Church of San Giusto, Volterra

San Giusto, Volterra
Religion
Affiliation	Roman Catholic
Province	Pisa
Year consecrated	1775
Location
Location	Volterra, Italy
Architecture
Architect(s)	Giovanni Coccapani (design) and Ludovico Incontri (completion)
Type	Church
Style	Renaissance
Groundbreaking	1628

Santi Giusto e Clemente is an ancient church in Volterra, Italy. It is also known as San Giusto or San Giusto Nuovo.

History

An ancient church on the site, built at least by the 7th century, was called San Giusto in Botro, built over the tombs of Saints Giusto and Clemente. Construction of the present stone church was begun on October 28, 1628, based on designs by the architect Giovanni Coccapani, which were carried out by his pupil Ludovico Incontri. The new church was consecrated in 1775.

Chiesa dei Santi Giusto e Clemente

Gated inside the choir, the church contains an ancient altar, inscribed with the names of Cunincpert, 7th-century king of the Lombards, and the steward of the bishop Gaudenziano Alchis, founder of the first temple dedicated to St Giusto. Placed in an urn on the altar are the relics of St Crescenzio, with 17th-century statues by Francesco Franchi. An oratory chapel houses a canvas paining of Elijah asleep (1631) by Baldassarre Franceschini and the church has altarpieces of St Francis Xavier preaches in India (1743) by Giovanni Domenico Ferretti and a Visitation by Cosimo Daddi. The painting of the Madonna delle Grazie (1451), by Neri di Bicci, is now in the Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art in Volterra. That polyptych stood originally in the church of San Giusto in "Botro".