piazza SS. Francesco e Michele | 055 8712046 Priest
The church dedicated to St. Michael, the patron saint of Carmignano’s inhabitants, was built around 1330 where there was already a small oratory with the convent realized by Bernard of Quintavalle, and was originally dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi, who according to tradition, had come to preach in Carmignano in 1211. Only in 1782, it became the seat of the parish of St. Michael, built around 1000 and originally located at the foot of the Stronghold of Carmignano.
The building shows once again, in the original configuration, the typical model of the Franciscan church (sober, chaste, and severe) with a large central nave and apse chapels. The building, deeply damaged by the conflicts of the Second World War, has seen many renovations in the last century which led, among other measures, to the elimination of some buildings dating from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. A thin gallery with five arches links the church to the ancient Oratory of Saint Sebastian on the left and to the access of the cloister to the right. There is a memorial of the Blessed Giovanni Parenti from Carmignano, general of the Franciscan order, jurist and preacher. The wide navy is covered by a brass roof and its walls enriched with six altars. Over the first altar on the right- realised for the Panfili’s family-, we can find a canvas representing the “Madonna del Carmine e Santi”, attributable to Giovan Pietro Naldini. Next to the altar we find an elegant confessional in stone. The next altar frames the famous painting by Jacopo Carucci, called Pontormo, the Visitation (realised around 1530 for the Pinadori’s), in which Mary and Elizabeth are represented in the act of exchanging thoughts and messages through the strength of their looks, assisted by two attendants. In addition to the work of the painter from Empoli, the Church maintains the fifteenth-century frescoes and paintings of the XV-XVII centuries, including the canvas (1601) by the painter Cosimo Lotti “Madonna with Child and Saints Domenico, Pio V, Caterina da Siena e Caterina d’Alessandria”. Before the presbytery, we can find a modern choir with an organ by Giosué Agati, made in 1818. The presbytery ends in three chapels and was restructured in the sixteenth century. The widest chapel in the centre has got an altar in sandstone, surmounted by a wooden crucifix of the 1731.
The inside houses the famous painting by Jacopo Carucci, called Pontormo, the Visitation (realised around 1530 ) in which Mary and Elizabeth are represented in the act of exchanging thoughts and messages through the strength of their looks, assisted by two attendants.
In addition to the work of the painter from Empoli, the Church maintains the fifteenth-century frescoes and paintings of the XV-XVII centuries, including the canvas (1601) by the painter Cosimo Lotti “Madonna with Child and Saints Domenico, Pio V, Caterina da Siena e Caterina d’Alessandria”.
The cloister square is annexed to the building, with the porch overlooking the garden, containing a seventeenth-century well and various burials with emblems along the walls. On the opposite side of the church, we can find the Oratory Society of Santissimo Sacramento where the ancient little Church of the thirteenth-century cloister probably rose.
The Oratory conserves two wooden crucifixes (one of the seventeenth and the other of the eighteenth century) and a canvas with Maria’s purification dated back to the mid seventeenth century, attributable to Pier Antonio Michi.
It is worth mentioning the canvas with the Madonna in Glory, the Saints and St, John the Evagelist of the early seven hundred, recalling the Sagrestani and the Gabbiani.
For more: C. Cerretelli, Prato e la sua provincia, Prato 2003, p. 344 sgg.
Parish church of San Michele and “La Visitazione del Pontormo” – Carmignano
The church dedicated to St. Michael, the patron saint of the Carmignano inhabitants, was built around 1330 where there was already a small oratory with the convent realized by Bernard of Quintavalle, and was originally dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi, who according to tradition had come to preach at Carmignano in 1211. Only in 1782 it was transferred to the seat of the parish of St. Michael, built around the year one thousand and located at the foot of the Rocca di Carmignano where today there is a farmhouse.
The building shows once again, in the original configuration, the typical model of the Franciscan church (sober, chaste, and severe) with a large central nave and apse chapels. Original plant remains fourteenth track, especially on the left side of the church.
The building, deeply damaged by the conflicts of the Second World War, has seen many renovations in the last century which led, among other measures, the elimination of some buildings dating from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
S. Michele e S. Francesco Carmignano
The exterior is characterized by a simple façade which supports the gallery, eighteenth century, with five arches supported by Tuscan columns, engaged columns and pilasters at the corners.
The interior features the famous painting by Jacopo Carucci, called Pontormo, Visitazione (1530 approx) in which Mary and Elizabeth are represented in the act of exchanging thoughts and messages through the strength of their looks, assisted by two attendants. In addition to the work of the painter Empoli, the Church maintains the fifteenth century frescoes and paintings of the XV-XVII centuries, including the canvas (1601) the painter Cosimo Lotti Madonna col Bambino tra i Santi Domenico, Pio V, Caterina da Siena e Caterina d’Alessandria.
The cloister square is annexed to the building, with the porch overlooking the garden where it retains a well from the seventeenth century the original church, and the Oratorio Society of SS. Sacramento.
For more: C. Cerretelli, Prato e la sua provincia, Prato 2003, p. 344 sgg.
Hours
The Church of San Michele is open from 8.00 to 19.00 (approximate time)
