| Church of San Filippo Neri | |
|---|---|
Chiesa di San Filippo Neri | |
 Façade of the church | |
  San Filippo Neri, Turin Map ofTurin | |
| 45°04′06″N7°41′05″E / 45.0683°N 7.6847°E /45.0683; 7.6847 | |
| Country | Italy |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic Church |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Baroque andneoclassical |
| Groundbreaking | 1675 |
| Completed | 1730 |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | Turin |
San Filippo Neri is a late-Baroque style,Roman Catholic church located inTurin, region ofPiedmont, Italy. The church is located on Via Maria Vittoria 5; the left flank of the nave faces theTurin Academy of Sciences. The church is still used for services. 69 metres (226 ft) long and 37 metres (121 ft) wide, it is the largest church in the city of Turin.
The church was commissioned late in life byCharles Emmanuel II, Duke of Savoy, and completed after his death in 1675 with the patronage of his widowMaria Giovanna Battista of Savoy-Nemours. The original design was byAntonio Bettini, however, the roof of this original church collapsed in 1706 during the fierceSiege of Turin by French forces.
The church was rebuilt (1715-1730) according to designs byFilippo Juvarra.[1] The main altar (1703) was designed byAntonio Bertola with sixSolomonic columns surmounted by statues ofFaithHope andCharity by Carlo Francesco Plura.[2] Thealtarpiece was painted byCarlo Maratta, and thetribune andchoir framed withputti sculpted byStefano Maria Clemente [it]. One church chapel has a canvas ofBeato Valfrè byFerdinando Cavalleri. Thesacristy was frescoed byLuigi Vacca. The adjacentoratory (to the right of the facade) was designed by Bettini. The painting of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin was painted bySebastiano Conca with frescoes byGaetano Perego.[3]
The imposingNeoclassicpronaos (1823) of the facade, designed byGiuseppe Maria Talucchi [it] has four monumental columns, flanking advanced wings with pilasters, and a triangular tympanum. The sober linearity clashes with the decorative interior with its playful, shell-shapedJuvarrian window frames. The six chapels haveelliptical domes. Juvarra designed the polychrome marble pavement of the presbytery. Along the nave are medallion bas-reliefs byGiovanni Battista Bernero.
The oratory, located to the right of the facade, is mainly used for concerts and theatrical performances. On the outer (street-side) pilaster of the oratory facade, nearly three-quarters towards the top, is a cannonball embedded in the wall during the French siege of Turin in 1799. The oratory was designed byAntonio Bettini, although likely inspired by a prior design by Jurvarra. To the left of the oratory is thebaptistry which houses a marble medallion of theBaptism of Christ. The oratory is rich in paintings. The main altar is aSt Phillip with an Immaculate Conception bySebastiano Conca. On the walls are four canvases depicting episodes in theLife of Mary, completed by Conca, his brother, and their studio, including anAnnunciation,Visitation,Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, and anAssumption of the Virgin. Four smaller paintings depicting theBirth of the Virgin, thePresentation of Mary at the Temple, theMarriage of the Virgin, andConsolation of Mary, were painted byMattia Franceschini. The ceiling fresco, depicting theCoronation of Mary, is attributed toGaetano Perego.[4]
For special feasts, such as Christmas, Pentecost, and the anniversary of the consecration of the church (in November), an altar plate (paliotto) is displayed, made of mother of pearl, ivory, tortoiseshell, and hard-wood. It was donated by the artist,Pietro Piffetti(1700-1777), to celebrate the first century of the congregation.[5]
Between Christmas and Epiphany, the entrance to the church is decorated with apresepe consisting of 30 life-sized mannequins, dressed in period costume, sculpted byAnton Maria Maragliano (1664-1739).[6]
| Archaeological sites |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Basilica and Cathedral | ||
| Churches | ||
| Squares | ||
| Other structures | ||
| Theatres | ||
| Museums | ||
| Gardens and parks | ||
| Sporting scenaries | ||
| Events and traditions | ||
