With its great dome that can be seen from every
corner of the city, this basilica is the most important Renaissance
building in Pistoia. As is so often the case in the great building
projects of the past, this church is not the work of just one architect.
In fact in the course of construction, which lasted over fifty years,
several different architects oversaw the project; each of them brought
his personal solutions to the original plan. Recent studies have
attributed the first model to Giuliano da Sangallo, one of the most
highly respected architects of the Medici court, who with great
mastery renewed Renaissance building typology by looking directly
at ancient architecture. This attribution would contradict Vasari's
story, well supported by local pride, which pointed to Ventura Vitoni
from Pistoia as the only architect. It is true, however, that Vitoni
played a key role since he served as the overseer of construction
for twenty-five years. The history of the Basilica began on July
17,1490 when, in the church of S. Maria Forisportam (built in medieval
times, with this name that referred to its location outside the
first city wall (
vs8),
an exceptional event occurred: the image of the Madonna cried silvery
tears. To commemorate this miracle and to overcome the inadequacy
of the original structure which was too small for the masses of
worshippers, it was decided to build a magnificent church where
the wall containing the miraculous image could be relocated. The
wide vestibule at the entrance
A, differing from traditional
sanctuaries which were generally preceded by porticos where the
pilgrims could rest leads to the octagonal hall which is characteristic
of most Marian sanctuaries built in Renaissance times. There are
six chapels inside and the largest of these contains the high altar,
a work commissioned from the Florentine Mannerist artist Pietro
Tacca which was to replace the previous wooden altar which can be
seen today in the Baptistery (
vs34).
A tabernacle with Corinthian columns and a curved pediment encloses
the miraculous fresco which was brought here in the mid sixteenth
century. Around the same time the dome was completed, although not
before causing its creator Giorgio Vasari many problems. To the
sides of the high altar there are other chapels, such as the ones
dedicated to the Annunciati
B and to the Assumption
C
These respectively contain works attributed to Ludovico Buti
and Francesco Morandini called il Poppi, both well-known artists
in early seventeenth century Florence. The church vestibule was
decorated in the early 1 700s by Giovan Domenico Piastrini (
vs38),
and other artists, with scenes that illustrate the miracle and the
construction of the Basilica. With the papal bull of 151 5 the name
of the church was changed from 5. Maria Forisportam to S. Maria
dell'Umiltà. Since then the church has been associated with the
image of the Virgin seated on the ground with the Son at her breast
(
vi).
Precious liturgical vestments, mostly dating from the seventeenth
century, are conserved in the sacristy.
(n.) refers to the number of the file-card (s.i.) means see information
inside
The Image of the Virgin of Humility
The images of the Virgin of Humility became wide-spread in Italy
and the rest of Europe between the mid 1300s and the early 1400s.
In this new iconography, the Virgin instead of being enthroned,
is pictured seated on a cushion on the ground while she breastfeeds
the Child. Where this formula originated is not known with certainty
but it refers to the humilitas of Maria who was chosen to become
the mother of Christ in virtue of this quality. The image in the
Basilica, one of many versions dating from this period, has been
recently recognized as a work of Paolo Serafini, son of the painter
Serafino. A copy can be seen in the tabernacle underneath the bridge
joining the Palazzo Comunale with the Cathedral; other works on
this theme were created by Niccolò da Mariano in the church of Sant'Andrea
(
vs25), and by Antonio
Vite in San Paolo (
vs36),
