San Rufino (1140 - 1253)
The Duomo of Assisi is dedicated to St Rufinus, the city’s first patron saint.
Work began with the apse of the present church in 1140 and reached the facade at an unknown date, probably in the early 13th century. The earlier church (ca. 1050), which stood in what is now Piazza San Rufino, probably remained in use until a relatively late point in the construction of its successor.
The history of the present church is well documented:
An inscription on the [exterior wall ???] of the apse records that Prior Raniero commissioned the new church in 1140 from Giovanni da Gubbio.
The church was still unfinished in 1212, when the terms of the peace signed between the Maiores and Minores provided for the resumption of the construction project.
An inscription that is now in the Museo della Cattedrale records the fact that Pope Gregory IX consecrated an altar (presumably the new high altar) in 1228 and that “the one who is venerated” (i.e. the relics of St Rufinus) lay underneath. (This must have occurred during the Pope’s visit to Assisi for the canonisation of St Francis).
Pope Innocent IV consecrated the church itself during his stay in Assisi in 1253, by which time its construction was presumably complete.
By 1566, San Rufino was suffering from a number of structural problems, and the canons commissioned Galeazzo Alessi to undertake a radical remodelling of the interior. Work began in 1571, only a year before Alessi died.
The external structure of the church was not affected by the restoration, and the Romanesque portal and the Cappella del SS Sacramento in the right aisle were retained. However, the roof of the nave was lowered so that its Gothic arches were no longer visible.
The most radical aspect of the remodelling involved the creation of a new octagonal presbytery in front of the apse. In order to achieve this, the original elevated presbytery and its dome were demolished, and a new octagonal wall was erected, blocking off the chapels that flanked the apse and the access to the presbytery from the aisles. The result was a brilliant transformation of the Romanesque interior into a perfectly coherent late Renaissance design.
The relics of San Rufino were translated to a new sarcophagus under the high altar in the presbytery in 1580. The original Roman sarcophagus was probably placed in the crypt at this point. The
restoration was completed in 1585.
Further remodelling took place in 1848, when openings were introduced into the presbytery walls to provide access to the aisles and also to the old apsidal chapels. The apsidal chapel on the left became the Cappella della Madonna del Pianto and the one on the right formed an antechamber to the sacristy. These modifications required the demolition of four of the six altars in the presbytery and that of the altars at the ends of the aisles (the Altare di San Gregorio Magno on the left and the Altare di SS Giacomo e Antonio on the right).
The Interior
The interior of San Rufino was restored after the earthquake of 1997.
The remains of the 11th century church (visible under the pavement of the nave) and the font (at the start of the right aisle) are both discussed in the page on the earlier churches. Separate pages describe the Roman cistern (at the start of the left aisle) and the crypt (entered by steps in the right aisle).
Sculpted Figures
Bishop Ludovico Giustiniani commissioned a series of stucco figures from Agostino Silva in 1672, including the nine stucco figures of prophets and Cardinal Virtues that line the nave.
The statue of St Francis (1881) to the left of the entrance was the last work of the Sienese sculptor Giovanni Dupré (1817-82). He gave it to San Rufino just before his death, on the 700th anniversary of the birth of St Francis. (A bronze copy stands outside the Palazzo Vescovile.)
Giovanni’s daughter, Amelia Dupré (1845-1928) sculpted the pendant figure of St Clare (1888) to the right. St Clare appears holding the pyx with which she repelled a Saracen attack on Assisi in 1240.
Altars and Altarpieces
Altare di San Giuseppe (1st on the right)
The Compagnia del Sacramento commissioned this altar and its stucco decoration in 1670. A processional banner (early 16th century) that is variously attributed to Berto di Giovanni or Dono Doni was incorporated as the altarpiece at this time. It depicts St Joseph showing the Virgin’s wedding ring to an audience of kneeling men and women, with a cityscape of Assisi behind.
The predella (mid 16th century), which depicts the Holy Family with SS Antony of Padua (on the left) and Bernardino of Siena (on the right), is more securely attributed to Dono Doni.
Altare dell’ Addolorata (2nd on the right)
This altar originally belonged to the Confraternita di San Lorenzo. Their altarpiece by Dono Doni was moved to the Altare di San Rufinuccio (see below) in 1848.
It was replaced by the polychrome wooden statue of the Madonna Addolorata (ca. 1672) that Bishop Ludovico Giustiniani had originally commissioned for the adjacent Altare di San Filippo Benizi (see below). This statue is carried (along with the Crucifix on the altar opposite) in the annual procession in Assisi each Good Friday.
Altare di San Filippo Benizi (3rd on the right)
This altar originally belonged to the tailors' guild and was dedicated to their patron, St Homobonus. It was re-dedicated in 1672 when Bishop Ludovico Giustiniani, who belonged to the Servite Order, presented San Rufino with a relic of St Philip Benizi. Bishop Giustiniani also commissioned the figure of the Madonna Addolorata discussed above and the stucco figures Cardinal Virtues (1672) by Agostino Silva: the figure of Fortitude is signed and dated.
The current altarpiece (1555) by Dono Doni replaced the Madonna Addolorata on this altar in 1848. The Confraternita dei SS Antonio e Giacomo had commissioned it for their Altare di Sant' Antonio Abate (at the head of the right aisle), which was demolished at this time.
The altarpiece (which is signed and dated) depicts Christ in Glory with SS James and John the Evangelist (above), and an angel bestowing the palm of martyrdom of St Rufinus, with SS Vitalis, Antony Abbot, Francis and Clare (below).
Altare di San Vitale (on the right in the presbytery)
The relics of St Vitalis were translated to this altar from San Vitale at Viole in 1586. (They remained here until 2001, when they were translated back to Viole). The altar belonged for a period to the Confraternita di San Vitale.
The Confraternita di San Gregorio commissioned the current altarpiece of the Deposition (1563) by Dono Doni for their Altare di San Gregorio Magno at the head of the left aisle. It was moved to its present location when the original altar was destroyed in 1848, and restored in 2004.
The predella, which is in the Museo della Cattedrale, depicts St Gregory the Great with members of the confraternity.
Altare di San Rufinuccio (on the left in the presbytery)
The relics of St Rufinus d’ Arce were translated to this altar from a chapel at Arce, outside Assisi in 1586.
Canon Girolamo Evangelisti rebuilt the altar in 1637 and commisioned an altarpiece by Cesare Sermei that is now in the Museo della Cattedrale.
The Confraternita di San Lorenzo commissioned the current altarpiece of the Crucifixion (1563) by Dono Doni for their Altare di San Lorenzo in the right aisle. It was moved to this location in the 1848 and restored in 2004.
The altarpiece depicts the Crucifixion of Christ and the two thieves in front of a cityscape of Jerusalem, with St Mary Magdalene at the foot of the Cross, St John the Evangelist to the right and the swooning Madonna to the left. The predella, which is in theMuseo della Cattedrale, depicts St Laurence with with members of the confraternity.
Altare di Sant’ Emidio (2nd on the left)
Giacomo Giorgetti designed this altar (1664), which was originally dedicated to St Antony of Padua. He also painted the original altarpiece, which is now in the sacristy.
The altar was re-dedicated to St Emidius after an earthquake in 1751 that left Assisi relatively unscathed. The altarpiece (1752) which is by Francesco Appiani, shows hrist with god the father sending an angel to devastate Assisi, while the Virgin and SS Francis, Emidius and Antony of Padua intercede for the city.
Altare del Crocifisso (4th on the left)
The polychrome wooden Crucifix (1561) on this altar is carried in the annual procession in Assisi each Good Friday.
The Confraternita del SS Sacramento commissioned the rebuilding of the altar, including the four stucco angels (1672) by Agostino Silva.
Read more:
F. Santucci (Ed.), "La Cattedrale di San Rufino in Assisi", Assisi (1999)
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