The Porziuncola Indulgence

Perdono, painted in 1574-1576, became one of Federico Barocci’s most important paintings. The Perdono was to become the high altarpiece for the Conventual Franciscan church of san Francesco in Urbino.

 Perdono

 

 This was the third painting Barocci completed for the Franciscan church. His other completed paintings for the Franciscan church were the Madonna di San Simone (1560s), and Immaculate Conception.

 Madonna di San Simone

 

 Immaculate Conception

 

 

The Perdono depicts the temptation of St. Francis. One version of the story is, St. Francis was praying one January night in the small chapel of Porziuncola when he was seized with temptation. To combat the temptation, St. Francis stripped and threw himself into some rose bushes. However, wherever the saint’s blood touched beautiful rose blossoms appeared and his temptation disappeared. Angles then appear to lead St. Francis back into the church where Christ and the Virgin Mary appeared in a vision. In the vision Christ promised St. Francis an indulgence for all the pilgrims who visited the chapel from Vespers on the first of August to Vespers on the second. The miracle was confirmed with the indulgence by Pope Honorius III when he was shown the roses.

It was this miracle that Federico Barocci was commissioned to paint. He was commissioned in 1571 by the Coventual Franciscans and Nicolo Ventura detto il fattore. It was rare for the Conventual Franciscans to commission painting. Many historians believe it was to counteract the Observant Franciscans whom claimed to be guardians of the chapel of Porziuncola. It was a battle over indulgences. The more indulgences a church earn, the richer it became. The Conventual Franciscans believed that Barocci’s painting would help them in this endeavor. Also, some historians believe this was a decisions that the Franciscans made to battle the growing popularity of the Dominicans.

Before Barocci painted his altarpiece, this miracle had only been painted once before by Ilario da Viterbo in 1393 for Porziuncola chapel. There are many similarities between these two paintings. Barocci painted the moment when Christ and the Virgin Mary appeared to St. Francis. In Barocci’s version St. Nicholas is included (a request from the patron). However, St. Francis is centered in the painting in a ¾ view looking up to the divine figures. Since then this has become a standard pose for St. Francis to be depicted in.

In the centuries since, the Church has been unable to confirm whether this miracle of St. Francis actually happened or not. The indulgence of Pope Honorius III has since been lost and some believe that the indulgence never existed. If that was the case, what was the point of the Franciscans commissioning Barocci to paint this particular story? Many art historians are still debating this. Some think that it was a made up story to combat the power of the Dominican’s story about the rosary. Others think that since the Porziuncola was on the plains below Assisi (a major center for Franciscan monks), the Franciscans wanted a pilgrimage site there. There is still a great deal of mystery surrounding this painting, but all agree the Perdono is one of Federico Barocci’s most important paintings, in terms of style and form.

Sources:

Lingo, Stuart. Federico Barocci: Allure and Devotion in Late Renaissance Painting. (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2008) 63-66

Lavin, Aronberg Marilyn. "Images of a Miracle. Federico barocci and the Porziuncola Indulgence". Artibus et Historiae. 2006. Web

McGarth, Thomas. "Dominicans, Franciscans, and the art of political rivalry: two drawings and a fresco by Giovanni Battista della Rovere". Journal of the Society of Renaissance Studies. 2010. Web