Chiesa del Voto

Modena's Chiesa del Voto was built following a civic vow made during the plague of 1630. Its Baroque architecture and Ludovico Lana's plague altarpiece connect religious devotion with the city's memory of the epidemic.

Why it matters

The city and Duke Francesco I d'Este promised a church dedicated to the Madonna della Ghiara of Reggio Emilia. The resulting building preserves an expression of collective fear and thanksgiving, rather than only the patronage of an individual family.

What to notice

Lana's Pala della Peste brings together the Madonna della Ghiara, Saints Geminianus and Homobonus, and the plague saints Roch and Sebastian. The dome recalls the Reggio Emilia basilica associated with the devotion. Classical orders organise the facade, while the single nave and side chapels give the interior its architectural framework.

Context and history

Cristoforo Malagola, known as il Galaverna, designed the church, with construction beginning in 1634. It was inaugurated on 13 November 1636, followed by the dome in 1638 and further completion around 1640. The date of inauguration recalled the feast of Saint Homobonus and the city's thanksgiving for relief from the plague.