San Bevignate (1256-83)

A community of Knights Templars was recorded at an oratory dedicated to St Jerome on this site in 1243.  They began the construction of the church and the adjacent monastery under the direction of Bonvicino d’ Assisi, who was Chamberlain at the papal court. 

The site seems also to have been used by hermits from an early date.  In ca. 1260, these included Raniero da Fasoli, the instigator of the cult of “St” Bevignate in Perugia and of the flagellant penitential movement.  The ideas of penitence and crusading were closely linked, and it seems that the Templars' church became the point of assembly for the great penitential processions of the period.  

Brother Bonvicino and the Templars were associated with the efforts of the Commune to secure the canonisation of “St” Bevignate in the 13th century.  For example, while William of Beaujeu, Master of the Temple was at the court Pope John XXI at Viterbo in 1277, the Commune sent an ambassador there to press the case.  This and other attempts came to nothing, but the new church was nevertheless consecrated to “St” Bevignate in 1283.  (As noted on the page of “St” Bevignate, the campaign continued into the 15th century, but never succeeded.)

The Templars' first settlement in the region had been at Abbazzia di San Giustino d’ Arna, outside Perugia, which  Pope Gregory IX had given them in 1237.  When they
were evicted from San Giustino d’ Arna in ca. 1283, San Bevignate became their principal settlement in the region.  Indeed, it soon became the most important Templar establishment in central Italy.  A large monastic complex developed to the south of the church, probably enclosed within a perimeter wall.

When the Templars were suppressed in 1312, San Bevignate passed to the Knights of St John of Jerusalem.  In 1324,  the Grand Master, Hélion de Villeneuve ceded the complex to the rich Perugian, Ricco di Corbolo, who wished to establish a nunnery for 25 nuns under the auspices of the knights.  (Ricco di Corbolo was active as a merchant and banker at the papal court at Avignon).  Pope John XXII approved of this establishment in 1325, and intervened to prevent interference by the Commune in 1327.

The exposed site of the nunnery left it vulnerable.  For example, the complex was damaged by papal soldiers of Ceccolo Broglia and the Count of Carrara in 1398 during the siege of Perugia that followed the murder of Biordo Michelotti.  The nuns survived this and other ordeals, but their number declined precipitously: there were only eight nuns at the chapter held in 1416 and this number remained broadly stable throughout the 15th century. 

The discipline of the nuns declined along with their number as it became the preserve of a small number of noble families, with the Montesperelli prominent among them.  The nuns were expelled at some time after 1507, and the complex passed in commendam  to Benedetto Montesperelli.  The Knights of St John of Jerusalem retook possession of the complex in 1517 and retained it until 1566, when it reverted to the Holy See. 

The complex was secularised in 1860 and has been recently restored.  The church is now used for concerts, while the monastery is in private ownership.

Exterior

The facade has a lovely travertine portal, with a rose window above.

The huge square pillars along the sides of the church are similar to those of the nearby Santa Maria di Monteluce.

The monastery extended around a rectangle with the church at its  front left-hand corner.  However, the wing to the right of the church and part of the wing behind it were subsequently demolished.  The surviving buildings are now private residences.

Interior of the Church

The church has a rectangular plan, with a triumphal arch that opens onto the elevated square apse above the crypt.  The single nave is split into two areas by the columns that support the vaults.

The supposed relics of St Bevignate were preserved in the crypt of San Bevignate until they were translated to the Duomo in 1608.

[A fountain in front of the altar gave sustenance to St Bevignate when he lived as a hermit here, and its water is held to have miraculous properties.]

The frescoes on the walls are among the most important surviving examples of 13th century art in Perugia.

Frescoes (1260s) on the Altar Wall

High up on the back wall is a large cross with two smaller ones, surrounded by nine stars, which is typical of Templar iconography.  The nine stars are thought to represent the nine founders of the Order of the Temple. 

Below are:

• the Madonna and Child enthroned with angels, on the left; and
  

• three Apostles, on the right.
  

The symbols of the Evangelists flank the bifore window: the symbol of St Luke on the left is partially obscured by a fresco (1280s) of St Paul (see below).  

The fresco below the window depicts the Crucifixion.

This is flanked by two scenes from the life of “St” Bevignate:

• the Bishop of Perugia grants him permission to live as a hermit (damaged by the opening of a door on the left); and
  

• the Bishop gives him a hermit’s cowl (on the right).
  

Fresco (1260s) on the Left Wall of the Apse

The surviving fresco high up on the wall depicts the Last Supper.  Unusually, Christ and St John the Evangelist are depicted at the right end of the table.

Frescoes (1260s) on the Right Wall of the Apse

The main scenes on this wall depict the last Judgement.  Christ is enthroned at the centre, surrounded by angels.  Friezes at the bottom contain:

• a series of praying penitents; and

• a series of coffins, some of which contain dead bodies returning to life.
  

The frescoes below depict a series of flagellants.  These frescoes are interrupted by a later one of St Bevignate with a kneeling donor.

Frescoes on the Arch of the Apse (13th century)

The frescoes above the arch are mostly decorative, [although they contain two damaged scenes of miracles of St Bevignate].

There is a damaged scene of the Crucifixion with the Virgin and SS John the Evangelist and Mary Magdalene to the left.

Frescoes (late 13th century) on the Counter-Facade

The frescoes to the left of the rose window depict:

• pilgrims in a boat destined for the Holy land (difficult to photograph); and
  

• a curious scene in which a large lion climbs a palm tree and holds out its paw towards a group of monks in white who stand in a loggia.   (The leading monk might represent St Jerome, who famously removed a thorn from the paw of a lion).
  

The damaged frieze below the window depicts scenes from a battle between the Templars and a Saracen army, possibly the Battle of Nablus (1242).

Apostles (1280s)

This series of figures, each of which holds the Templar cross, extends along the walls of the nave and includes the figure of St Paul in the apse (see above).

Works Removed from the Church

Marzolini Triptych (ca. 1280)

This triptych, which is the autograph work of the Maestro del Trittico Marzolini (or Maestro di Perugia), probably came from  San Bevignate.  The fact that the Templars commissioned the work is evidenced by an altar cloth in the scene of the Presentation at the Temple, which is decorated with their distinctive red cross.

The triptych presumably left San Bevignate when the Templars were forced to abandoned it in 1312.  The presence of later paintings of SS Francis and Clare on the outer covers suggests that it then passed to a community of Poor Clares (possibly at Santa Maria Monteluce).   However, it is unrecorded until 1907, when it was exhibited in Perugia as the property of Monsignor N. Marzolini.   It was acquired by the Galleria Nazionale (Room 1) shortly thereafter.

Return to detour II of Walk VI.