6.8 The Osservanza: a parchment and a tomb
Basilica dell’Osservanza
Just a stone’s throw from the historic centre of Siena, the Basilica dell’Osservanza, a fine example of Renaissance architecture, rises from the Colle della Capriola.
The location of this church, away from the traditional tourist routes among the monuments of Siena, means that it is almost completely unknown to visitors, if not to the Sienese themselves.
Numerous personages are linked to this basilica, making it a central place in the history of 15th century Siena. The first of these, particularly connected to the Basilica, so much so that he could even be called its founder, is San Bernardino da Siena (St Bernardine of Siena). The building was dedicated to the Sienese preacher, as was the city oratory that bears his name.
Let’s take a look at some of the stages of his life to better understand his connection to the Basilica dell’Osservanza.
Between 1403, the year in which he took his vows, and the 1420s, when his fame grew to such an extent that he was considered dangerous, Bernardino received as a gift from the Ospedale del Santa Maria della Scala the Romitorio di Sant’Onofrio alla Capriola (Hermitage of Sant’Onofrio alla Capriola), on the hill of the same name near Siena. It was here that he chose to introduce the reformed rule of the Frati Francescani Osservanti into the city.
As mentioned previously, Bernardino was a great traveller. Owing to his preaching and fame, he was welcomed in many towns in central and northern Italy, and was appointed Commissario dell’Osservanza (Commissioner of the Osservanza) ‘of Upper and Middle Italy’. He even earned the respect of Filippo Maria Visconti, the Duke of Milan, who gave him a convent in the city— Sant’Angelo—which immediately became the Milanese seat of the Riforma Osservante. Although he was always travelling around the peninsula, Bernardino certainly did not forget Siena. in 1425, he devoted himself almost exclusively to giving sermons in Piazza San Francesco and Piazza del Campo. Remembrances of those events have been handed down to us by the depictions of the Sienese artist Sano di Pietro who painted two panels—now housed in the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo—depicting Bernardino’s sermons in which, in addition to providing valuable evidence of the original appearance of the Palazzo Pubblico and the Basilica of San Francesco, it is also possible to note the impressive number of people who flocked to hear the monologues of the friar, a crowd so large that no church in Siena could have accommodated it.
His presence became so influential and charismatic that the municipality eventually decided to reform the city statutes to include some of his precepts. However, a more visible sign of his influence in Siena can be seen today in the ubiquitous presence of the IHS monogram on the city’s public buildings, from the façade of the Palazzo Pubblico itself to the arches of the city gates.
In 1429, following another period of travel through the cities, Bernardino returned to Siena to enter into retreat.
San Bernardino is also remembered for the accusation of heresy made against him and his subsequent acquittal by Pope Eugene IV; not only was he denounced at the papal court, but also to Emperor Sigismund III of Luxembourg. On his way to Rome, the sovereign made a long stopover in Siena, waiting for an official summons from Pope Eugene IV.
In 1433, after being acquitted of charges of heresy, Bernardino accompanied Emperor Sigismund to Rome, where the sovereign received the crown of the Holy Roman Empire from the pope on 31 May 1433.
In 1438, after he had repeatedly refused prominent roles within the ecclesiastical hierarchy, Bernardino was appointed Ministro Generale Sopra gli Osservanti d’Italia.
As was reported in the previous brochure, Bernardino Albizzeschi died in 1444 in L’Aquila during one of his journeys abroad. Although his death occurred far from Siena, some mementos are housed in the Basilica dell’Osservanza, including one of the wooden tablets with the monogram he used during his sermons.
To promote the cult of Bernardino, a remodeling of the Sienese basilica was begun in 1477 based on a project by Francesco di Giorgio Martini, one of the most prominent artists of the second half of the 15th century in Siena (and not only).
It is at this point in the narrative that the second person connected with the Basilica dell’Osservanza comes on the scene, the abovementioned Pandolfo Petrucci.
Il Magnifico chose the basilica as his favourite church and the burial place for himself and his family. He also helped to finance the modernisation work that was part of the new project by Francesco di Giorgio.
It is unfortunate that what we see of this church today is largely the result of posthumous reconstruction following the catastrophic damage incurred during World War II.
It was on 23 January 1944 that the Allies dropped bombs from the skies over Siena, targeting the railway station, which served as a weapons distribution hub for the Nazi- Fascists, but accidentally hitting the Basilica, destroying it and causing extensive damage to nearby houses. Although dramatic, the destruction allowed for an unexpected discovery to take place, one that would never have happened if not for that tragic event: while attempting to salvage what remained of the works buried under the rubble, a piece of pergamena (parchment) was found in the nape of the neck of the wooden crucifix of the high altar, created by the artist Lando di Pietro, almost completely destroyed by the bombing and now kept in the museum section of the Basilica.
The Interior of the Basilica dell’Osservanza
The simplicity and straight lines of the interior of the church of the Osservanza, based on the white grey dichromatism of Brunelleschi’s models as reinterpreted by Francesco di Giorgio, was well suited to expressing the concepts of ‘poverty’ and ‘simplicity’ of the reformed Franciscans. Instead of the pietra serena used by Brunelleschi in Florence, the grey in Siena was simulated by the use of dark painted plaster.
The interior of this building is home to paintings and sculptures of admirable beauty, the work of such Sienese masters as Sano di Pietro.
According to various scholars, Sano di Pietro and the Maestro dell’Osservanza are one and the same person: the Maestro dell’Osservanza is said to be the artist’s early phase. He was identified with this name by critics when the Trittico con la Madonna e Santi altarpiece, housed in the last chapel on the right, was rediscovered in this church, the place from which he takes his pseudonym.
In both the adjacent chapel and in the first one on the left as you enter, there are two works attributed to Sano di Pietro: the Trittico della Vergine tra San Bernardino e San Girolamo and the Madonna con Bambino e Santi.
Two Crocifissioni con Santi, one a detached fresco in the first chapel on the right and the other an altarpiece in the third on the left, are by Bartolomeo Neroni, known as Riccio.
Under the triumphal arch, the archway that divides the altar area from the rest of the church, placed inside two imitation 15th century niches, are the Vergine Annunciata and the Angelo Annunciante by Andrea della Robbia.
The two statues, originally made of glazed terracotta and restored after the bombing, were conceived as corner statues for the high altar. The meaning of their positioning has also been preserved in this display: the fruit of their encounter, what is celebrated on the altar placed between the two, the body of Christ who became human to free humanity from sin.
Fortunately, this is not the only original work by Andrea della Robbia that was saved; there are also two medallions, in glazed terracotta, positioned on the opposite wall and depicting St Bonaventure and St Ludwig of Toulouse.
The two terracotta pieces, which survived the bombing and hang here restored, were part of a cycle of saints—of which we can now only see plaster copies—that adorned the ceiling of the church.
Also by the sculptor Andrea della Robbia, in the second chapel on the left, is a dossal depicting the Incoronazione della Vergine e Santi, dating to the penultimate decade of the 15th century.
The predella, the rectangle at the base of the piece, depicts the Assunzione di Maria e la Natività di Gesù. In the centina, the semicircular section that completes the upper part, seraphim angels are portrayed with the Bernadine monogram IHS in the centre. Behind the altar, in a space furnished with a neo-Renaissance style wooden choir dating back to after World War II, the habit that belonged to Saint Bernardino is displayed in a glass case.
The Sacristy
A small doorway to the right of the triumphal arch leads to the sacristy, which houses what is perhaps the most theatrical work of all: Compianto su Cristo Morto (Lamention Over the Dead Christ) by Giacomo Cozzarelli, a painted terracotta sculpture that perfectly renders the profound emotion and drama of the event.
Cozzarelli had learnt this skill from his master Francesco di Giorgio, creator of the abovementioned project for the Basilica and sculptor of several masterpieces, such as the Cristo Deposto in the Basilica of Santa Maria dei Servi in Siena, where the pathetic nature of the figure is coupled with a powerful foreshortened rendering. Additionally, Cozzarelli helped the Sienese master in the final stages of the design of the Osservanza: he created the west facing portico behind the church that offers a breathtaking view of the city of Siena.
The Museo Conventuale Aurelio Castelli
From an access to the right of the altar, it is possible to enter the Aurelio Castelli Museum. In the centre, protected by glass cases, are several illuminated manuscripts and choir books of inestimable value.
The object of greatest interest, however, is the glass case containing the testa di crocifisso (head of the crucifix) by Lando di Pietro. This wooden crucifix used to be located on the altar and, as already mentioned, was destroyed in the bombing of 1944. While we lament the loss of the intact piece, it is also true that, had it not been for the tragic event of the war, we would never have discovered that the artist had hidden a small piece of parchment within the nape of the Christ’s neck, impossible to see from the exterior.
It is the only known wooden sculpture by Lando di Pietro, who was more recognized for his work as a goldsmith and architect; he was the first master builder of the ‘Duomo Nuovo’ project in Siena in 1339.
Step close to the parchment and let yourself be inspired by the message it carries.
This room also houses another priceless object, the death mask of San Bernardino, which gives us a glimpse of his true appearance. No matter the artist, in all the works depicting the saint, he is always portrayed with the same features.
The Crypt
As a symbol of a renewed religiosity, committed to the rediscovery of Saint Francis’s message of poverty through the charismatic personality of San Bernardino, the Osservanza soon became a centre of attraction for the devotion and patronage of Siena’s affluent ranks.
Among the influential individuals of Renaissance Siena was, as previously mentioned, Pandolfo Petrucci, who was also one of the Osservanza’s major patrons. The crypt of the church, fairly well preserved in spite of the damage caused by the war, still houses the tomb of the family of il Magnifico, who wanted, for his funeral, a long procession to accompany his coffin from Siena to his final resting place. The orientation of the crypt is inverted with respect to the nave of the church above; the room is characterised by brick barrel vaults and, on the floor, tombs of other illustrious personalities.
This is the end of the chapter dedicated to the Basilica that stands on the Colle della Capriola. Before leaving, if possible, visit the Loggia di Pandolfo and the tiny Cella di San Bernardino (Cell of St Bernadine).
Text by Ambra Sargentoni (Ambra Tour Guide) Editorial coordination: Elisa Boniello and
Laura Modafferi
Photos: Archivio Comune di Siena, Leonardo Castelli Graphics: Michela Bracciali