The pretty Brancacci Chapel in Florence is one of the most important and fascinating artistic sites of the whole city.It is located inside the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine, founded in the second half of the thirteenth century, thanks to the work of some Carmelite friars from Pisa. The talent and genius of Masaccio and Masolino da Panicale, two of the greatest artists of the period, together with Filippino Lippi, have made of the Brancacci Chapel one of the most important examples of Renaissance painting. The frescoes were painted between 1425-1427 and completed by Lippi between 1481 and 1482, with main theme the “Salutis Historia”, that is to say the story of man’s salvation, with sources such as the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, the Genesis and the Golden Legend of Jacopo da Varazze.
Discover Tuscany with the Brancacci Chapel in Florence
The real masterpiece of the Brancacci Chapel is the cycle of frescoes of the stories of St. Peter. The tales of the life and miracles of the Saint are anticipated by two works “The Temptation of Adam and Eve” and the “Expulsion from the Garden of Eden”. The entire work was created to enhance the Church’s role in the divine work of redemption, the story unfolds from the top to down, alternating depictions engraved on the right wall with those on the left. The frescoes in the Brancacci Chapel are based on similar compositions to facilitate the reading. St. Peter is always present, clearly recognizable by its dark green dress with orange cape and with white short hair and beard.
All the small town atmosphere in the Brancacci Chapel in Florence
The only differences relate to cultural differences between the two artists. While Masaccio uses a new language, that of the Renaissance, completely detached from the Gothic tradition, in Masolino are still very strong values of elegance and preciousness. The Brancacci Chapel gives us many cultural gems of inestimable value. One of these is the innovative method of representation of light by Masolino, who used the chiaroscuro to give more volume and depth to the bodies. The same artist is remembered as the first to have used the shadow in the history of painting, that also allows to trace the exact moment of the day in which the event was depicted. The Brunelleschi, the 4-star hotel located in the heart of the city, in Piazza Santa Elisabetta, is perfect to discover the enchantment of the Brancacci Chapel, just ten minutes away.
Experience the magic of the story of the Brancacci Chapel in Florence
