S. Fedele is today one of the most important medieval churches in Como and it was probably the former cathedral of the city. It was originally consecrated to S. Eufemia and it belongs to a group composed by two other sacral buildings: the small church of S. Pietro in Atrio and the baptistery of S. Giovanni in Atrio. These buildings were disposed around an atrium, today replaced by a square. The atrium and the basilica of S. Eufemia have been mentioned in documents since 865, but the presence of mosaic pavements of the 5th-6th century under the three buildings proves their early Christian foundation. The main church, S. Eufemia, received in 964 the relics of the martyr Fedele and changed therefore its consecration. The new cathedral of S. Maria Maggiore is documented since 1006: as a result, the translation of Fedele's relics in S. Eufemia can be read as the sign of the transformation of the old cathedral in a martyrial church. Meanwhile, all the sacred buildings of the compound were modified: S. Giovanni was enlarged, S. Pietro and S Fedele were completely reconstructed. Nowadays the earliest portion of S. Fedele is evidently the lower story of the bell tower (the upper one was reconstructed in 1903-1905). The campanile obstructs the two first bays of the left nave and the masonry of the church has clearly been built around the tower. The stonework of the tower shows some features typical of the second half of the 11th century, like those of S. Abbondio in Como and S. Agata in Moltrasio (CO). On the other hand, the most part of the church building displays a masonry similar to that of constructions of the 12th century, made of well-squared stones arranged in regular courses on fine layers of mortar. The edifice belongs to an uniform building phase, with the exception of the apse. This part shows indeed different constructive materials (not only stone of Moltrasio, but also white and black marble, gray granite and cipolin) and more mature architectural characters, like the practicable galleries used as a decorative feature. These elements, together with the discontinuity between the masonry of the northern side chapel and the apse and that of the transept, suggest that the apse must be assigned to a second building phase. This phase could consist in the conclusion of the edifice or in an update of an already erected east end, probably after the war between Milan and Como (1118-1127). Since the city was not rebuilt until the intervention of Barbarossa in 1158, the east end of S. Fedele probably belongs to the same years around the middle of the 12th century. The stylistic features of the apse also agree with this hypothesis. The church has been modified several times during the modern period, as it clearly appears. The history of the interventions can be retraced through existing documents, like the canonical visitations. Among these transformations, the most important are the the construction of a new sacristy in place of the southern side chapel (c. 1773), the rebuilding of the dome and its tiburium (1803-1806) and the creation of two chapels in the transepts by closing the arches of ambulatories (end of 16th-beginnings of 17th century).
San Fedele, probabile prima cattedrale di Como, era dedicato anticamente alla martire S. Eufemia ed apparteneva ad un complesso paleocristiano i cui elementi – la chiesa maggiore, il battistero di S. Giovanni e la basilica di S. Pietro – erano disposti intorno ad un atrio, oggi sostituito da una piazza. La chiesa cambiò intitolazione nel 964, in seguito all'arrivo delle reliquie di S. Fedele da Samolaco. Dato che la nuova cattedrale, S. Maria Maggiore, è menzionata dai documenti per la prima volta nel 1006, è verosimile che la traslazione del corpo del santo sia avvenuta in preparazione al trasferimento della sede episcopale e segni la trasformazione della vecchia cattedrale in una chiesa martiriale. Nello stesso periodo tutti gli edifici appartenenti al complesso subirono pesanti cambiamenti: il battistero fu ampliato, S. Pietro e S. Fedele totalmente ricostruiti. Il campanile di S. Fedele occupa parzialmente le prime due campate della navata sinistra, il cui perimetrale si appoggia al fianco Est della torre, e costituisce la parte più antica della basilica. La muratura del segmento inferiore (unico ancora originale dopo la ricostruzione del 1903-1905) può essere collocata all'interno della seconda metà dell'XI secolo e trova confronti in S. Abbondio di Como e S. Agata di Moltrasio. La maggior parte degli apparecchi litici della chiesa, invece, con conci perfettamente squadrati disposti in filari regolari con pochissima malta, si avvicina per qualità a costruzioni di XII secolo della stessa area. Da questa fase è esclusa l'abside maggiore, che esibisce l'impiego di materiali differenti (pietra di Moltrasio, marmo bianco e nero, granito grigio e cipollino) e caratteri stilistici più maturi, come le loggette praticabili sia interne che esterne. Questi elementi, insieme alla discontinuità individuabile nella muratura tra il fianco dell'absidiola settentrionale e il transetto, suggeriscono di assegnare l'abside ad un secondo cantiere. Questo sarebbe intervenuto a concludere un edificio non completo o ad aggiornare una terminazione orientale non più gradita, probabilmente dopo la Guerra Decennale tra Milano e Como (1118-1127). Dato che i danni subiti dal saccheggio dei milanesi non furono riparati fino all'intervento del Barbarossa nel 1158, il settore orientale del S. Fedele appartiene probabilmente a quegli stessi anni intorno alla metà del XII secolo. I caratteri formali dell'abside concordano con questa ipotesi, così come la menzione di un ampliamento della chiesa da parte dell'imperatore riportata da Primo Tatti nel XVII secolo. L'articolo ripercorre brevemente anche le principali trasformazioni subite dall'edificio in età moderna, basandosi sugli atti delle visite pastorali e altra documentazione archivistica.
La basilica di S. Fedele e il suo campanile: le trasformazioni del più antico complesso sacro di Como tra XI e XII secolo / Tabanelli, Margherita. - In: ARTE MEDIEVALE. - ISSN 0393-7267. - STAMPA. - 4:4(2014), pp. 35-62.
La basilica di S. Fedele e il suo campanile: le trasformazioni del più antico complesso sacro di Como tra XI e XII secolo.
TABANELLI, MARGHERITA
2014
Abstract
S. Fedele is today one of the most important medieval churches in Como and it was probably the former cathedral of the city. It was originally consecrated to S. Eufemia and it belongs to a group composed by two other sacral buildings: the small church of S. Pietro in Atrio and the baptistery of S. Giovanni in Atrio. These buildings were disposed around an atrium, today replaced by a square. The atrium and the basilica of S. Eufemia have been mentioned in documents since 865, but the presence of mosaic pavements of the 5th-6th century under the three buildings proves their early Christian foundation. The main church, S. Eufemia, received in 964 the relics of the martyr Fedele and changed therefore its consecration. The new cathedral of S. Maria Maggiore is documented since 1006: as a result, the translation of Fedele's relics in S. Eufemia can be read as the sign of the transformation of the old cathedral in a martyrial church. Meanwhile, all the sacred buildings of the compound were modified: S. Giovanni was enlarged, S. Pietro and S Fedele were completely reconstructed. Nowadays the earliest portion of S. Fedele is evidently the lower story of the bell tower (the upper one was reconstructed in 1903-1905). The campanile obstructs the two first bays of the left nave and the masonry of the church has clearly been built around the tower. The stonework of the tower shows some features typical of the second half of the 11th century, like those of S. Abbondio in Como and S. Agata in Moltrasio (CO). On the other hand, the most part of the church building displays a masonry similar to that of constructions of the 12th century, made of well-squared stones arranged in regular courses on fine layers of mortar. The edifice belongs to an uniform building phase, with the exception of the apse. This part shows indeed different constructive materials (not only stone of Moltrasio, but also white and black marble, gray granite and cipolin) and more mature architectural characters, like the practicable galleries used as a decorative feature. These elements, together with the discontinuity between the masonry of the northern side chapel and the apse and that of the transept, suggest that the apse must be assigned to a second building phase. This phase could consist in the conclusion of the edifice or in an update of an already erected east end, probably after the war between Milan and Como (1118-1127). Since the city was not rebuilt until the intervention of Barbarossa in 1158, the east end of S. Fedele probably belongs to the same years around the middle of the 12th century. The stylistic features of the apse also agree with this hypothesis. The church has been modified several times during the modern period, as it clearly appears. The history of the interventions can be retraced through existing documents, like the canonical visitations. Among these transformations, the most important are the the construction of a new sacristy in place of the southern side chapel (c. 1773), the rebuilding of the dome and its tiburium (1803-1806) and the creation of two chapels in the transepts by closing the arches of ambulatories (end of 16th-beginnings of 17th century).I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.