Temple of Minerva (Assisi)

The church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Piazza del Comune in the Italian town of Assisi is like the equivalent Basilica in Rome on the site of a Roman temple of Minerva, which was built in the first century BC. From the Roman temple, the facade and the pronaos are preserved.

History

The Roman temple was BC funded and built in the 1st century by Gneus Cesius and Titus Cesius Priscus. It was originally dedicated to Hercules; However, a woman statue was erected at a later date in the temple, which represented the wisdom goddess Minerva. At this time, the Forum served before the temple as a center of urban life in Asisium, the former Roman settlement of Assisi. Probably at this point some early Christian martyrs were executed.

After the Constantinian turn when Christianity gained influence and paganism has been pushed back, the Minerva temple was abandoned as a place of worship, but not destroyed. Towards the end of the 6th century Benedictine monks of the temple was restored. The interior was divided into two floors, the upper part was used as a living room and a church was erected in the lower part, which was dedicated to San Donato.

In the 13th century the temple was rent by the monks of the city of Assisi, who used the rooms as the administrative headquarters and to the 15th century as a prison. 1456 San Donato church was reopened.

After a visit of Assisi in 1539 by Pope Paul III ordered. the complete renovation of the Minerva temple and transformation to a church in honor of the Mother of God. At this time the name was changed to Santa Maria sopra Minerva.

1613 gave the Bishop of Assisi Church in the Third Order of St. Francis, to which regular services were performed, and the interior was in Baroque style.

Architecture

From Roman times the facade with six Corinthian columns, architrave and pediment has been preserved. During the construction of the church in the 16th century, the cella was completely eliminated. What is striking is the contrast between the grandiose classical façade and the small-scale interior which was redesigned by architect Giacomo Giorgetti baroque of Assisi in the 17th century.