Tommaso Maria Conca, who was born in Rome, trained under Sebastiano Conca (who was cousin to Tommaso’s father).  Tommaso was elected as President of the Academy of San Luca, Rome in 1792-5.   His major works there included frescoes (1775-80) in Villa Borghese and frescoes (1782-6) in the Hall of the Muses in the Vatican.

Città di Castello

Work in the Duomo  (1795-7)

Tommaso Conca was called from Rome in 1795 to execute fresco the cupola of the Duomo, which had been largely rebuilt after the earthquake of 1789.  This was to be the last major project of his career.  He also worked in the transepts.  Other works in the Duomo and elsewhere in the city are attributed to him.

Frescoes of the Cupola

These frescoes depicts Christ, the Virgin and the patron saints of Città di Castello pleading with God the Father for mercy.

Frescoes of Transepts

These frescoes were designed by Ermenegildo Costantini, who was at work on their execution when he was almost killed in the earthquake of 1789.  He fled to Rome and the work was subsequently completed, essentially to his designs, by Tommaso Conca.  (These designs by Ermenegildo Costantini survive in the Museo del Duomo).

1. ✴The frescoes in the vault of the left depict the triumph of Religion,  flanked by chiaroscuro scenes from the life of St Crescentian:
   

2. •St Crescentian refuses to sacrifice to an idol; and
   

3. •the martyrdom of St Crescentian.
   

4. 

   ✴The fresco in the tondo between the windows on the left depicts the bishop St Albert and his deacon, St Brictius, who were martyred in 711 AD. 
   

1. ✴The frescoes in the vault of the right depict an allegory of the Church,  flanked by chiaroscuro scenes from the life of St Floridus:
   

2. •St Floridus tells Pope Gregory I of the story of the martyrdom of St Herculanus, bishop of Perugia; and
   

3. •the bishops of Perugia, Gubbio and Arezzo attend his last Communion.
   

4. 

   ✴The fresco in the tondo between the windows on the right depicts the Blessed Buccio Bonori, who was bishop of Città di Castello in the period 1358-74. 
   

Vision of the Blessed Veronica Giuliani

1. ✴The main scene depicts a vision in which St Veronica sees the Madonna and Child and the young St John the Baptist in glory.
   

2. ✴The lunette contains a depiction of the Annunciation.
   

Rest on the Flight to Egypt (ca. 1795)

St Bernardino da Siena before Pope Martin V (ca. 1795)

Gubbio

Santa Maria Addolorata (18th century)

The inscription mentioned above also includes the date 1789, but this is probably the date of its installation in its present location: stylistic considerations suggest that it was painted some decades earlier.  Tommaso Conca worked a number of churches of the Congregation of the Passion of Jesus Christ in 1766-92, and it seems likely that they brought this altarpiece to Sant’ Ubaldo from one of these when they moved there in 1787.