Chiesa del Voto, Modena

The church of Chiesa del Voto or Votive Church of Modena is a Baroque style church in the city of Modena, Italy. It is located near the town center, and was built to give thanks for the cessation of the plague of 1630. Older texts cite a full name of the church of the Madonna Santissima del voto della Città.^[1]

Votive Church Chiesa del Voto (Italian)
Facade and Dome of Chiesa del Voto
Religion
Affiliation	Catholic
Location
Geographic coordinates	44.6473°N 10.9254°E / 44.6473; 10.9254
Architecture
Architect(s)	Cristoforo Malagola
Completed	1634

History

Work on the structure began in 1634, under the direction of Cristoforo Malagola, also called il Galaverna. The church is modeled after the church of San Salvatore in Bologna. The dome recalls the Basilica of the Basilica della Ghiara in Reggio.

Among the canvases in the church are those depicting the events of the Intercession during Plague by Ludovico Lana.^[2] The canvas has the Madonna beside St Roch and St Sebastian, two saints traditionally affiliated with healing from the plague, as well as Saint Homobonus, also a patron saint of the city.^[3]

The apse has two canvases, a Glory of the Virgin by Jacopo Consetti and a Glory of St Joseph by Francesco Stringa.^[4] Stringa also painted in the church a Madonna and Child with St Antony. An altarpiece depicting St Filomena was painted by Adeodato Malatesta.

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  Virgin, child and saints intercede to stop the plague, by Ludovico Lana]
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  Crucifixion altarpiece also by Lana

References

1. Modena a tre epoche. Descrizioni del Conte L. F. e Marchese C. Campori, by Count Luigi Forni (Modena); 1844, page 20.
2. Considered by Luigi Lanzi, Lana’s masterwork.
3. Comune of Modena Archived 2014-05-25 at the Wayback Machine, church entry.
4. Musei Modenesi^{[permanent dead link]} on Stringa canvases.