Saint Joseph - abbey

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Saint Joseph

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Below the forground of the statue,click on it to further enlarge
(work of Billia Antonio 1813 - 1891).

Thus we arrive at the altar, where today the Blessed Sacrament is kept.At the time of  the Olivetan monks this altar was dedicated to Santa Francesca Romana,  as it was right in front of what was of the Blessed Bernardo Tolomei  (where now there is S. Benedetto).Then, for a long time, it was dedicated to St. Joseph. In  fact in the painting of the lunette above we see the same Saint Joseph  who guides the donkey with Mary and the Child, during the flight to  Egypt.
The inscription of the emblem over the altar says: “CONSTITUIT EUM DOMINUM DOMUS SUAE” (God made him the lord of his own house), an obvious reference to the head of the Family of Nazareth.In  the 1950s and 60s, this chapel was dedicated to the Sacred Heart of  Jesus and our monk / painter Don Leandro Montini (to whom, besides the  frescoes of the monastic chapel, a careful restoration of the Marian  icon of the high altar of this temple) painted the altarpiece of this altar.NOTE: the altarpiece of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
(Photo below, which can be further enlarged).
We see  Jesus in priestly vestments (notice how the left arm still bears the  "handpiece") and with the royal crown on his head.A bundle of luminous  rays radiates from his Heart.At his feet the four books of the Gospels  are arranged in a fan.From left to right:- EVANGELIUM SECUNDUM MATTHAEUM (LIBER GENERATIONIS JESU CHRISTI FILII DAVID FILII ABRAHAE ABRAHAM GE[neravit]);
- EVANGELIUM  SECUNDUM MARCUM (INITIUM EVANGELII JESU CHRISTI FILII DEI SICUT SCRIPTUM EST IN ISAIA)
- EVANGELIUM SECUNDUM LUCAM (FUIT DIEBUS HERODES, REG[is] JUDEAE SACER[dos] QUID[am] NOMINE ZACHARIAE)
- EVANGELIUM SECUNDUM JOANNEM (IN PRINCIPIO ERAT VERBUM ET VERBUM ERAT APUD DEU[m] ET DEUS ER[at])
The cartouche at the base of the painting shows the writing:GLORIA TIBI DOMINE QUI CORDE FUNDIS GRATIAM
(Glory to you, Lord, who pour out the grace from the heart)
This previous  altarpiece is now, very deteriorated by water infiltrations, hanging  above the exit door, which leads from the north corridor of the church  into the staircase.
Postal Address:
Abbazia S. Maria di Finalpia
17024 Finale Ligure Pia (SV) Italy
Telephone +39 019 602 301  Fax: +39 019 604 9940
updated 10 February 2024
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