Last Supper, a painting from the early 17th century by Simone Balli;
- on the sides of the entrance door, on the right is a sculptural group depicting Christ and St. Peter, by Michele Sansebastiano from 1896;
- on the left of the entrance door, the baptismal font, with statues depicting the Baptism of Jesus (1697), by Anton Domenico Parodi;
- a panel by Domenico Parodi, depicting the "Madonna with Saints Leonardo and Stefano";
- a painting depicting "the Annunciation" by Giovanni Andrea Carlone;
- a marble relief (around 1670) with the "Saints John the Baptist and Rocco interceding for the souls in Purgatory", by Daniello Solaro, a pupil of Puget and "Madonna with Child and angels", attributed to Giovanni Mazone (around 1465) ;
- altar with a large marble tabernacle and a painting by Domenico Piola, depicting the "Triumph of the Cross";
- the beautiful chapel dedicated to the Madonna delle Vigne; there is a small painting, dating back to the end of the fourteenth century and attributed to the Sienese Taddeo di Bartolo, depicting the Madonna and Child. Below this panel is the statue of the same subject, sculpted by Giovanni Battista and Tommaso Orsolino in 1616 and above, statues depicting the theological virtues, by Filippo Parodi (1661). The vault of this chapel is frescoed by Domenico Piola (Immaculate Conception and figures of prophets and Sibyls);
- the wooden statue by Maragliano depicting "S. Antonio in glory" and a wooden group depicting the "Crucifix" between the "Madonna" and "S. Giovanni Evangelista";
- a painting by Domenico Piola, "Vision of St. John the Evangelist" from 1685.
Along the aisles there are five richly decorated altars and a valuable collection of works of art. The side altars are named after well-known Genoese families of the time, the colony of Greeks residing in Genoa and guilds of arts and crafts active in medieval Genoa, such as that of the Goldsmiths. The majestic bell tower, 56 meters high, in Romanesque-Gothic style, placed astride the street between the perimeter walls of the church and the cloister, is the only part preserved intact from the time of its construction.
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Filmed with SONY RX10M3 in 4K.

[@sydneyr.cauveren7857]

What remarkable "Art Galleries" these Churches and Basilicas truly are. Beautifully filmed as always... Grateful Thanks Massimo!!

[@MassimoNalli]

Thanks Sydney, it's true these churches are art galleries

[@ennioguenzi5694]

fantastico!!!! grazie sempre.

[@MassimoNalli]

Grazie a te

[@olgalomovskaya6827]

Массимо привет! Спасибо за путешествие! Доброго дня!

[@carloscuadrado6154]

Gracias , una vez mas, que curioso la rotura de los dedos de las dos manos de la fuente del bautizo benedictdo xv, no parece algo casual.

[@MassimoNalli]

Gracias

[@angelostradella6457]

La chiesa nascosta, forse per questo è un po' meno conosciuta turisticamente. La scoprii per caso perché da ragazzo lavoravo in zona. Forse per questo è una delle mie preferite e che ho visitato più di tutte le altre.

[@user-qt2em9hx7p]

Quali sono le volte alte e belle (soffitto) nel tempio))

[@liberalatorre6209]

Bellissimo video grazie mille