Luca Signorelli's Apocalyptic Frescoes at Orvieto's Duomo
Luca Signorelli's frescoes in the Chapel of St. Brizio at Orvieto's Duomo depict scenes from the Apocalypse, including the Destruction of the World, the Resurrection of the Flesh, the Damned Cast into Hell, and the Elect being called to Paradise. The works, painted between 1499 and 1504, reflect the religious paranoia of early 16th-century Italy, influenced by wars, disease, and the prophecies of Girolamo Savonarola. Signorelli was initially commissioned to complete ceiling frescoes begun by Fra Angelico; impressed, the cathedral authorities gave him the side walls. The frescoes show his mastery of nude figures, praised by Vasari and Bernard Berenson. The Damned Cast into Hell draws from Dante's Inferno, featuring Charon. In 1508, Pope Julius II summoned Signorelli to Rome but terminated his contract in favor of Raphael. Signorelli returned to Cortona, where he became a magistrate and died in 1523.
Key facts
- Signorelli painted the Destruction of the World fresco around the entrance of the San Brizio chapel.
- The frescoes were influenced by the apocalyptic hysteria of early 16th-century Italy.
- Girolamo Savonarola's hell-fire sermons contributed to the era's spiritual paranoia.
- The Resurrection of the Flesh illustrates 1 Corinthians 15:51-52.
- Art historian Giorgio Vasari praised Signorelli's ability to make nudes appear alive.
- Bernard Berenson called Signorelli one of the greatest modern illustrators.
- The Damned Cast into Hell depicts the separation of the blessed and damned based on Matthew 25:31-46.
- The fresco includes the three archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael.
- The Elect being called to Paradise shows angels guiding the faithful to heaven with musical instruments.
- The Damned fresco draws from Dante's Inferno, featuring Charon and the rivers Styx and Acheron.
- In 1508, Pope Julius II summoned Signorelli to Rome but replaced him with Raphael.
- Signorelli died in 1523 in Cortona, where he had served as a magistrate.
Entities
Artists
- Luca Signorelli
- Fra Angelico
- Raphael
- Perugino
- Pinturicchio
- Il Sodoma
- Giorgio Vasari
- Bernard Berenson
- Girolamo Savonarola
- Dante Alighieri
- Benozzo Gozzoli
- Giovanni da Fiesole
- Pietro Perugino
- Fra Bartolomeo
- Tommaso di Micheluccio
- Pope Nicholas IV
- Pope Nicholas V
- Pope Urban IV
Institutions
- Opera del Duomo di Orvieto (O.P.S.M)
- Vatican Palace
- Cortona magistracy
- Opera del Duomo
- Duomo di Orvieto
- Cathedral of Orvieto
- Chapel of St Brizio
- La Cappella Nuova
- La Cappella del Corporale
- Niccoline Chapel
- Apostolic Palace
- Vatican City
Locations
- Orvieto
- Italy
- Rome
- Siena
- Cortona
- Bolsena
- Florence