Nicolò Circignani

Nicolò Circignani was born at Pomarance, near Volterra and is known as il Pomarancio.  He shares this nickname with two artists who trained under him:

1. ✴his son Antonio (below); and
   

2. ✴Cristoforo Roncalli.
   

Nicolò Circignani is first documented in Rome in 1564, when he was working in the Vatican Palace.  He signed a partnership agreement with Arrigo Fiammingo (Hendrik van den Broeck) in Perugia 1564.  He took over a commission that Arrigo Fiammingo secured in 1565 for an altarpiece in the Duomo, Orvieto (see below).  Both artists worked on the frescoes of the Santuario di Mongiovino at Panicale, near Lake Trasimeno.   Nicolò Circignani spent the rest of his career working mostly in Rome.  His last known work is in Cascia (see below).

His followers included Avanzino Nucci.

Cascia

Ascension (1596)

Città di Castello

Conversion of St Paul (16th century)

 

Works in the Pinacoteca Comunale

The following panels in the Pinacoteca Comunale are by or attributed to Nicolò Circignani:

1. ✴Annunciation (1557), from San Francesco, signed and dated by inscription;
   

2. ✴the Immaculate Virgin (16th century), also from San Francesco; and
   

3. ✴the Martyrdom of St Stephen (16th century), from San Domenico. 
   

Madonna and Child with Saints (1577)

This altarpiece on the right wall of the church of the Abbazia di San Salvatore di Monte Corona, which is dated by inscription, is attributed to Nicolò Circignani.   It probably came from the parish church of Romeggio, which belonged to the abbey.  It depicts the Madonna and Child, seated on a cloud, with St Peter and a papal saint to the sides.

Transfiguration with Saints (1578)

1. ✴St Benedict, who reads from the Rule that he devised for his Order; and
   

2. ✴St Romuald, who holds a model of the complex on Monte Corona.
   

Madonna and Child with saints (1577)

Foligno

Veronica (1558)

Adoration of the Magi (1567)

Orvieto

Christ healing a Cripple (1565-6)

Nicolò Circignani was duly commissioned to execute the frescoes of the 3rd on the left.  He subsequently also painted its altarpiece (1566), which depicted Christ healing a Cripple.  The chapels were destroyed in ca. 1890: the altarpieces, including this one by Nicolò Circignani, are now in the Museo dell’ Opera del Duomo. 

Perugia

Frescoes (1568)

Antonio Circignani

Antonio, the son of Nicolò Circignani, seems to have been born in Città della Pieve.  As noted above, he trained in his father’s workshop.  His father died when he was still at an early stage in his career, and he seems to have been helped professionally by the older Crstoforo Rincalli (see above).   His student, Bartolomeo Barbiani, signed himself as “ALUMNUS ANTONII POMARANCI” in an altarpiece (1619) in Todi.

Amelia

Immaculate Virgin with saints (17th century)

Assisi

Frescoes in Santa Maria degli Angeli (ca. 1602) 

These frescoes in the Cappella di Sant' Anna (originally the Cappella della Natività della Vergine) in Santa Maria degli Angeli are attributed to Antonio Circignani.  (A self-portrait of the young artist appears behind the figure of King David). This chapel originally belonged to the Breccia-Vigilanti family (as did the present Palazzo Giacobetti Vallemani - see below).  It subsequently passed to the Fiumi-Roncalli family, who commissioned its decoration.  Cristoforo Roncalli (see above), who was related to the Roncalli family, later painted the altarpiece of the chapel, and it seems likely that Antonio Circignani received this prestigious commission through his good offices.

The frescoes depict scenes from the lives of Christ and the Virgin.  The main scenes include:

1. 

   ✴the presentation of the Virgin at the Temple (on the right wall); and
   

1. 

   ✴the marriage of the Virgin (on the left wall).
   

Frescoes in Palazzo Giacobetti Vallemani (ca. 1602)

                                   St Francis in ecstasy                     Joseph before Pharoah

The frescoes in (respectively) the Sala di San Francesco and Sala di Giuseppe Ebreo of Palazzo Giacobetti Vallemani are attributed to Antonio Circignani.  (Those in the Sala di Giuseppe Ebreo are close to his documented frescoes (1600-1) in Palazzo Mattei di Giove, Rome.)  These frescoes were probably commissioned by Monaldo Vigilanti, who built what was then Palazzo Breccia Vigilanti.  The arms of the Breccia and Vigilanti families in the Sala di San Francesco have been overpainted with the Giacobetti arms.

Immaculate Virgin with saints (17th century)

Narni

Martyrdom of St Margaret of Antioch (ca. 1606)

These important frescoes on the walls of Santa Margherita depict four scenes of the martyrdom of St Margaret of Antioch (died 303).  They are variously attributed to Federico Zuccari or to Antonio Circognani.

Orvieto

Marriage of the Virgin (1612)