Basilica della Santissima Annunziata del Vastato
The Basilica della Santissima Annunziata del Vastato is the Catholic cathedral of Genoa, northern Italy; its decoration employed the major baroque studios and artists in Genoa in the 17th century. It is named "Vastato" because the area where it was built was outside the walls of the city, in an area where houses had been demolished (devastated) for defensive reasons. In Latin, referred to a safety belt within the protective bastions. History. The church was begun by the Franciscans in 1520 in a site previously occupied by the small church of "Santa Maria del  Prato", belonging to the Humiliati. Works were however halted in 1537, and in 1591 the Lomellini family continued the reconstruction, directed by Taddeo Carlone. In the early 17th century the rich Baroque decoration was executed, with Andrea Ansaldo in charge of completing the works, and in particular the dome. The current Neoclassicist façade dates to 1830-1840s, designed by Carlo Barabino. The church was damaged by Allied bombings during World War II. Interior decoration of the nave. Artists responsible for the interior decoration include Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione with "St. James defeats Moors"; Giovanni Bernardo Carbone (GBC) with "St. James opens  Coimbra gates to King Ferdinand"; Valerio Castello with "Martyrdom of St. James" and "St. Peter christens St. James", Giovanni Domenico Cappellino with "Preaching of the apostle", Domenico Piola with "Martyrdom of the saint", Giovanni Lorenzo Bertolotti with "Aurelio and Giovanni", Aurelio Lomi with "Daughters of Zebedee introduce Jesus & saints". At the central crossing, the cupola dome has an "Assumption" fresco, considered the masterpiece of Giovanni Andrea Ansaldo, and restored later by Gregorio De Ferrari. Above the door to the center nave is a "Last Supper" by Giulio Cesare Procaccini, flanked by two "Prophets" attributed to either Gioacchino Assereto, Giovanni Andrea  Ansaldo or Giulio Benso; on the ceiling, canvases depicting an "Epiphany", "Entry to Jerusalem", and "Prayer in the Garden" by Giovanni Carlone, while the "Resurrection", "Jesus appears to his Mother" and "Coronation of Virgin" were painted by his brother, Giovanni Battista Carlone. Decoration of chapels. The 1st chapel’s right wall has a frescoed "Nativity" attributed to the Moncalvo; "Agar & Angel" by Giovanni Andrea de Ferrari. The ceiling is frescoed with "Miracles by St. Bernardino" and "Simone & Giuda evangelizing Persians" by Giovanni Battista Carlone. The 2nd chapel on the right has an altarpiece and a painting depicting "Miracles of St.  Bernardino", as well as a ceiling fresco of "Catechism of St. Matthew" by G.B. Carlone and another "Miracle" painting by Aurelio Lomi. The 3rd chapel is frescoed by "St. Thomas Aquinas before Crucifixion" by Domenico Piola, and "Saint Diego cures a blind child" by Simone Barabino; "Martyrdom of St. Sebastian" and the ceiling "St. James baptizes pagans" by G.B. Carlone, and on the left wall is a "St. Jerome" by Bernardo Strozzi. The 4th chapel has an altarpiece of "St. Louis" G.B. Carlone ; on the walls, two episodes from the life of the saint, attributed to Claudius Francisco Beaumont; the  vault is frescoed with "Sant'Andrea adores the Cross" by Domenico Fiasella. The 5th chapel has an altarpiece of "St. Peter of Alcantara adores the Cross" by G.B. Carlone ; the wall has an "Ecstasy of young Saint Francis" attributed to Daniele Crespi; on the left a "Madonna and Saints" by Antonio Maria Piola under a fresco of "Supper at Emmaus" attributed to Strozzi; on the vault is frescoed "St, Paul Preaching” by Fiasella. The 6th chapel has an "Annunciation" altarpiece by Domenico Piola. The walls have paintings of a "Presentation", "Visitation" and "Prophet" by Andrea Carlone; on the vault is frescoed  St. Peter cures the lame by Gioacchino Assereto. The polychrome "St. Anthony of Padua, Infant Jesus, & angels" was sculpted by Pierre Puget; on the vault is frescoed "Pentecost", and in the lunette over the arch that accesses the far chapel is "Doubting St. Thomas", a fresco by G.B. Carlone. The chapel to the right of the altar has a "Blessed Andrea da Spello draws water from a stone", a canvas by G.B. Carlone; on the altar in the front, a "Madonna" sculpture by Leonardo Mirano (1618); to the right, "Saint Domenico Soriano", altarpiece by Tommaso Clerici. On the left are  three archangels by Clerici; on the cupola are frescoes by G.B. Carlone. On the main altar is a "Crucifixion" by Giacomo Antonio Ponsonelli; on the ceiling, "Annunciation" and "Assumption", on the sidewalls, "Presentation of Jesus in temple", all frescos by Giulio Benso; and "Dispute with the doctors", painted from G.B. Carlone on design by Benso. In the chapel to the left of the altar, on the right wall is a "Nativity", by Luciano Borzone; beneath it is a high relief in marble by Santo Varni of the "Madonna & Saints", on the altar in the front, "Madonna & Child" sculpted by Leonardo  Ferrandina; on the altar on the left is a "Crucifixion" by Francisco Scotto; to right, "St. Peter denies Christ" and "Joseph explains dreams", by Strozzi; on the left, "Wedding at Cana" and "Christ at column", perhaps by Luca Saltarello; and frescoes by Giuseppe Isola. In the left transept, in the niche over the altar is a "San Pasquale adoring Holy Name", a polychorome work by Anton Maria Maragliano; in the ceiling and in the lunettes over the arched entrance to the far chapel, an "Ascension" and "Supper at Emmaus", fresco by Giovanni Carlone. The tympanum of the 6th chapel (left  of the nave) is frescoed with a "Madonna" sculpted by Taddeo Carlone; on the vault is frescoed "Abraham offers bread & wine to Melchisedech", by Assereto. The 1st chapel on the left has two canvases of the "Martyrdom of St. Clemente" (altar and wall) by G.B. Carlone; above a "St. Lorenzo" and "St. Stefano", canvases by De Ferrari; on the outer vault are the damaged frescoes of "Joshua crossing Jordan" by G.B. Carlone . The 4th chapel on the left has an altarpiece of the "Immaculate Conception" by Domenico Piola. The 3rd chapel has a “Crucifixion” by Luca Cambiaso; on the left , "Saint Francesco baptizes Moors" by G.B. Carlone. The 2nd chapel has an altarpiece of the "Transit by St. Clair" by Giovanni Battista Paggi. The 5th chapel has "Hope" and "Charity", statues by Ponsonelli; on the vault is frescoed "Rebecca at the well" by Fiasella. Sources. http://www.irolli.it/chiesa_genova/4/chiesa-di-santissima-annunziata-del-vastato.html