Tabernacle at Torrino di Santa Rosa

TORRINO SANTA ROSA

the tabernacle of florence

THE TABERNACLE

Tabernacle

The tabernacle houses a fresco depicting the Pietà with the Madonna, Saints John the Evangelist, and Mary Magdalene. The fresco was commissioned by the Compagnia dei Laici to adorn the facade of the Oratory of Santa Rosa. Initially attributed to Domenico Ghirlandaio and his circle (1448-1494), it was later, by Berenson, tentatively attributed to Jacopo del Sellaio. However, after a more detailed study following its removal in 1957, the fresco was attributed to a 16th-century Florentine artist, likely corresponding to the early career of Ridolfo del Ghirlandaio (1483-1561), with the note that Mary Magdalene's depiction shows similarities to the style of Luca Signorelli. The work is dated to the third decade of the 16th century.

Fresco

The fresco depicts the sorrowful figure of the Madonna at the center, leaning over the body of Jesus, with Saint John and Mary Magdalene on either side. In the background, a landscape that might evoke the banks of the Arno is visible. Above, three angels hold the instruments of the Passion. As suggested by Bargelli, the towers visible in the scene could reference San Barnaba, also known as "a Torri."

THE STREET

Oratory of Santa Rosa

The tabernacle, located near the Torrino di Santa Rosa on the city walls dating back to 1284-1333, is connected to the history of the Monastery of Santa Maria in Verzaia. This monastery was built in 1323 by the nuns of San Barnaba a Torri in Val di Pesa between Porta a San Frediano and the river. Attached to the convent was a small oratory, dedicated to Santa Rosa, which housed a lay brotherhood known as the Compagnia di Santa Rosa al Cantone. In 1345, the monastic complex passed to the Guglielmite friars of Sant'Antimo (Siena), who managed it until 1564. Before the city was besieged in 1529, the convent was demolished by the Florentines themselves to create a scorched-earth zone around the walls, but the oratory was likely spared out of respect for the fresco attributed to Ridolfo del Ghirlandaio.

THE RESTAURATIONS

In 1856

The artwork was in poor condition when, in 1856, the Tuscan government, with the consent of the Antinori family, ordered its restoration. Additionally, it was decided that a Gothic-style tabernacle would be erected near the tower where the San Frediano walls end, to protect the sacred image, which had been isolated for many years under the portico of the nearby Oratory of Santa Rosa. The monumental tabernacle was built in Neo-Gothic forms that same year, based on a design by architect Felice Francolini, although some scholars have noted that the drawings in the Historical Archive of the Municipality of Florence bear the signature of architect Mariano Falcini.

In 1998 and in 2023

In 1998, the artwork was restored by the R.A.M. company, thanks to funding from the Antinori marquises. Between 2022 and 2023, the fresco and its stone frame were restored by the Municipality of Florence, with the support of the Tabernacle Committee of the Amici dei Musei Association and a donation from Friends of Florence. The fresco restoration was carried out by Bartolomeo Ciccone, while Stefano Landi took care of the stone frame. Below the artwork, a marble plaque commemorates its relocation to this site, funded by the Royal Treasury and the Municipality of Florence.