Church of San Domenico

Explaination: The Dominican monks arrived in Faenza in 1223 and eight years later received a piece of land from the Municipality with vineyards where they built the church and convent dedicated to Sant’Andrea (in vineis). The works of the XVI century are also importantof which mainly the cloister plan remains (largely redone after the war) and the beautiful central reservoir by Padre Domenico Paganelli. The church was completely rebuilt between 1761 and 1765 with the design of the bolognaise Francesco Tadolini but the site was directed by the Faentine head maestro Pietro Tomba. The interior has a sumptuous choir stall similar to that to the Redentore (by Palladio) of Venice, with Corinthian colonnade and 1500’s engraved wooden benches by Paganelli. Amongst the works of art there is firstly, in order of appearance (immediately to the side of the entrance) the 1400’s wooden crucifix, the same as that of the Duomo and attributed to the same anonymous Nordic sculptor. The paintings are largely contemporary to the reconstruction of the church and have amongst them the San Vincenzo Ferreri by Felice Torelli and two paintings (Visitation and San Domenico guided by the Angels enter Faenza) of which attribution is conflicting to Cristoforo Unterberger of the Adige valley and the Faentine Giovanni Gottardi. Whilst international criticism favours the former, recent research by Anna Tambini tends to returning them entirely to the latter.