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Matteo Giovannetti (c. 1322, inViterbo,Latium – 1368) was an Italian painter. He worked primarily in Avignon as a member of the papal court. He is often thought to have belonged to theSimone Martini school due to some similarities of style, although there is no evidence that the two ever met. It is more plausible that he adopted a Sienese style during his education in Italy.
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He was summoned toAvignon bypope Clement VI to decorate thePalais des Papes there. He led teams of painters from right across Europe.[1]
He began painting the Saint-Martial chapel on 13 October 1344, which is a small chapel attached to the great dining hall, called the Grand Tinel. It was completed on 1 September 1345. From 9 January to 24 September 1345, he decorated the Saint-Michel oratory. In November 1345 he began the frescoes in the Grand Tinel[N 1] and completed them in April 1346. Then in 1347, from 12 July to 26 October, he worked on theconsistory room, then on the Saint-Jean chapel.[2]
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Located on the second floor of the Saint-Jean, the chapel of Saint-Martial contains paintings of the life ofSaint Martial. Giovannetti worked there between 1344 and 1345. The reading of these scenes is from top to bottom.
The rooftops of this chapel are illustrated with thirteen scenes of the early life of Saint Martial.[3] They depict Saint Martial's encounter with Christ's teaching when he was young, his baptism, Christ's preaching, fishing, the appearance of Christ to Peter, when he sent Martial to evangelize Gaul, sending Martial with two companions in Gaul, delivery of pastoral staff of St. Pierre Martial, the healing of the daughter of Arnulfus, the resurrection of the son of Nerva, the baptism of people ofToulx and the miracle ofAhun, casting out a demon, and the healing of the paralytic.
The upper continues with seven other scenes in four panels:[4] The resurrection of André and Aurelian; theLimoges martyrdom ofSt. Valerie, the ascent to heaven of the soul and the resurrection of his executioner; the Fine Honourable Duke Etienne and resurrection of Hildebert, one of his officers; the destruction of idols inBordeaux, healing Sigibertus, count of Bordeaux and extinguishing the fire.
The middle register depicts nine scenes in four panels:[5] Christ's appearance to Martial inPoitiers and the martyrdom of Saints Peter and Paul, the ordination ofAurelian of Limoges and the creation of thirteen churches in Gaul, the appearance of Christ to proclaim the death of Martial, the offering to Martial made by St. Valerie of his head and then his death, the funeral procession and healing the sick with his shroud. This register is closest to the ground and therefore more easily accessible; it is less well preserved than the rest. Finally, the lower register, just above the ground, is reserved for patterns sham.
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Between 1347 and 1348, Matteo Giovannetti took care of the chapel of St. John. Located under Saint-Martial, the latter, with an entrance from the north, is accessible from the hall of the Consistory, with single-storey cloister built byPope Benedict XII.[6] Again, the reading is done from top to bottom, but there are two parallel stories, that ofJohn the Baptist to the south and east and that ofSt. John the Evangelist in the north and west. The story itself begins from the upper register, the vaults being dedicated to the presentation of parents of two saints. They include John the Baptist, his motherSaint Elizabeth, and his fatherSt. Zachary. Also depicted is St. John the Evangelist, his motherSt. Mary Salome, and his fatherSaint Zebedee. In all, eight characters are present in the vaults.[7]
