Description of the attraction
The Basilica of Santa Maria delle Grazie is one of the religious landmarks of the Tuscan city of Arezzo. The church is located on the site of an ancient sanctuary with a source, which in the Etruscan-Roman period was dedicated to the god Apollo. In the Middle Ages, the source was known as Fonte Tecta.
In 1425, Saint Bernardino of Siena tried in vain to destroy the sanctuary. Expelled from the city, he returned three years later and this time was able to obtain permission to build a prayer house on the site of a pagan temple. It was here in the years 1428-1431 that Parri di Spinello painted a fresco depicting the Madonna di Misericordia, which is now inserted into the marble altar by Andrea della Robbia. The altar depicts the Madonna and Child between two angels and Saints Lawrence, Donatus, Bernardino and Pergentinus, and the paliotto, the altar curtain, is decorated with Pieta.
Around 1490, a portico, designed by the architect Benedetto da Maiano, was added to the chapel. It is believed that the creation of the master was inspired by the Orphanage (Ospedale degli Innocenti) in Florence. On the longest side, the portico consists of seven arcades with medallions.
The church of Santa Maria delle Grazie itself was built in 1435-1444 by the architect Domenico del Fattore. It is a late Gothic building with a single nave and a short apse. The interior of the temple is decorated with a fresco depicting Pope Sixtus IV and Cardinals Gonzaga and Piccolomini. On the right is the Chapel of San Bernardino, built after the death of the saint in 1444.
