The Father of Them All

Okay, well not of them all, but a pretty important dad...St. Joseph, that is.  You guessed it!  Yesterday was St. Joseph's feast day, and time for another Mass -- and where else but in St. Joseph's church?

Sadly, I didn't get to go...I was feeling a bit poorly (just a cold & I'm fine now), but I did get to see the church (usually open only once a year) last Friday for a talk that the church gave on the art as it relates to liturgy.  So...you get the benefit of pictures!

The church has a rather interesting history which is intimately associated with the confraternity of carpenters -- the "falegnami." They are first noted in Todi in the 1200s, at which point they met in a church within the walls (San Giorgio?).  Later on, maybe the 1400s, they were moved outside the walls to Sant'Antonio...and then even further to Sant'Antonino (I don't know where that one is, but Sant'Antonio is just by the middle school; it's an adorable, small chapel-sized church).

In the early 1600s, a member of the order died and left his house (inside the walls) to the order, with a stipulation that the property be used for a church.  And construction started!  By about 1630, the work was completed, and they had a brand-new church to be dedicated to Saint Joseph (San Giuseppe), their patron saint.  All the frescoes depict scenes from the life of Joseph -- very unusual for a church.

Altar piece to the side of the congregation

Main altarpiece

Right-hand side altarpiece

Ceiling fresco; the rest of the ceiling was never finished...budget problems!

Organ, installed around 1720

To the left of the main altar

To the right of the main altar

This is a costume from the order dating to the early 1600s!

Love,

Alexandra