Church of Santa Maria del Carmine |
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Address: Piazza Santa Maria del Carmine
The 14th-century building was almost completely destroyed in a
fire in 1771. The present structure is therefore 18th century and was
built by G. Ruggeri and G. Mannaioni on a Latin cross plan with a
single aisle. The works inside include Vasari's Crucifixion on
the third altar to the right.
One of the greatest works of the entire Renaissance came through
the fire miraculously intact - the Brancacci Chapel in the right
transept which preserves a cycle of extremely important frescoes
which have recently been restored. The frescoes were begun in
1425 by Masolino da Panicale, who painted the Temptation of Adam
and Eve in the first compartment above right; St. Peter
Resuscitating Tabitha in the first scene to the right of the
large compartment at the top; and the Preaching of St. Peter
above, to the left of the altar. The compartment on the right
wall, St. Peter Heals a Cripple,
is in part by the great Masaccio who also painted the compartment
above to the right of the altar with St. Peter Baptizing the
Neophytes and the splendid Expulsion from Paradise in the first
panel above left. Masaccio then went on to the large compartment
at the top of the left wall, with the scenes of the Tribute Money
- St. Peter taking the Coin from the Mouth of the Fish (left),
Jesus Ordering Peter to Fish (center), and St. Peter paying the
Tribute to the Publican (right). In the lower tier the
compartment to the right of the altar with St. Peter and St. John
distributing the Goods and the Death of Ananias is by Masaccio as
are also, to the left of the altar, St. Peter Healing the Sick
with his Shadow; on the lower part of the left wall, St. Peter in
Cattedra (left) and part of St. Peter Bringing back to Life the
Son of the Prefect Theophilus of Antioch. Finally the last
compartment of the left wall, St. Peter in Prison Visited by St.
Paul, in the lower zone of the right wall, the Angel Freeing St.
Peter from Prison and the double scene of St. Peter before the
Prefect Agrippa and the Crucifixion of St. Peter are by another
great artist, Filippino Lippi.
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