Churches: Convent of San Domenico (Part 1 of 2)

The Convent of San Domenico, located in the hills above Florence, dates from the early 1400's.  The church was completed around in 1425.  The convent was a Dominican monastery and was home to monk and painter Fra Angelico.

The Church:

San Domenico:  A view of the church's exterior

San Domenico:  The portico of the church, added in 1635

San Domenico:   The nave of the church

San Domenico:  The altar with angels and Dominican saints clad in black in white

San Domenico:  Throughout the church are Renaissance architectural elements, such as the round arch depicted above.  The church features a lot of gray stone, known as pietra serena and quarried on a nearby mountain.

San Domenico:  The church ceiling with a fresco depicting Saint Dominic

   San Domenico:  View of the ceiling with  trompe l'oeil frescoing

San Domenico:  A fresco of a dog with a torch in its mouth

The image above is a typical Dominican symbol.  The legend is that Dominic's mother had a vision while pregnant with Dominic.  She saw a black and white dog with a burning torch in its mouth,  The dog set fire to the earth wherever it roamed.  The symbol represents Dominic and his followers who, clad in black and white, spread the light of the Gospel wherever they preached.  (A related story focuses on the name Dominican.  The Dominican's are sometimes referred to as God's (dom) attack dogs (cani).)

San Domenico:  A permanent nativity scene

Cemetery:  While visiting the church, we also visited cemetery.  The cemetery resembled other Italian cemeteries we have seen, with outdoor mausoleums, graves and chapels, plus the customary photograph of the departed.  Below is a photo of the cemetery with the church in the background, plus two other photos: a lovely glazed terracotta scene and the final resting place of a famous shoemaker. 

 

Next up:  Art in San Domenico