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VENERABILE ARCICONFRATERNITA DEL SS. SACRAMENTO E DI S. GIULIA PATRONA DI LIVORNO

The Oratory of Saint Ranieri

 

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The oratory was founded in 1696 by the brothers of Saint Giulia, probably due to a desire of the Confraternity of having a place in their church in which they could venerate the Patron Saint of the Diocese (Pisa), which Livorno depended on at that time. That desire is confirmed by the ancient inscription over the portal.

 

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The front, extremely simple and linear, adorned only by a large window and the portal with a memorial tablet reminding of the foundation, hides one of the treasures of the town. The walls of the rectangular-shaped-hall are covered with pews, on which there are coupled white pilasters and frescos of uncertain attribution. These represent six episodes of Saint Ranieri’s life.

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All this is dominated by a cornice from which a vault, marked by three nails from each side, rises. In each nail balconies and balisters are painted; and, over them, there is a frame supported by large brackets. In the upper part, it can be seen what remained of the fresco that reproduced “The Glory of Saint Ranieri taken in flight by the Angels”.

ranieri2.jpg (15730 byte) On the floor there are tombstones with mottos and armorial bearings of important families of that time.

The altar, made of stucco, is considered an important artistic artefact. It is formed by a simple and linear table heald up by four caryatids and it is placed between two twisted columns. It is dominated by a painting, given by the community of Pisa, which represents Saint Ranieri, bringing a boy back to life (1969). This is supposed to be copy of the painting which was in the Pisa Cathedral and which was destroyed during the Second World War.

 

The top moulding of the altar is the original one and it is a painting representing the “Assunta” attributed to Alessandro Gherardini.

The building, seriously damaged during the last war, has been restored many times and the last one was in 2001.

 

 

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