The Church, which was probably built around 1380, was granted by the Friars of the neighbouring monastery of
Sant'Agostino (later to be extended into the large seminary which fills one side of the piazza) to the Confraternity of San Bartolomeo.The transformation of the medieval church, which began in
1580, was accelerated in 1629, when the most important works, including the extension of the building, took place.
The main frontage is crowned by a coffered cornice supported by corbels. Passing through the wide stone doorway you enter the church, built in the form of a single
nave covered with a magnificent coffer ceiling. The members of the confraternity trusted the decoration to the able wood-carver Benedetto Ginestra of Fossombrone. He
built the main altar in 1632 without concealing the pre-existing wooden ceiling.Thus the space of the medieval church, enriched by the 16th Century ceiling, became a sort of Choir for the new
church. In 1668 the organ, built by Pierfrancesco Capelletti of Cittΰ di Castello, was added. The panelling built by Ginestra, while maintaining the same
scheme as the 16th Century ceiling, is embellished with carved rosettes whose gilding provides a suitable contrast to the cobalt blue of the rectangular panels. Wooden statues of
Saint John the Evangelist and Saint Bartholomew the Apostle stand in the two niches of the main altar. The commission for the statue of Saint
Bartholomew was entrusted in 1617 to the French Sculptor Giovanni Anguilla. The statue of the Evangelist, which is reminiscent of Roman Bolognese pictorial classicism, was brought from Rome in
1638. The image of The Madonna of Buon Consiglio was donated to the church in 1777. In the same year, Marco Batazzi of Gubbio was commissioned to continue the wooden
decoration. The style of the main altar was used for the panelling of the side walls by Mastro Bonifacio Tornari in 1672. The four paintings, flanked by niches containing statues of
the apostles, were donated by Antonia Gucci in 1699 and were carved by Pasqualino Rossi who was born in Vicenza in 1641. The first painting on the right represents Saint
Bartholomew curing Polimnius' daughter, then (in anti-clockwise order) Saint Bartholomew converting Polimnius, The Baptism of Polimnius and The Martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew.
Of the eight statues in the niches, those of Saint Peter, Saint James the younger, Saint Paul, Saint Andrew and Saint Philip are the work of the German sculptor Francesco Enghiarez. Those of
Saint Matthew and Saint Thomas, carved by Mastro Pietro Ubaldelli in 1722, are of more modest appearance, while the statue of Saint James the Elder
has a certain distinction to it. The wooden Crucifixion on the side altar to the left was presented to the confraternity in 1621. The Ascension of the Saviour is
depicted. on the tympanum above. Opposite, on the other altar, is a 17th Century copy of Barocci's Annunciation. text by Albert Mazzacchera |
