Oratorio dell'Assunta

The Oratory of the Assunta in Fontanellato preserves an intimate ensemble of eighteenth-century painting, stucco and carved walnut. Founded in 1572 at the wish of Geronima Farnese, it was rebuilt in 1720 and is also known as the Oratory of San Gaetano.

Why it matters

The oratory's furnishings and decoration bring together artists and craftspeople working in the Sanvitale family's orbit. Its sacristy furniture, made by Giulio Seletti in 1720, is noted as an important example of the Parmese Barocchetto style. Paintings by Sebastiano Galeotti and frescoes by Antonio Bresciani complete the small building's decorative programme.

What to notice

The sacristy contains carved walnut cabinets by Seletti. In the oratory, Bresciani's 1790 decoration includes monochrome scenes, angels bearing the symbols of the Passion, putti in the presbytery lunettes and an Assunta above the altar. Four canvases by Galeotti, dated 1737, depict the Trinity, the Crucifixion with Mary Magdalene, the Sorrowful Madonna and Saint John the Evangelist. Beneath the main altar is a Cristo morto, probably made for the church of Santa Croce in the late seventeenth century.

Context and history

The foundation stone was laid on 21 July 1572 at the wish of Geronima Farnese, wife of Alfonso Sanvitale. Domenico Bragadini oversaw the rebuilding in 1720, to a design attributed to Adalberto Della Nave or a close follower. Bresciani's fresco campaign in 1790 completed the interior decoration. These successive phases give the oratory a distinct identity within Fontanellato's history.