The Chiostrino dei Voti, also known as the Cloister of the Vows or Small Cloister of Vows, is a historic atrium serving as the entrance to the Basilica della Santissima Annunziata in Florence, Italy. Located in the Piazza della Santissima Annunziata, this architectural gem is part of a larger complex that has been a central site of devotion since the 13th century. The name "Chiostrino dei Voti" derives from its original purpose: to house votive offerings (ex-votos) left by pilgrims in gratitude or supplication to the Virgin Mary, particularly in connection with a miraculous fresco of the Annunciation inside the basilica. These offerings, often life-sized wax statues of donors (including horses and other elaborate items), accumulated to around 600 by the late 18th century, making it a major tourist attraction before they were melted down in 1786 to produce candles. The cloister represents a blend of Renaissance architecture and art, often regarded as the cradle of Florentine Mannerism due to its influential fresco cycle.
Founding and Construction
The Basilica della Santissima
Annunziata, the mother church of the Servite Order, was founded in 1250
by the Seven Holy Founders of the order. Its origins are tied to a
legendary miraculous event in 1252, when a Servite friar named
Bartolomeo was commissioned to paint a fresco of the Annunciation.
Struggling with the Virgin's face, he fell asleep, only to awaken and
find it completed by an angel—a story that drew pilgrims and elevated
the site's spiritual significance. The influx of devotees necessitated
expansions, leading to the reconstruction of the basilica between 1444
and 1477 based on designs by Michelozzo di Bartolomeo (1396–1472), with
contributions from Leon Battista Alberti (1404–1472).
The Chiostrino
dei Voti itself was designed by Michelozzo and constructed starting in
1447 as a forecourt or small cloister to accommodate the growing number
of votive offerings. Architecturally, it is a four-sided portico
supported by slender columns with Corinthian capitals, topped by cross
vaults and featuring marble reliefs. The structure was completed around
1516, coinciding with the basilica's consecration, and its open design
initially allowed for the display of ex-votos, including oil lamps and
candles that unfortunately caused smoke damage over time. In the 19th
century, protective measures were added, such as an enclosure by Grand
Duke Leopold II in 1833 and a cast iron and glass skylight in 1913
(later replaced by a 19th-century glass roof in some accounts), to
shield it from the elements.
The Fresco Cycle: Artists and
Artworks
The cloister's walls are adorned with twelve lunettes
featuring frescoes that depict scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary
and Saint Filippo Benizi (1233–1285), the fifth Prior General of the
Servites, who was canonized in 1671. The decoration began sporadically
in the mid-15th century and intensified in the early 16th century,
showcasing a transition from Renaissance to Mannerist styles. The first
lunette, Nativity (c. 1460–1462), was painted by Alesso Baldovinetti
(1427–1499) just left of the church entrance, incorporating both fresco
and a secco techniques with a background of the Arno Valley.
Around
1476, Cosimo Rosselli (1439–1507) initiated a cycle with The Calling (or
Vestition) of Saint Filippo Benizi, focusing on the saint's religious
dressing.
Progress was slow until 1509, when Andrea del Sarto
(1486–1530) took over, completing five scenes from Benizi's life
(1509–1510), including The Punishment of Blasphemers, as well as The
Voyage of the Magi (1511) and The Birth of the Virgin (1513–1514).
Andrea Feltrino added decorative elements like backgrounds, coats of
arms, and medallions of Old Testament prophets between 1510 and 1514. A
marble bust of Andrea del Sarto by Giovanni Caccini is also displayed
among the works.
The cycle concluded with contributions from emerging
Mannerists: Franciabigio (1482–1525) painted The Marriage (or Betrothal)
of the Virgin (1513); Pontormo (1494–1557) created The Visitation
(1516), noted for its innovative composition and emotional depth;
and
Rosso Fiorentino (1495–1540) depicted The Assumption of the Virgin
(1517), featuring striking contrasts like gold skies and lavender
clouds. These frescoes, arranged on the left (Benizi's life) and right
(Virgin's life) sides, highlight the evolution of Florentine art.
Restorations and Preservation
Over centuries, the cloister
suffered from environmental factors like humidity, pollution, smoke from
votive lamps, and flooding, leading to color loss and structural damage.
Early interventions included the 1833 enclosure and 1913 skylight, but
these were insufficient. Post-World War II efforts focused on humidity
protection, and a 1966 restoration by Dino Dini detached frescoes onto
new supports, though they deteriorated again.
A comprehensive
restoration from 2013 to 2017, funded by Friends of Florence at a cost
of €467,000 (with support from donors like the Jay Pritzker Foundation),
addressed these issues under the supervision of the Soprintendenza
Speciale. Restorers Gioia Germani, Alessandra Popple, Cristiana Conti,
and the firm S.A.R. Restauro Snc used techniques like applying inorganic
substances (e.g., barium and ammonium carbonates) to stabilize pigments,
saturate colors, and protect against further decay. The project restored
the lunettes, architectural elements, and marble statues, reviving the
frescoes' original vibrancy and ensuring long-term preservation. Today,
the Chiostrino dei Voti remains open to the public, offering a glimpse
into Florence's rich artistic and devotional heritage.
The "small cloister" is not a cloister in the strict sense (it is not
at the center of the monastery rooms), but rather an atrium that recalls
its shapes for the four sides with porticoes with round arches supported
by columns with Corinthian capitals and vaults cross, which generate
sixteen lunettes on the walls, twelve of which are frescoed. The name of
the space derives from the ex votos that were once collected and
exhibited here. They ranged from small paintings to actual statues, in
wood, decorated plaster or wax, which filled every available space, but
were removed from their headquarters and definitively destroyed in 1785,
apparently at the suggestion of the Jansenist Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo
of Lorraine.
The marble Madonna with Child is instead attributed
to Michelozzo. The door on this side is the side entrance to the oratory
of San Sebastiano.
On the left-hand side wall, between lunettes 2
and 3, is the bust of Andrea del Sarto by Giovanni Caccini. On the right
side, in one of the two central empty lunettes, there were once the
doors of Beato Angelico's silver cabinet, moved from the Chapel of the
Madonna in 1656 and today in the San Marco Museum, which remained there
until 1687, for protect them from the weather. Here today you can see a
high relief of the Madonna della Neve, attributed to Luca della Robbia
and placed here in 1923, and the door of the oratory of San Sebastiano.
The decoration with crests, lilies and grotesques was commissioned
by Piero di Cosimo de' Medici. The six medallions of the Prophets, on a
vault, are attributed to Andrea Feltrini between 1510 and 1514.
The two bronze stoups on the columns in front of the main entrance to
the church were made by Francesco Susini in (1615). The glass and iron
cover dates back to the second half of the 19th century.
The valuable frescoes that decorate the walls are well known, which were detached, restored and finally relocated after the Flood of Florence on November 4, 1966. They narrate the stories of the Life of Mary and those of St. Philip Benizi, the first friar of the Order of Servants of Mary to be canonized (died 1285), propagator of the cult of the Virgin and of the Order in Italy and beyond of the Alps. This explains the choice of chosen subjects: the stories of San Filippo Benizzi explain why he was the most revered served together with the seven founding saints, while the stories of Mary explain why she is the titular of the church. The numbers in the list of lunettes refer to their order from left to right, for those entering from the square, considering only the frescoed ones.