Santa Lucia (1928)


The first nunnery on the site, which belonged to the Trinci family, was built in 1327 for a female community that followed the Augustinian Rule and was dependent upon the Servite convent of San Giacomo.  It had fallen into decay by 1424, when Corrado Trinci gave it to a small group of women from .  They established a reformed community that originally followed the Damianite Rule under the supervision of the Observant Franciscans of San Bartolomeo di Marano.  

Santa Lucia subsequently provided resources for the reform of many other nunneries:

  • In 1448, 23 nuns were sent from were sent to reform the nunnery of Santa Maria di Monteluce, Perugia under the direction of the Observant Franciscan, Fra. John of Capistrano. 

  • Also in 1451, nuns from Santa Lucia and Santa Maria di Monteluce were sent to reform the community of SS Cosmo e Damiano in Mica Aurea, Rome.

One of the most noted of the nuns from Santa Lucia was the Blessed Cecilia Coppoli, who was recorded as the head of the community in 1449, 1460, 1468-75 and 1477-87.  It was under her auspices that Pope Sixtus IV stayed at the nunnery in 1478 and granted the community the right to follow the primitive rule, which had been written by St Clare herself.  (This rule had been approved just before St Clare died in 1253, but few if any communities in Italy followed it before Santa Lucia).  The nuns were thus allowed the "privilege of poverty".  They therefore sold all the possessions that they held in common and invested the proceeds in the fabric of their church and nunnery.

The nunnery was suppressed in 1863, but Pope Benedict XV helped the nuns to return in 1920.  The church was rebuilt in the neo-Gothic  style in 1928.

Nunnery

The porticoed entrance to the nunnery is to the right of the church.

Madonna and Child with SS Lucy and Clare (1471)

This fresco in the lunette over the entrance to the monastery, which is signed and dated, is the earliest that can be securely attributed to Pierantonio Mezzastris.  It is based on the fresco (1450) by Benozzo Gozzoli that is in the lunette of the portal of San Fortunato, Montefalco. 


Interior of the Church 

The church is in the form of three vaulted bays, with a grill in the back wall thatopens onto the nuns' choir.

Crucifixion with saints (15th century)

This detached fresco on the 1st bay on the right came from the nuns' refectory.  It depicts the Crucifixion with:

  • the Virgin and SS Lucy on the left;

  • SS John the Evangelist and Clare on the right; and

  • SS Mary Magdalene and Francis kneeling at the foot of the Cross. 

St Andrew (17th century)

This altarpiece on the altar on the left is attributed to Giovanni Battista Michelini, il Folignate.

St Lucy (17th century)

This altarpiece on the altar in the 2nd bay on the right is also attributed to Giovanni Battista Michelini, il Folignate.






Works of Art from the Complex

Stigmatisation of St Francis (15th century) 

This detached fresco, which is attributed to Nicolò di Liberatore, l' Alunno, came from the nunnery and is now in the Pinacoteca Civica (Room 1, number 40).

Madonna and Child with angels (16th century)

This fresco, which is attributed to Bernardino da Mariotto, came from the nunnery and is now in the Pinacoteca Civica (Room 4, number 58).

Return to Walk I.