Rucellai Sepulchre

The Rucellai Sepulchre is a small funerary chapel built inside the Rucellai Chapel of the church of San Pancrazio, Florence. It was commissioned by Giovanni di Paolo Rucellai and built to designs by Leon Battista Alberti in imitation or emulation of the Holy Sepulchre in the Anastasis in Jerusalem. It contains the tombs of Giovanni Rucellai and members of his family.^[1]

Rucellai Sepulchre
Tempietto del Santo Sepolcro
Alternative names	Sacellum of the Holy Sepulchre Chapel of the Holy Sepulchre Tempietto del Santo Sepolcro Sacello del Santo Sepolcro Tempietto Rucellai
General information
Type	funerary chapel
Architectural style	Renaissance
Location	Rucellai Chapel, San Pancrazio
Town or city	Florence
Country	Italy
Coordinates	43.77196°N 11.24990°E / 43.77196; 11.24990
Construction started	about 1458
Completed	1467
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Leon Battista Alberti

Names

The Rucellai sepulchre is known by various names, including Sacellum of the Holy Sepulchre, Chapel of the Holy Sepulchre, Italian: Tempietto del Santo Sepolcro, Sacello del Santo Sepolcro and Tempietto Rucellai.

History

Leon Battista Alberti probably began work on the Rucellai Chapel and on the sepulchre within it in about 1458;^[2] the origins of the chapel date to 1417, when the walls of the nave of San Pancrazio were built. According to the inscription above the door, the Sepulchre was completed in 1467.

The Rucellai Chapel was closed for many years for restoration. Since 16 February 2013 it has been re-opened to the public. Access is through the Marino Marini Museum, which occupies the deconsecrated part of the church of San Pancrazio.^[3]

Description

Exterior

Inscriptions

The sepulchre has two inscriptions: one, on a square panel above the door, reads:

	IOHANNES RVCELLARIVS
	PAVLI ‧F‧ VT INDE SALVTEM SVAM
	PRECARETVR VNDE OMNIVM CVM
	CHRISTO FACTA EST RESVRECTIO
	SACELLVM HOC
	ADĪSTAR HIEROSOLIMITANI SEPVL
	CHRI FACIVNDVM CVRAVIT
	MCCCCLXVII

meaning approximately "Giovanni di Paolo Rucellai, in order that his salvation might be prayed for from where, through Christ, the resurrection of all was achieved, had this temple built in the shape of the tomb in Jerusalem [in] 1467".

The other inscription runs round the top of the building and reads:

YHESVM QVERITIS NAZARENVM CRVCIFIXVM SURREXIT NON EST HIC ECCE LOCVS VBI POSVERVNT EVM

or approximately "you seek Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified; he rose, he is not here; this is the place where they put him".

Decorative panels

The exterior walls are decorated with 30 square panels of marble inlay work, with mainly vegetal and geometrical patterns.^[4]

Gallery

YHESVM QVERITIS N		AZARENVM CRVCIFIXVM SUR			REXIT NON EST HIC ECCE L			OCVS VBI POSVERVNT EVM

West wall

South wall

Apse

North wall

Interior

Interior of the sepulchre

The burial chamber takes the entire interior space of the sacellum, with a marble slab placed against its southern wall.^[4]

The inner walls and vault of the sepulchre are entirely frescoed, work that one author has attributed to Giovanni da Piamonte.^[5]

See also

• Pietra dura, decorative stone inlay work