PhD Program in Historical studies
Mesagne
Mesagne, in the province of Brindisi, can be counted among the most important Baroque towns of southern Italy. In the seventeenth century, in fact, it enjoyed a period of major changes in urban planning, with the demolition of several buildings and the construction of palaces, churches and convents. During the same period two squares were created: Piazza del Principe, now Piazza del Balzo Orsini, and Piazza del Popolo, Piazza Criscuolo today. The design and management of such works was almost always entrusted to the priest and architect, a native of Mesagne, Francesco CapodieciFrancesco Capodieci (1605-after 1663) was born in Mesagne to humble peasants. A priest and architect, his name is linked to the reconstruction of the seventeenth century in his hometown. An educated man of many interests, he worked in other towns of the Apulian Baroque..
Among the civil buildings erected in the early modern period, the complex of the Monte di Pietà , completed in 1626 should be noted. Elements which are characteristic of the exterior of the building are the corner column, the apotropaic motifs found in the gargoyles to drain rain water, the frames and the architectural shapes applied to large windows.
Nonetheless, far more characteristic of the Baroque period are the many religious buildings dating from the same era. The Church of Sant’Anna (Saint Anne), located in Piazza Orsini del Balzo, was built to a design by Francesco Capodieci between 1683 and 1699. The construction work, funded entirely by the local feudal lord’s wife, Princess Victoria Capano, was undertaken by some of the major Salentine artists of the period such as, for example, Giuseppe Cino. The façade is characterized by great elegance and sumptuousness of form, with curls and floral arabesques. Princely motifs, roses and flowering clusters decorate the portal, while festoons of fruit and interwoven leaves join the side columns together. Together with Piazza Orsini del Balzo and the nearby Norman-Swabian castle, the church of Sant’Anna forms a splendid monumental complex, the most important of Mesagne.
A few steps from the Church of Sant’Anna is the Mother Church, built before, between 1649 and 1660, and also designed by Francesco Capodieci. The typically Baroque façade (image) consists of three tiers and is decorated with 18 statues. The inside of the church was instead built in the second half of the eighteenth century. Worthy of interest are the imposing organ, the altar in polychrome marble, a remarkable sixteenth-century wooden crucifix and numerous paintings, among which stand out L’Assunzione di Maria Vergine (The Assumption of Mary the Virgin) by Saverio LilloSaverio Lillo (1734-1796) was born in Ruffano, in the province of Lecce. Although he is generally considered a minor artist, he was, nonetheless, relevant in the cultural scene in Lecce in the eighteenth century. Ready to accept any request of his customers because of economic hardship, his works, both secular and religious, are now preserved in Mesagne, Galatina and in the parish church of Beata Maria Vergine (the Blessed Virgin Mary) in Ruffano, where he was buried. and La crocifissione di San Pietro (the Crucifixion of St. Peter) by Domenico PincaDomenico Pinca (1746-1813) was a painter who was born and worked mainly in Mesagne..
The church of Santa Maria in Betlem (Saint Mary in Bethlehem), just outside the historic town of Mesagne, is another classic example of the Baroque in the Salento. The façade, on two orders, holds the statues of Saints Peter Celestine and Benedict, in the side niches of the first order, while the statue of the Virgin is placed in the portal. In the second order Saints Scholastica and Gertrude are depicted, along with various ornaments and heraldic elements, as an homage to the Benedictine order. The interior, with a single nave, exalts the Baroque with its architectural structure, altars and abundant decorations. Various paintings, made by local artists, further embellish the church.
The sanctuary of Santa Maria Mater Domini (Saint Mary Mother of the Lord) was instead erected between 1598 and 1605 to hold the medieval icon depicting the Madonna and Child, believed to be miraculous and therefore an object of veneration. The sanctuary is in the Renaissance style, but the interior, which features a Greek cross plan, retains a Baroque high altar, on which the Marian icon is placed. It was re-painted by the painter from Mesagne, Gian Pietro ZulloA native of Mesagne, Zullo (1557-1619) was a painter who enjoyed a certain renown among his countrymen. Among his works, we find L’incredulità di San Tommaso (the Incredulity of Saint Thomas) in the sanctuary of Materdomini, the Apparizione della Madonna a San Giacinto (the Apparition of Our Lady to Saint Hyacinth) in the church of the Santissima Annunziata (of the Most Holy Annunciation) and the Adorazione dei pastori (the Adoration of the shepherds) in the Mother Church. after 1598.
The church of Sant’Antonio di Padova (Saint Anthony of Padua) was built in 1635 and was the seat of a brotherhood of the same name, composed mainly of artisans, from the mid-seventeenth to the mid-nineteenth century. There is no certainty about the artists and craftsmen who worked on its construction, but it was certainly financed with the alms offered by the residents of Mesagne and the help of some clerics. The Brotherhood organized a procession every year on 13 June with the statue of the saint. The church has a single nave with a plain façade, bordered by pilasters and a broken pediment. Some elements of the building were added following the damage caused by the earthquake of 20 February 1743.
The church of San Leonardo was instead built in the middle years of the seventeenth century on an existing building built in the twelfth century by the Order of Teutonic Knights, who had imported the cult of Saint Leonard to Mesagne. This church, whose designer has remained anonymous, has a simple façade without special decorations. The entire building is of modest size and was also restored, with the addition of new elements, after the earthquake of February 1743.
Finally, the Church of Santi Medici Cosimo e Damiano (the Doctor Saints Cosmas and Damian), located a few metres from the Mother Church, was also built during the period of great urban renewal in Mesagne during the seventeenth century. The façade is characterized by two doors which give access to a small hexagonal temple. The two paintings preserved inside, depicting the Madonna del Carmine saving the souls in Purgatory and the Immaculate Conception with Saints Cosmas and Damian, are of later date.