The Cappellina del Crocifisso (Church of the Crucifix) in Baroncelli

The Cappellina del Crocifisso di Baroncelli appears in plans of the Captains of the Guelph, mapping streets surrounding Florence made by the Florentine Judiciary in the second half of the sixteenth century. It is however believed that a tabernacle already existed in the middle of the fifteenth century at the crossroads between Via di Baroncelli and Via Ruballese, later called Via dei Colli. The small building has the structure of a small church, with a gabled roof and a single light source, an eye which opens on the facade above the gate. The simple appearance of the exterior doesn’t foresee the surprise of finding inside, at the end, the entire wall frescoed with the scene of the Crucifixion of Christ.

Surrounded by a frame of stone, the recess presents Jesus crucified against a landscape where we can see the outline of a city – Florence – with towers, bell towers and the huge dome by Brunelleschi.

Mary Magdalene, facing the Lord, embraces the cross while two angels in flight approach him from each side. The left one gathers the precious blood gushing from the side in a chalice.

In the intrados, above, are placed three circular panels: God the Blessing Father, centrally located with a solemn attitude, holds an open book with the Alpha and the Omega with his left hand; in the clypeus on the right is the Archangel Gabriel with his arms crossed on his chest, in worship, directed towards the left, inside which the Virgin, with a slightly bowed head, welcomes the announcement. The images of Christ and the Lord are still visible, while the rest appears faded and badly repainted. Distinguishable but weighed down by colorings are also the full-length figures of Our Lady of Sorrows and St. John the Evangelist at the sides, enclosed in frames that simulate alcoves. Despite the poor condition of the fresco that make it difficult to understand the work, stylistic considerations and compelling comparisons lead us to believe the creator of the Crucifixion of Baroncelli is an expert from the second half of the fifteenth century, who demonstrates that, in the structure of the composition and the details of figures, they were trained by the most distinguished “workshops” which operated in the Florence of the time of Lorenzo the Magnificent, like that of Verrocchio and the Ghirlandaio.

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