The Porziuncola Nuova

The Porziuncola Nuova

1:1 scale reconstruction in San Francisco

Commissioned by: Angela Alioto (former Deputy Mayor of San Francisco), Cardinal William Joseph Levada, Archbishop of San Francisco. Spiritual Recognition: Perpetual Plenary Indulgence (granted by Pope Benedict XVI)

The Context: A bridge between Assisi and America

The city of San Francisco bears the legacy of the Saint of Assisi in its name, yet it lacked a physical and tangible link to its origins. On the initiative of the then Deputy Mayor Angela Alioto, a bold vision emerged: to erect, in the heart of the Californian metropolis, a place of prayer identical to the famous little Umbrian church. Between 2006 and 2008, Bottega Tifernate was called upon to lead and carry out one of the most complex challenges in its history: not a simple reproduction, but a true architectural and spiritual ‘transplant’.

The Vision

The aim was to achieve a ‘Complete Restitution’. It was not a matter of constructing a set, but of reviving the exact visual, tactile and emotional experience that pilgrims feel when crossing the threshold of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Assisi. The project had to harmoniously blend stone, frescoes, painted panels and gilded elements, whilst maintaining absolute fidelity to the proportions and historical stratification of the original building.

The Philological and Material Challenge

Recreating an entire historic building on a 1:1 scale requires overcoming monumental technical obstacles. The workshop had to study the originals in situ and faithfully reproduce works separated by centuries of stylistic evolution: from the frescoes of the Giotto school, to the apse painted by Pietro Perugino, to the imposing 19th-century fresco by Johann Friedrich Overbeck on the façade, and the 14th-century ‘Pala del Perdono’ by Prete Ilario da Viterbo. Every millimetre of paint had to fit perfectly to the curves and irregularities of the reconstructed architectural surfaces.

The Work of the Workshop