Fra Jacopo Torriti
Maker of frescoes and mosaics

Every one who has ever visited the Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, no doubt recalls the beautiful mosaic work in the dome of its apse. As well as those in the San Giovanni in Laterano they are the masterpiece of Fra Jacopo Torriti. Born in Torrita di Siena around 1250, he renovated mosaics and painted frescoes.

As a young artist he assisted other painters in the San Francesco basilica of Assisi. Afterwards, he headed for Rome to paint frescoes in the old Saint Peter church. Later on, he returned to Assisi, this time to decorate the nave of the San Francesco basilica. At the end of the thirteenth century he renovated the mosaics in the Santa Maggiore. This renovation made him so famous he was asked to do the mosaic work for the funerary monument of pope Bonifatius VIII.

Fra Jacopo is commonly regarded as one of the most appreciated artists active in Rome at the end of the thirteenth century. He is claimed to have had an important influence on illustrious painters such as Duccio, Giotto, Fra Angelico and Raphael. To commemorate him, a street is named after him in the historic centre of Torrita.

back | top

- This site was realised thanks to the co-operation between the town council and the inhabitants of Torrita di Siena and ten graduated students 2004 from the “Katholieke Hogeschool Mechelen”, Belgium, department communication science, campus De Ham. - © Torrita di Siena