San Girolamo, Reggio Emilia


San Girolamo, also known as Santi Girolamo e Vitale is a Baroque Roman Catholic church in central Reggio Emilia, Italy. It is located on Via San Girolamo.

History

A church at the site existed since the 10th century, dedicated to San Vitale, and governed by monks of the Convent of San Rafaelle. It was sold in 1350 to the Confraternity of St Jerome and underwent reconstruction. In 1600, a member of the confraternity, Ippollito Pratonieri, after a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, set aside an endowment to reproduce the crypt of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. A reconstruction starting in 1646 led to the Baroque interiors we see today, designed by Gaspare Vigarani. The interior is peculiar, and consists of three oratories linked by corridors and stairs. One of these stairs, is meant to be a replica of the Scala Santa in Rome.
A rectangular-shaped church is placed at the front portico; a second, circular Rotonda is designed with two tiers of colonnades placed one on top of the other, decorated with stucco statues of saints and a central altar. Finally, the crypt or Sotterranea was meant to be a replica of the sepulchre of Christ. The church is decorated with flowers during Christmas.