page_title: Theodoli Chapel (Santa Maria del Popolo)
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Theodoli Chapel (Santa Maria del Popolo) / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Two stucco angels on the ceiling of the Theodoli Chapel in Santa Maria del Popolo by the workshop of Giulio Mazzoni (before 1575).
context_page_description: The Theodoli Chapel or Chapel of Saint Catherine «del Calice» in the Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome is an important monument of Roman Mannerism. Although less known than some of the other side chapels of the same church it is a major work in the oeuvre of Giulio Mazzoni. The chapel opens at the end of the left arm of the transept next to the famous Cerasi Chapel.
context_section_description: The construction of the chapel coincides with the renovation of the whole building in the mid-sixteenth century. On 10 December 1552 the Vicar-General of the Lombard Congregation allowed the Augustinians to assign two empty chapels to new holders: one of them was located „apud cappella Fusari vulgariter nuncupata la Madonina” ("by the Foscari Chapel, commonly called la Madonnina") and it had been requested by Traiano Alicorni, a Milanese nobleman and protonotary apostolic.
  On 27 June 1553 the chapel was granted to Alicorni, and re-dedicated to Saints Lucy, Nazarius and Celsus. The dedication to the most important martyrs of Milan is easily explained by the origins of the Alicorni family. After the death of Traiano Alicorni the property was inherited by his sons, Fausto and Giovanni Battista. The latter renounced his rights on 11 July 1569 in favor of his brother who began to build a tomb in memory of their father. Soon, however, the chapel was returned to the Augustinians, who assigned it to Girolamo Theodoli, the titular bishop of Cádiz, on 24 December 1569.
  The two families were linked by common interests and roots in the town of Forlì. The new owner employed the same artist, Giulio Mazzoni of Piacenza, who had already been entrusted by the Alicorni, and maintained the original dedication of the chapel with the addition of Saints Jerome, Catherine and John the Baptist.
  The work on the inner decoration had already been started by Traiano Alicorni. He commissioned Giulio Mazzoni in a contract dated to 15 October 1555. The artist undertook the task for the considerable sum of 800 scudi and pledged to finish it within two years. He was still working on it ten years later. Previously the Theodoli Chapel was thought be a late work of Mazzoni but this was disproved by the discovery of the contract.
  The iconographic themes of the paintings help to differentiate the two commissions: the vault was certainly painted during the ownership of the Alicorni family, everything in the lower regions and the marble statue of Saint Catherine belong to the Theodoli phase, while the pertinence of the lunettes depends on their interpretation.
  Originally the chapel was called Santa Caterina «del Calice» or «del Cadice» to distinguish it from the Chapel of Santa Caterina «del Portogallo» in the right aisle. There are stucco chalices with ribbons and vases on the spandrels and the statue of Saint Catherine was holding up an antique chalice at least until the first quarter of 18th century (it was definitely missing at the time of the apostolic visitation in 1824 and later replaced by a bronze palm). The symbol of the chalice alluded to the city of Cádiz and the bishopric - although it can be noted that Girolamo Theodoli never set foot in Spain. In 1564 he was forced to resign because his long absence made his position untenable but at the same time he obtained a generous annual income of 3000 scudi. This certainly helped him to acquire and decorate a chapel in the prestigious basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo a few years later.
  The choice of Saint Catherine as the main patron saint of the chapel can be partly explained by the fact that she was honored as a family saint among the Theodoli. She was also the namesake of the bishop's mother, Catarina Bezzi. (The other two patron saints were also namesakes, Jerome for the bishop himself, John the Baptist for his uncle, Bishop Giovanni Ruffo Theodoli and his designated heir, Giovanni Theodoli.) Also as relative newcomers in Rome, the Theodoli "needed to augment their history to compete with the old Roman nobility. [...] As Saint Catherine stands for informed Christian wisdom and strength of virtue against all heresy, so, too, do the Theodoli [...] connect themselves to these ideas", argues Cynthia Stollhans.
  The completion of the Theodoli Chapel could be placed around 1575 because Mazzoni returned to Piacenza in the next year. The chapel was refurbished by Marquis Girolamo Theodoli about 150 years later. The large stucco cartouche above the entrance arch with the coat of arms of the Theodoli family pr
caption: Stucco angels in the corner of the ceiling with the symbols of episcopal authority in the background.
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