The Hermit Fathers of Saint Augustine were present in Cesena as early as the 13th century and moved to the site where the church and former convent of Saint Augustine now stand no earlier than 1256. The 15th century church, built in several phases and of dignified proportions, was gradually enriched with works of art, of which some traces remain: among these, the large altarpiece painted for the high altar by Girolamo Genga (1476–1551), The Dispute on the Immaculate Conception (1516–1518), now housed in the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan.
In 1741, it was decided to rebuild both the convent and the church; the latter was demolished in 1747 and completed only in 1777, rebuilt to a design by Luigi Vanvitelli, with the collaboration of the Bolognese architect Giuseppe Antonio Landi. The façade, however, remained unfinished (it was intended to be clad in marble), while the bell tower was constructed to a design by architect Carlo Borboni.
The church has a basilica plan: Roman vaults support the roof, decorated with rosettes that are repeated in the presbytery; the nave features three chapels on each side, all of the same size, opening with round arches. The brightness of the interior is ensured by six large windows set within the arches of each bay. At the intersection of the presbytery and the transept rises a dome composed of four sails, without drum or ribs, surmounted by a central lantern. Numerous works of art are preserved within the church.
Client:
Ministero per i beni culturali e le attività culturali – Direzione regionale per i beni culturali e paesaggistici dell’Emilia-Romagna
Soprintendenza per i beni architettonici e per il paesaggio di Ravenna
Diocesi di Cesena – Sarsina
Region:
EMILIA ROMAGNA
Location:
Cesena (FC)
