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Ferraù Fenzoni came from Faenza.  He probably trained in Rome: his first known works which date from the late 1580s, are there.  Bishop Angel Cesi called him to Todi in 1593 and he remained there until 1599, when he returned to Faenza.  

Foligno

Annunciation (ca. 1599)

This altarpiece came from the Cappella dell’ Annunziata in the Duomo, which belonged to the Flavi family.  A description of the chapel written in the 18th century by Claudio Bolognini, a descendant of the Flavi family, recorded the altarpiece as the work of Ferraù Fenzoni, “famoso pittore”.  Fenzoni probably painted it in the period 1594-9, when he was working in Todi.  It is now in the Museo Diocesano.




Perugia

Martyrdom of St Lawrence (late 16th century)

This altarpiece in the Sacrestia dell’ Arciprete of the Duomo, which was the burial chapel of Cardinal Fulvio della Corgna, is by Ferraù Fenzoni.

Todi

Works in the Duomo

The following are in the Duomo:

Last Judgement (ca. 1596)

The large fresco on the counter-facade is based the fresco (1537-41) of the Last Judgement by Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel, Rome.






Works in the Cappella di Cesi or di San Michele

These include:

  1. ✴the altarpiece (1599) depicting St Michael defeating the devil

  2. ✴the portrait of Giovanni Andrea Cesi (1599) on his funerary monument; and 

  3. ✴the frescoes (ca. 1599) - [details]

Works in the Sacristy

These works, which came from the demolished Cappella di San Martino, include:

  1. ✴three panels (1599) depicting scenes from the life of St Martin (over the door); and

  2. ✴the altarpiece (1599) of the Deposition.

Works in the Museo Civico

The following are in the Museo Civico:

Mass of St Gregory (16th century)

The Leoni family commissioned this altarpiece for their Cappella di SS Gaetano e Lucia (2nd on the left) in San Fortunato.  It depicts a vision that St Gregory had while saying Mass, in which Christ received souls saved from purgatory.  In this altarpiece, the figure of St Gregory is peripheral (at the extreme left).  Christ appears in glory with St John the Baptist, a female saint, a kneeling nude male saint and St Lucy.  She commends one of the souls in purgatory to Christ, while an angel behind her caries a plate that contains her eyes and the palm of her martyrdom.




Altarpieces from the Duomo (1597-9)

The Pinacoteca exhibits five of six altarpieces that Bishop Angelo Cesi commissioned for the Duomo:

  1. ✴SS Lucy, Mary Magdalene and Restituta;

  2. ✴the Immaculate Conception with SS James, Jerome and Thomas;

  3. ✴the conversion of St Paul with SS Luke and Giles Abbot;

  4. ✴the martyrdom of St Sebastian with SS Nicholas of Bari, Antony of Padua and Michael; and

  5. ✴the Madonna and Child with SS Ambrose, Andrew and Roch. 

These altarpieces were removed from the Duomo in 1851-7 when the altars on which they stood were demolished.  These five were originally moved to San Fortunato, and the sixth, which depicts the Assumption of the Virgin with SS Fortunatus, Bernardino of Siena, Peter Martyr and Cassian, was taken to the parish church at Ponte Rio.  There are plans to return all six to the Duomo. 

Frescoes in PalazzoVescovile(1594)

These frescoes are in the entrance hall and Sala del Trono (on the 1st floor) of Palazzo Vescovile. [Details]

Portrait of Jacopone da Todi (17th century)

This portrait is above the monument of the Blessed Jacopone da Todi, in the crypt of San Fortunato.







Read more:

F. Todini (Ed.), “Pittura del Seicento in Umbria: Ferraù Fenzoni, Andrea Polinori and Bartolomeo Barbiani”, (1991) Todi


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Ferraù Fenzoni (1562-1645)  


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