Cappella Sistina di Savona

Savona's Sistine Chapel preserves a Della Rovere family monument beside the cathedral. Commissioned by Pope Sixtus IV for his parents, it combines Renaissance funerary sculpture with a later Baroque architectural setting.

Why it matters

The chapel connects papal patronage with family remembrance in the Savona area. Its origin in the Franciscan convent's chapter hall distinguishes it from the better-known Vatican chapel commissioned by the same pope.

What to notice

The marble mausoleum of Leonardo della Rovere and Luchina Monleone is associated with Giovanni and Michele D'Aria. Its carved forms belong to the late-fifteenth-century commission, while stucco and other decorative elements reflect the eighteenth-century remodelling. The coexistence of these phases is central to the chapel's appearance.

Context and history

Work began in 1481, followed by painting commissions to Giovanni Mazzone. The chapel was substantially altered between 1762 and 1764, when the funerary monument was repositioned. The dispersal of the former altarpiece created further connections between the chapel and collections in Avignon and Savona, extending its history beyond the surviving interior.