THE LOST VENETIAN CHURCH OF SANTA MARIA ASSUNTA DEI CROCIFERI: FORM, DECORATION, AND PATRONAGE Allison Morgan Sherman A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of PhD at the University of St Andrews 2010 Full metadata for this item is available in St Andrews Research Repository at: http://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/ Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/10023/1021 This item is protected by original copyright The Lost Venetian Church of Santa Maria Assunta dei Crociferi: Form, Decoration, and Patronage. Allison Morgan Sherman Submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Art History University of St Andrews 1 April 2010 Declaration 1. Candidate’s declarations: I, Allison Morgan Sherman hereby certify that this thesis, which is approximately 79,990 words in length, has been written by me, that it is the record of work carried out by me and that it has not been submitted in any previous application for a higher degree. 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Date signature of candidate signature of supervisor i TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION..............................................................................................................i TABLE OF CONTENTS................................................................................................ii ACKNOWLEDEGMENTS............................................................................................v LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND NOTES OF GUIDANCE.................................vii LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................ix ABSTRACT................................................................................................................xviii CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION .................................................................................1 1.1. Crociferi: Neglect, Clarification, and Reconstruction..............................................1 1.2. Archival Badlands.....................................................................................................3 1.3. Sources: Early History .............................................................................................8 1.4. Sources: The Venetian Crociferi..............................................................................9 1.5. Sources: The form and decoration of the church ...................................................10 CHAPTER II: HISTORY OF THE ORDER............................................................12 2.1. Crociferi: History ...................................................................................................12 2.2. Foundation, Development and Dispersion..............................................................13 2.3. Crosecchieri di Venezia ..........................................................................................16 2.4. Suppression .............................................................................................................24 CHAPTER III: THE CHURCH.................................................................................29 3.1. The Crociferi Church................................................................................................29 3.2. Architectural Form: Exterior..................................................................................32 3.3. Interior: 1581 and 1656..........................................................................................36 CHAPTER IV: MONASTIC PATRONAGE. FIRST PHASE (1500-1565)..........42 4.1. Monastic Patronage, 1500-1565 ..............................................................................42 4.2. The Crociferi and Music ........................................................................................42 4.3. The Crociferi, Preaching and Plays........................................................................45 4.4. Proactive Priors ......................................................................................................47 4.5. Coordinated Decoration in Venetian Churches......................................................50 4.6. Hieronimo Confalonieri and Giuliano Cirno .........................................................54 4.7. Tintoretto’s Assumption and the Chancel Decoration...........................................59 4.8. The Commission and Dating..................................................................................64 4.9. Dating: Competition and Style.............................................................................67 4.10. Patronage of the Altarpiece...................................................................................75 4.11. Toward a Marian Programme: Laterali ...............................................................85 4.12. Meaning and Experience.......................................................................................90 4.13. Unconventional Iconographies?............................................................................96 4.14. Tintoretto’s Wedding at Cana .............................................................................111 4.15. Summary .............................................................................................................126 iv CHAPTER V: MONASTIC PATRONAGE. SECOND PHASE (1580-1620) .... 128 5.1. Rebirth and Reconstruction .................................................................................... 128 5.2. The Impetus for the Second Phase........................................................................ 130 5.3. Priamo Balbi ......................................................................................................... 134 5.4. The Second Generation......................................................................................... 136 5.5. Palma il Giovane................................................................................................... 140 5.6 Chronology and Commemoration......................................................................... 143 5.7 The Sacristy........................................................................................................... 148 5.8. The Organ ............................................................................................................. 151 5.9. The Choir .............................................................................................................. 154 5.10. Side Altars............................................................................................................ 158 5.11. The Eucharist, Martyrdoms and Mary: A Post-Tridentine Decorative Programme.................................................................................................................... 161 5.12. The Eucharist ...................................................................................................... 164 5.13. Summary ............................................................................................................. 169 CHAPTER VI: CORPORATE PATRONAGE ...................................................... 171 6.1. Corporate Patronage.............................................................................................. 171 6.2. Setaioli .................................................................................................................. 173 6.3. Scuola di San Cristoforo, Passamaneri, Specchieri ............................................. 181 6.4. Sartori ..................................................................................................................