The Swoon of the Virgin

The small oratory dedicated to the Madonna dello Spasimo, is one of the largest and most complex chapels. In fact, given its single-naved basilica form, with apse and a small room used as a sacristy, it is more like a small church than a chapel. Just like the monastery church, the main façade is decorated with an elegant narthex of slender columns and Tuscan capitals. Inside, there is a sculptural group attributed to Agnolo di Polo, which is one of the most refined artworks at San Vivaldo, due to the artistic qualities it expresses and its ability to trigger an emotional reaction in the viewer. In the centre, the pale and emotionally distressed Virgin Mary has fainted, surrounded by the elegant figures of John the Evangelist and the Pious Women, as well as a charming and sweet Mary Magdalene, who have all come to her aid.

The soft folds of the clothing, the bowed heads, which have been carefully arranged to create a harmonious design, the expressions on the faces, everything comes together to encourage the emotional participation of visitors, who are invited to make the suffering of the Virgin their own. From the very beginning, this was considered one of the most important places in San Vivaldo. Pilgrims used to flock to the little church of the Madonna dello Spasimo to ask the Virgin Mary for her assistance and grace and leave ex voto.