Churches of Le Marche

On the second day of our trip we visited the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche, one of the most important Renaissance museums in the world. It is housed in the Palazzo Ducale in Urbino, built primarily in the 15^th century, which is itself a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Much of the important art from that period from painters such as Raphael, was centered on religious themes as it was either commissioned by or for the church.

There were no pictures officially allowed in the museum itself, so I have nothing to show of the amazing, inlaid (intarsia) work from the doors and the Dukes Study. Much of the museum was devoted to depictions of Christ and Mary. Across the street from the Ducal palace and Duomo is the Church of San Francesco.

Amy and I ducked in to get warm and found we had the place to ourselves. At the front of the church were two pieces which were very similar to many we had seen inside the museum.

The local style of crucifix is somewhat unusual. Rather than being carved, they are flat, wooden pieces with painted images of Christ. The ends of the crosspiece and top of the main piece of the cross are enlarged. Some of the ones inside the museum had even more ornate, octagonal ends.

This modern ceramic tile from outside of a church in Recanati suggests that this style is regional and persists to the present time.

Also present at the front of the church was a carved figure of Mary with the Baby Jesus. In all of the pictures and carvings of Mary and Child, Mary is always depicted with a flat, expressionless face. In their attempt to capture her as serene, the artists seem to lose sight of her as a person with any kind of personality which can be expressed. It would seem she was merely a vessel to bring forth Christ into the world.

In keeping with the theme of churches, we also visited the Tempio Malatesta in Rimini. The original church on the site was consecrated in approximately 800. The current structure was built in the Gothic style during the 13^th century and dedicated to St. Francis, it was extensively renovated during the 15^th century at the height of the Renaissance by the architect Alberti at the request of the Malatesta Family who were important figures at the time. Even with the stone façade, you can see the hint of brickwork characteristic of the region in the bell tower to the rear and set back above the main entrance.

The marble for the work came from the Roman ruins near Ravenna. One of the aspects of the building which I find most amazing is that most of it actually dates from the mid 1940’s and later. During WWII, the Allies bombed the snot out of Rimini. The church was heavily damaged. Pretty much the only original part remaining is the middle of the front surrounding the door. Much of the rest of it had to be reconstructed.