The San Girolamo Church in Volterra

with its impressive pediment

San Girolamo is a Renaissance style church just outside the old walled city of Volterra. The San Girolamo al Velloso convent is located in San Lazzaro.
The construction of the convent was started in 1447, but the planning had started back in 1424, after the preaching of San Bernardino from Siena. Cosimo de’ Medici, ruler of Florence, initiated the building process.

The facade is topped off with a beautiful pediment and preceded by a porch looking in on two chapels where terracottas by Giovanni della Robbia from 1501 are kept. In the chapel on the right is the one with Saint Francis giving his Rule to Saint Ludovico and Saint Elisabetta, in the one on the left is the Last Judgment.
On the inside, the church has a single nave with ribbed cross vaults on suspended capitals and an arcuate panel with a painting of the Conception attributed to Santi di Tito and a wooden cross from the 15th century.

The church went through a restoration between 1952 and 1955. With the intent to bring the church back to its original look, all the lateral altars from the 17th century were demolished. The altars’ sandstone aediculas used to embellish the niches, which are still standing today. The plaster on the walls was removed as well, together with any residue of decoration.