Sant'Anna dei Lombardi
Encyclopedia
Sant'Anna dei Lombardi is a church and monastic complex in Naples
, southern Italy
. It was originally named S. Maria di Monteoliveto ("Mount of Olives
") and was founded in 1411 under king Ladislaus of Durazzo. The newer appellation "Sant'Anna dei Lombardi" stems from the beginning of the 19th century when king Ferdinand of Naples authorized the lay brotherhood of the Lombardi to reside on the premises since their own nearby church dedicated to Sant'Anna, built by Cosimo Fanzago
in the 16th century was severely damaged by a collapse in 1798.
The entire complex was at one time one of the largest monasteries in Italy, occupying what today can be measured only in "city blocks". Urban renewal from the 1930s literally built around the old premises, leaving much of the original structure standing in the center. For example, the gigantic main post office in Naples is at west end of the old monastery and the older edifice was simply incorporated into the back of the post office such that the monastery seems to flow out of the more modern building. At the east end, the church, itself, is still in use, but the adjacent monastery premise and courtyard are now a Carabinieri
(Italian national police force) barracks.
Within the church, there are a number of prominent works by artists from all over Italy. These include the monument tomb of Maria d'Aragona in the Piccolomini chapel and the Annunciation alter in the Curiale chapel. Paintings of interest within the church include works by Giorgio Vasari
and Pedro Rubiales. It is also home to a group sculpture in terracotta from 1492 by Guido Mazzoni
of the "Lament over the Dead Christ", and of the tomb of Domenico Fontana
.
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, southern Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It was originally named S. Maria di Monteoliveto ("Mount of Olives
Mount of Olives
The Mount of Olives is a mountain ridge in East Jerusalem with three peaks running from north to south. The highest, at-Tur, rises to 818 meters . It is named for the olive groves that once covered its slopes...
") and was founded in 1411 under king Ladislaus of Durazzo. The newer appellation "Sant'Anna dei Lombardi" stems from the beginning of the 19th century when king Ferdinand of Naples authorized the lay brotherhood of the Lombardi to reside on the premises since their own nearby church dedicated to Sant'Anna, built by Cosimo Fanzago
Cosimo Fanzago
Cosimo Fanzago was an Italian architect and sculptor, generally considered the greatest such artist of the Baroque period in Naples, Italy.-Biography:...
in the 16th century was severely damaged by a collapse in 1798.
The entire complex was at one time one of the largest monasteries in Italy, occupying what today can be measured only in "city blocks". Urban renewal from the 1930s literally built around the old premises, leaving much of the original structure standing in the center. For example, the gigantic main post office in Naples is at west end of the old monastery and the older edifice was simply incorporated into the back of the post office such that the monastery seems to flow out of the more modern building. At the east end, the church, itself, is still in use, but the adjacent monastery premise and courtyard are now a Carabinieri
Carabinieri
The Carabinieri is the national gendarmerie of Italy, policing both military and civilian populations, and is a branch of the armed forces.-Early history:...
(Italian national police force) barracks.
Within the church, there are a number of prominent works by artists from all over Italy. These include the monument tomb of Maria d'Aragona in the Piccolomini chapel and the Annunciation alter in the Curiale chapel. Paintings of interest within the church include works by Giorgio Vasari
Giorgio Vasari
Giorgio Vasari was an Italian painter, writer, historian, and architect, who is famous today for his biographies of Italian artists, considered the ideological foundation of art-historical writing.-Biography:...
and Pedro Rubiales. It is also home to a group sculpture in terracotta from 1492 by Guido Mazzoni
Guido Mazzoni (sculptor)
Guido Mazzoni was an Italian sculptor and painter of the Renaissance period, working in Bologna, Naples and France.-Biography:...
of the "Lament over the Dead Christ", and of the tomb of Domenico Fontana
Domenico Fontana
Domenico Fontana was a Swiss-born Italian architect of the late Renaissance.-Biography:200px|thumb|Fountain of Moses in Rome....
.