Ferrara

Church of Saint Nicholas (Chiesa di San Nicolò)

Edited by

Maria Teresa Sambin

Places of worship

Other denominations

Abside dell'ex Chiesa di San Nicolò / Ex Chiesa San Nicolò

Founders

Ercole I

Artists / Humanists

Biagio Rossetti, Camillo Ricci, Fino Marsigli

Description

The church of San Nicolò, founded according to tradition in 1103, and in any case documented in the 12th century, was a Benedictine parish and priory. When the monks left the church, San Nicolò was entrusted to several commendatories, the last of whom was the prior Marco Pasqualetti, who completely rebuilt the building, which was in poor condition, and the bell tower, which had collapsed, according to Guarini, as early as 1380. The works were completed in 1475, when Pasqualetti ceded the priory of San Nicolò to Ercole I d’Este, who brought the Augustinian friars of San Girolamo da Fiesole to the monastery. In 1498, the duke undertook to enlarge the monastery and the church, which involved the construction of a new apse and the transept. The works were completed in 1500, although payments to the craftsmen involved continued into the following year.

Giorgio Padovani was the first to ascribe the apse to the ducal architect Biagio Rossetti in 1953. Although not supported by documents, the attribution seems confirmed by the characteristics of the architecture: the clear volume, the precise design of the arches, the simplicity of the extremely slender order, and the profile of the very protruding cornice are in keeping with Rossetti’s style.

Useful information

Address

piazza S. Nicolò, 2-6

Municipality

FERRARA

Province

Ferrara

Other addresses

via Muzzina, 9 / via Colomba, 6

Visitability of the place

Visits by appointment only

Themes

Liturgic Adjustment (eg. : Counter-Reformation)

Website

http://servizi.comune.fe.it/8096/ex-chiesa-di-san-nicol

Website

https://biagiorossetti500.it/architettura/abside-della-chiesa-di-san-nicolo/

Tourer

https://www.tourer.it/mappa?id=459