The architectural complex of San Marco (San Marco) has a fairly ancient origin. According to some reports, the buildings of the Church of St. Mark (Basilica di San Marco) and the monastery appeared in the center of Florence in the 13th century. At one time, the talented architect Michelozzo di Bartolomeo (Michelozzo di Bartolomeo) had a hand in the restoration of buildings. And in the second half of the 19th century, the premises of the monastery were turned into the National Museum of San Marco (Museo Nazionale di San Marco). Among the exhibits of the museum are the literary and artistic heritage of the great masters of the Italian Renaissance.
This museum is not just a repository of medieval Italian culture, up to the smallest exhibit, it is saturated with spirituality and the Catholic faith.
Historical past
It is not possible to reliably find out the exact date for the creation of the San Marco complex. Scientists are inclined to believe that the church and the monastery chambers were built in the early 12th century. Only references to the fact that the monastery was originally occupied by Sylvestrin monks belonging to the Order of St. Benedict have survived. This Catholic order had a great influence on the lands of Tuscany and Umbria until the end of the 14th century.
In 1453, the monastery passed into the possession of Dominican monks. By the middle of the 15th century, Cosimo Medici the Elder (Cosimo di Giovanni de 'Medici il vecchio) was at the helm of the Florentine Republic. The Grand Duke of Tuscany found San Marco in a rather dilapidated condition. The reorganization and expansion of the monastery building was entrusted to the talented architect Mikelozzo. In addition to charitable purposes, Cosimo succumbed to conceited thoughts. Numerous coats of arms and paraphernalia of the Medici clan adorned the walls of the church and monastery of San Marco, after completion of construction work in 1442.
Mikelozzo di Bartolomeo redesigned and significantly expanded the monastery. On the first floor of the building there was a chapel room, intended for a meeting of the monastic order, as well as premises for a meal. The second floor housed numerous cells and a library room. The construction manager also introduced an innovative water supply and drainage system in the monastery. This allowed to break a beautiful orange garden at the monastery, which also contained a reference to the coat of arms of the Medici.
Changes in the interior layout and scenery did not go too smoothly. Representatives of the rich Florentine aristocracy actively resisted the imposition of Medici power.
Prince Cosimo managed not only to infringe on the rights of the nobility by changing the distribution of chapels within the church. At his command, the patron saint of the Order of St. Dominic, Thomas Aquinas was put in the background in comparison with the patrons of the Medici house - Saints Damian, Cosmas and Mark.
In 1490, the most controversial of the ministers of the 15th century Catholic Church, Girolamo Savonarola (Girolamo Savonarola) received shelter in the walls of the monastery of San Marco.
An ardent guardian of the purity of the Catholic faith, this priest regularly delivered sermons in San Marco. A year later, Savonarola received the title of Prior, i.e. the abbot of the monastery. Scrupulously following the dogmas of the holy books, the prior planted piety among the novices. In an effort to reject all earthly goods, Savonarola began to actively rid the monastery and the order of luxury goods and even necessary things. Since 1493, most of the lands belonging to the monastery went under the hammer. Following them, the personal belongings of the monks, representing at least some value, were realized. The proceeds were given to the needy and the poor of Florence. The ascetic cells of the novices, including Girolamo Savonarola himself, have survived to this day. They can be seen as part of a tour of the Museum of San Marco.
Transformation of the monastery into the Museum of San Marco
By 1866, the novices of the Catholic Monastery of San Marco finally left its walls. It took three years to create a unique museum from the church building dedicated to the work of Fra Beato Angelico, which means Brother Blessed Angelic. The frescoes of this master of the early Renaissance era adorn the inner walls of the monastery. The extensive monograph of the monk-painter is exhibited as a separate exhibition.
Famous masterpieces of icon painting, dedicated to the Virgin, Christ and saints, were created specifically for the monastery and never left its walls.
The burning names of icons and frescoes, brushes by Fra Angelico surprisingly harmonize with their contents. "Do not touch me!" (Noli Me Tangere), “Kiss of Judah”, “Last Judgment”, “Transfiguration”, “Annunciation”, the face of “Madonna and Saints” adorns the monastery altar. The cycle of frescoes dedicated to the capture, crucifixion and drowning of Saints Cosmas and Damian is filled with a strong energy message to the audience. Numerous murals on the subjects of the Old and New Testaments were painted by the cells of monks throughout the 15th century.
In the former abode of Savonarola, a portrait of the zealot of the church, painted by Fra Bartolomeo (Fra Bartolomeo), is preserved. Brother Bartolomeo was a servant of the monastery and took an active part in decorating it with frescoes and artworks. In 1504, the monk met Rafaello Santi (Raffaello Santi), which grew into a strong friendship. The mutual influence of artistic styles was reflected in the later works of Bartolomeo and the formation of a common approach to the painting of young Raphael.
An equally significant exhibit within the walls of the museum is the icon with the face of St. Maximus the Greek, made by Domenico Ghirlandaio, the master of the quattrocento. This picture has a whole story. Novice Michael Trivolis, a Greek by birth, was an ardent admirer of the teachings of Girolamo Savonarola. For a long time, Trivolis spent in the walls of the monastery, doing his duty and strengthening his faith. Subsequently, the monk fell on the holy Mount Athos, where he gained his new name - Maxim. Conducted in the Catholic faith, Maxim the Greek traveled a lot on church affairs. One of the monk's destinations was medieval Moscow, where he received a warm welcome from the educated stratum of the population.
Ghirlandaio’s yet another landmark work, The Last Supper, is housed in a room formerly used as a refectory for the monks of San Marco.
Location and opening hours
- The San Marco complex, which includes the museum, is "registered" at Piazza San Marco, 3.
- Schedule: from Monday to Friday from 8:30 to 13:50, on Saturdays visits until 18:50, and on Sundays until 19:00.
- The cost of a full ticket is 4 euros.
