Genoa, the churches and the "common sense": S. Maria delle Vigne

The curiosity to see if other churches have the same peculiarity has been great, and it is easy to use Google Earth ... then we will present the other churches of "common sense" (where "sense" means the direction of the apse ...), some 'time.

This Sunday we begin by S. Maria delle Vigne, Piazza delle Vigne (Old Town).

The name of the basilica of Santa Maria delle Vigne is due to the vision of Our Lady by a child (X - XI century) who had gone to play in the vineyards of the area, then outside the walls. On the site of the vision was immediately created a small dome that gradually expanded to become the largest church in the historic center of Genoa, second only to the cathedral of San Lorenzo. It was modified several times since the thirteenth century, with the first transfer of the roof trusses that still retains over the seventeenth century when the nave.

Elements of the original Romanesque architecture are still present, as well as in time, even in the walls and under floors, even if the only part that has remained intact since the time of its construction appears to be to the left of the transept, the only tower located between the outer walls of the church and cloister. The bell tower is open at the base and crossed by a large arch over the road transit permits, the upper is lightened by elegant pairs of mullioned windows and five-light windows.

The monastery - built, like that of the church of San Siro Struppa around 1025 - is on two floors that enclose a courtyard square structure. It is accessed from the left side of the road that runs alongside the tower. It too has undergone major changes over time while maintaining their archaic style characterized especially by the shape of squat columns and capitals.

The current façade of the basilica - long remained unfinished - dates back to 1842. By the late neoclassical style, is the work of Ippolito Cremona. Major changes to the complex and heavier than the original Romanesque basilica of Santa Maria delle Vigne have taken place since the end of the 500 when it was decided the expansion of the apse to the area behind the cemetery. At the same time, the two side apses were expanded with the creation of the current chapels flanking the altar. The expansion was financed by the family of Agapito Gaspar Grillo and designed by the Court. The Chapel of the Crucifix has a coating of marble 1587, by Taddeo Carlone.

Only fifty years after these works, just before the half of '600, Cardinal Stefano Durazzo, a pastoral visit, he observed a degradation of the complex providing new jobs.

A document from 1642 shows how these works, in particular concerning the opening of three semicircular windows, rebuilding of the interior columns and capitals, were entrusted to the architect and sculptor Daniel Box Black John the Baptist. It was under these circumstances that were completely refurbished by the brotherhood of noble families and the chapels and side altars, enriched with paintings and sculptures (the times will be painted only in the later eighteenth century).

The many changes have made the Basilica of Santa Maria delle Vigne, a completely different from the original Romanesque style, which remained in effect, in addition to the bell tower, the only plan of a basilica and a column that, according to tradition, would belong to the original Roman columns and on which there is a painting of the Madonna.

The replacement vessel in the central system with eight columns of the temple with four Romanesque twin columns of greater height and consequent reduction of the bays from nine to five, has completely broken the sense of spaciousness Romanesque. Opening windows and caused a different distribution of light sources by placing the structure of the temple only large hall in which the lateral and central areas are almost devoid of detachment

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