Photo: Italo Perazzoli
St. Philip church, in spite of its name, is devoted to Immaculate conception. We know it as St Philip Neri Church because it was founded by St. Philip followers: the Philippers. The establishment of the church is of the Renaissance and at the beginning it carried on a prayhouse function.
Then it became a parish church and for this reason received the Font, a youthful work by Uno Gera. The church has just a nave and six little chapels at two sides.
On the right the FIRST LITTLE CHAPEL is devoted to St Francis of Paola. The principal painting shows him together with some angels and among them the highest one has got an emblem with some rays of light were we can read the word "caritas". The painting dates back to Seven Hundred; it was never restored. The name of the painter is unknown and the architectural structures were enriched with some baroque stucco-works.
The SECOND LITTLE CHAPEL is devoted to St. Gaetano da Tiene. It is the most decorated from the point of view of stucco works. There are seven paintings by Ubaldo Ricci from Fermo: four small ones up and three large ones down. The painter is of the first half of the eighteenth century: The altar piece represents the Saint who dreams Our Lady giving him the child inti his arms. St. Gaetano's symbol is the lily:
THE THIRD LITTLE CHAPEL acts as crossing to enter the sacresty: The baroque altar-piece of the transept on the right, commissioned by Mr. Fedeli's Family is made of wooden or marble materials. The painting by Odoacre Vicinelli dates back to the Roman Seven Hundred and shows the transit of St. Anne (Our Lady Mother). The central altar is made of marble and dates back to 1843. We can see a sculpture in the niche representing the Announced Virgin with the inscription "You are Beautiful Mary".
The sculptor is Fedele Biancucci, disceple of Canova. Once there was a painting, recently restored, portraying the Immaculate who crushes a dragon. Now the painting is located on the left side of the transept and the service in Rome has revauled it. Some paintings showingh differents events of St. Philip Life, are at the sides of the principal altar, the low reliefs represent the birth and death of Jesus Christ. On the left part of the transept we can see another altar-piece: St Philip who dreams Our Lady descending and the Child looking at him, angels supporting and open book and some lilies. On the huge central dome the Dove of Holy Spirit is sculptured.
THE THIRD LITTLE CHAPEL ON THE LEFT is devoted to St. Philip. A marble many coloured altar, containing some remains of the saint is in the middle. The altar-piece shows the symbols of St Philip (lilies hearts, stars).
THE SECOND LITTLE CHAPEL ON THE LEFT is devoted to St. Joseph and lots of decorations were restores. The patronage of the chapel is Recco's and the most famous representative is buried on the right side of the chapel. The altar is made of wood and marble. The remains of St. Joseph are under it. We can see the bishop Luca Nicolò Recco on the right and Vgnozzo Pica on the left, founder of the "prayerhouse fathers". The oval in the middle of the altar shows the transit of St Joseph, become old, together with Our Lady and Jesus.
Source: Passeggiando Per Ripatransone, Scuola Media Statale di Ripatransone, 2002
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