DOI Artikel:
Krasny, Piotr: Exempla viva: the prelates of the Roman Catholic Church as inspirers of Charles Borromeo’s instructions on shaping sacred srt
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.38234#0050
49
14. Mantua Cathedral, rebuilt after the design of Giulio Romano, from 1545 on, plan.
After R Piva, L’ altro’ Giulio Romano. Il Duomo di Mantova, la chiesa di Palivona e la
dialettica col Medioevo, Quistello, 1998
and the entire Catholic hierarchy to their Apostolic roots,
and be based on a thorough investigation into and revival
of the oldest traditions of ancient Christianity.85 Among
various manifestations of that tradition Cortese did not
mention works of early Christian art, but the architectural
heritage of that period was tellingly revived and appreci-
ated thanks to Ercole Gonzaga who had maintained reg-
ular contact with Cortese and remained under his over-
whelming intellectual influence.86
This revival took place thanks to the rebuilding of Man-
tua Cathedral87, a task - let us recall - entrusted by Gon-
zaga to Giulio Romano. As a result, the church emerged as
a five-aisled basilica with transept and a relatively shallow
85 G. Cortesius, De romani itinere gestisque Principis Apostolorum,
ed. by V.A. Constantius, Romae 1777, esp. pp. 1-6. See also M.W.
Anderson, ‘Gregorio Cortese and Roman Catholic Reform’, Six-
teenth Century Essays and Studies, 1,1970, no. 1, pp. 83-85; P. Piva,
L’altro Giulio Romano, p. 46 (as in note 26).
86 PV. Murphy, Ruling Peacefully, p. 40 (as in note 26).
87 The history of the reconstruction has been discussed in detail by
P Piva, L’altro Giulio Romano, pp. 73-96 (as in note 26).
chancel (Fig. 14). The aisles were separated by colon-
nades supporting an entablature, and the nave and exter-
nal aisles were covered with coffered ceilings (Figs. 15,16).
These elements, which made the cathedral reminiscent of
an early Christian basilica, were underscored by modest,
but at the same time conspicuously Classical decoration
of the entablature in the form of festoons and intertwin-
ing acanthus leaves.88
In no document did Gonzaga expressly state that the
reconstruction of Mantua Cathedral was aimed at mak-
ing it resemble early Christian churches. Such an inten-
tion was suggested only in the chronicle of Ippolito Do-
nesmodi (d. c. 1630), written half a century after the re-
building. The historiographer had noted, namely, that the
ancient walls’ of the cathedral, on the outside shaped in
the Germanic manner, with merlons and finials, accord-
ing to an old practice’, were sumptuously’ remodelled in
the interior using excellent modern architecture’ that was
in keeping with the origins of the church, which reached
88 M. Tafuri, ‘Il Duomo di Mantova’, in Giulio Romano, pp. 550-556
(as in note 55).
14. Mantua Cathedral, rebuilt after the design of Giulio Romano, from 1545 on, plan.
After R Piva, L’ altro’ Giulio Romano. Il Duomo di Mantova, la chiesa di Palivona e la
dialettica col Medioevo, Quistello, 1998
and the entire Catholic hierarchy to their Apostolic roots,
and be based on a thorough investigation into and revival
of the oldest traditions of ancient Christianity.85 Among
various manifestations of that tradition Cortese did not
mention works of early Christian art, but the architectural
heritage of that period was tellingly revived and appreci-
ated thanks to Ercole Gonzaga who had maintained reg-
ular contact with Cortese and remained under his over-
whelming intellectual influence.86
This revival took place thanks to the rebuilding of Man-
tua Cathedral87, a task - let us recall - entrusted by Gon-
zaga to Giulio Romano. As a result, the church emerged as
a five-aisled basilica with transept and a relatively shallow
85 G. Cortesius, De romani itinere gestisque Principis Apostolorum,
ed. by V.A. Constantius, Romae 1777, esp. pp. 1-6. See also M.W.
Anderson, ‘Gregorio Cortese and Roman Catholic Reform’, Six-
teenth Century Essays and Studies, 1,1970, no. 1, pp. 83-85; P. Piva,
L’altro Giulio Romano, p. 46 (as in note 26).
86 PV. Murphy, Ruling Peacefully, p. 40 (as in note 26).
87 The history of the reconstruction has been discussed in detail by
P Piva, L’altro Giulio Romano, pp. 73-96 (as in note 26).
chancel (Fig. 14). The aisles were separated by colon-
nades supporting an entablature, and the nave and exter-
nal aisles were covered with coffered ceilings (Figs. 15,16).
These elements, which made the cathedral reminiscent of
an early Christian basilica, were underscored by modest,
but at the same time conspicuously Classical decoration
of the entablature in the form of festoons and intertwin-
ing acanthus leaves.88
In no document did Gonzaga expressly state that the
reconstruction of Mantua Cathedral was aimed at mak-
ing it resemble early Christian churches. Such an inten-
tion was suggested only in the chronicle of Ippolito Do-
nesmodi (d. c. 1630), written half a century after the re-
building. The historiographer had noted, namely, that the
ancient walls’ of the cathedral, on the outside shaped in
the Germanic manner, with merlons and finials, accord-
ing to an old practice’, were sumptuously’ remodelled in
the interior using excellent modern architecture’ that was
in keeping with the origins of the church, which reached
88 M. Tafuri, ‘Il Duomo di Mantova’, in Giulio Romano, pp. 550-556
(as in note 55).