San Nicolò (ca. 1348)


According to the 17th century historian, Ludovico Jacobilli, St Bonfilius, Bishop of Foligno (1078-96) built a church on this site in ca. 1094, and Bishop Andrea of Foligno granted it to Blessed Alberto, the Abbot of Sassovivo in 1120. 

In 1348, Bishop Paolo III Trinci entrusted the church and convent to the Olivetans, who reconstructed the crumbling buildings.  It passed to a congregation of observant Augustinians in 1434.  

The convent was suppressed in 1860 and housed the Scuola di Arti e Mestieri (technical college) from 1879.  This became the Scuola Media Giuseppe Piermarini in 1962.  The original cloister can be seen inside the school.

Exterior

The Renaissance portal was built using material saved from a chapel that was destroyed in 1747. 

Interior


Evidence of the 14th century building survives in the side doorway of the church, the two mullioned windows and the cross vault of the sacristy,

The interior was re-modeled in 1747. 

St Nicholas Polyptych (1492)

Brigida, the widow of the merchant Michele di Nicolò commissioned this altarpiece from Nicolò di Liberatore, called l' Alunno for her family chapel, but it was not delivered until almost a decade after her death.  It is now in the Cappella di San Giuseppe at the centre of the right wall. 

  • The central panel depicts the Nativity, with SS Sebastian and Nicholas of Bari on the left and SS Michael and John the Evangelist on the right. 

  • The upper register depicts half-length figures of:

    • SS Monica and John the Baptist on the left; and

    • the Blessed Peter Crisci and St Nicholas of Tolentino on the right. 

  • The cusp depicts the Resurrection and the doctors of the church.

Dominique-Vivant Denon selected the altarpiece for confiscation after the Napoleonic suppression of 1810, and it was duly sent to Paris.  Antonio Canova recovered most of the panels in 1817, and they were returned to San Nicolò. 

However, the predella panels, which depict stories of the Passion, were left behind.  They are now in the Louvre, Paris and are illustrated in the museum's website.  One of them contains the inscription that referred to “Nicholaus Alunnus Fulginiae”, which led Giorgio Vasari to coin the nickname l’ Alunno. 

Coronation of the Virgin with saints (1495)

Pierangelo di Giovanni ser Nuti commissioned this altarpiece from Nicolò di Liberatore, called l' Alunno for his family chapel to the right of the presbytery. 

The coronation takes place in a mandorla of angels.  SS Antony Abbot and Bernardino of Siena witness the scene.  St George can be seen killing the dragon in the background.

The predella contains tondi of the Pietà, the Virgin and St John the Evangelist.

Madonna and Child with Saints (1752)

This altarpiece, which is signed by Sebastiano Conca and dated by inscription, is on the high altar.  It depicts the Madonna and Child with SS Nicholas of Bari and Augustine.

Crucifixion (15th century)

This ruined fresco, which is attributed to Bartolomeo di Tommaso, is in the sacristy to the left of the presbytery.






Martyrdom of St Stephen (1613)

This altarpiece, which is signed by Marcantonio Grecchi and dated by inscription, is on the 1st altar on the left.


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