Author: Giovanni Carboncino
Dating: 1673-1675
Century: 17th century
Technique: Oil on canvas
Location: Central nave, first left arch (on map number 22)
This was the artist’s second painting for the church and depicts Saint Peter Thomas, who lived between 1305 and 1365, praying for the plague-ridden people gathered in the foreground. The scene illustrates one of the purposes of the Carmelite order, which was to provide material and spiritual assistance to the sick, especially during the critical moments of devastating plagues that affected cities, including Venice. In the center of the painting, Archangel Michael appears, sent by God to drive away the disease.
The Carmelite saint had been one of the founders of the theology faculty at the University of Bologna. He was an important figure, engaged in the field of religious culture, but also in politics. He played a significant role in attempting to reconcile and settle disputes among the Italian city-states. He was sent by Pope Innocent VI to carry out a mediation operation, aiming to alleviate the conflicts between the Catholic, Byzantine, and Serbian churches. Even the successor to the papal throne in Rome, Urban V, benefited from the diplomatic skill of the Carmelite, and in 1365, he tasked him with promoting the expedition against the Turks in Alexandria, Egypt. However, Saint Peter Thomas did not complete this mission as he died in the same year.
