Oratory of San Giovanni, Urbino

Not to be missed

Almost the entire cycle of frescoes telling the story of St. John the Baptist can be attributed to the Salimbeni. Less well known are their two votive Madonnas on the left wall of the oratory, which well demonstrate the stylistic differences between the two artists. The first, called the Madonna of Paradise, in its details, forms and colors, stays true to the tradition of the time, just like the rigorous Lorenzo. The second, between Saint Sebastian and the Baptist, is a mother intimately bound to her child. An attempt at introspective research is evident in her and the Saints, innovative just like Jacopo.

A bit of history

Urbino is known to all as the capital of the Renaissance and as the birthplace of Raphael Sanzio, but this small but fascinating oratory is also definitely worth a visit. Oratories played an important connective role in the social fabric thanks to the various supports they offered to the community such as assistance to the poor or the sick, as is the case with the Oratory of San Giovanni, whose role was also to welcome penitents, including Blessed Pietro Spagnoli, whose body is still displayed under the high altar.

Trivia

The Salimbeni brothers, authors of most of the frescoes in the oratory, are two artists whose language is extremely different: Lorenzo has a more conservative and graceful style, certainly closer to the interpretive precision typical of International Gothic, while Jacopo is more modern, innovative and realistic. It is precisely the fusion of two such heterogeneous languages that makes these frescoes unique and a masterpiece.