Nazareth, North District of Israel
Luke 1:26-38
26And in the
sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named
Nazareth,
27To a
virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the
virgin’s name was Mary.
28And the
angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord
is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
29And when
she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner
of salutation this should be.
30And the
angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
31And,
behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call
his name Jesus.
32He shall
be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall
give unto him the throne of his father David:
33And he
shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be
no end.
34Then said
Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
35And the
angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the
power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing
which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
36And,
behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and
this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
37For with
God nothing shall be impossible.
38And Mary
said, behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And
the angel departed from her.
The Church of the
Annunciation has a long history. In the middle of the 4th century, a shrine
with altar was built in the cave in which Mary had
lived. Emperor Constantine commissioned a larger structure when
his mother, Helena, visited the Holy Land to discover the locations of and
commemorate important events in Jesus’ life. The Church of the Annunciation was
founded around the same time as the Church of the Nativity in
Bethlehem and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem [interesting
that Barluzzi worked on all three of these important churches. It was known to
still exist around 570 CE, but was destroyed in the 7th century after the
Muslim conquest.
Near to Basilica of the Annunciation, Nazareth, Jerusalem in northern Israel:
The second church was built over
the ruins of the Byzantine era church during the Crusades, after the
conquest of Nazareth by Tancred in 1102 but was never completed.
Saladin’s victory over the Crusaders at the Battle of Hittin in 1187 ended
construction of the church. Five Crusader Romanesque capitals carved by
stonemasons from northern France were discovered during excavations along with
artifacts from the Middle Bronze Age, Israelite period, Herodian-Roman and
Byzantine periods are in the small museum in the Franciscan convent. In
1260, Baybars and his Mamluk army destroyed the church
during their attack on Nazareth.
Near to Basilica of the Annunciation, Nazareth, in northern Israel:
The Franciscans received permission to return to Nazareth in
1620 and constructed a small structure to enclose the holy grotto that is venerated
as the house of Mary. In 1730, they received permission to construct
a new church, which was enlarged in 1877.
This
church stood until 1954 when it was demolished to enable the construction of a
new basilica
Near to Basilica of the Annunciation, Nazareth, in northern Israel:
In 1924 Ferdinando
Diotallevi, the custos, or head of the Franciscan Custody, with the approval of
Pope Pius XI began to plan a new basilica to commemorate the Annunciation in
Nazareth. Diotallevi intended to entrust the building of the church to Antonio Barluzzi, a
young architect who had already proved his abilities and qualifications by
building the Church of the Agony (Gethsemane, 1922-24) in Jerusalem and the Church of
the Transfiguration on
top of Mount Tabor (1919–24) for the Franciscan Custody. Barluzzi was asked to
submit his plans for the Church of the Annunciation, but the project was
aborted, due to political tensions inside and outside the Custody.
In front of the Basilica of the Annunciation, Nazareth, in northern Israel:
The idea of rebuilding the church emerged again fifteen years
later in 1939 when the new custos, Alberto Gori, reappointed Barluzzi to the
project. During the World War II, Barluzzi resided in Italy
returning to the Holy Land in 1947. During that time he designed two churches.
The first was the incredibly ambitious project of rebuilding the Church of the
Holy Sepulcher. The new plan was prepared by Barluzzi and Luigi Marangoni but
was never built [sometimes an architect's best plans are never actualized,
check out Louis Kahn and the Hurva synagogue].
The second Barluzzi thought would be his final work in the Holy
Land, a shrine to the Incarnation in Nazareth.
In front of the Basilica of the Annunciation, Nazareth, in northern Israel:
The Basilica of the Annunciation, Nazareth, in northern Israel:
Barluzzi designed a church
in eclectic style, using contemporary construction technique, reinforced
concrete covered mostly by local limestone. The church was a concentric
building dominated by a large dome reminiscent of St. Peters in Rome and
surrounded by four towers dedicated to the four evangelists. The towers
symbolized the voices announcing to the four corners of the world the event of
the Incarnation – critics said the building looked too much like a mosque. In
the plan, the length of the church was 90 meters, and the height from the
ground to the cross on top of the dome was 72 meters, a very large building.
Inside, Barluzzi designed a rotunda over the holy grotto and four wings
for the requirements of the liturgy. Like his other projects Barluzzi was
involved in the smallest details of the inner decoration far beyond the usual
level of architectural planning. For each statue he designated a location,
character, symbolic meaning, and connection to the main theme of the church.
By 1941, Barluzzi had prepared many sketches of the church and a model on
scale of 1:100, and his plans were approved by Father Leonardo Bello, the
minister general of the Franciscan order.
The Basilica of the Annunciation, Nazareth, in northern Israel:
All the necessary permits
were obtained from the State of Israel, and in December 1954, the year designated
by the Vatican as the Year of Mary, the cornerstone of the church that
corresponded to Barluzzi’s plan was laid in a well-attended ceremony. However,
four years later, in 1958, the new Franciscan custos, Alfredo Polidori took the
project from Barluzzi.
Barluzzi wrote in his
diary: On 3rd February 1958 the Custos
of the Holy Land replaced me by the architect Muzio of Milan to build the
Nazareth sanctuary. This gave me heart trouble all night long.. I am going back
to Rome and I will seek refuge at the Delegation of the Holy Land…
Barluzzi died on December
14, 1960 in a small room at the Delegation of the Holy Land.
Main entrance of the Basilica of the Annunciation, Nazareth, in northern Israel:
The new basilica was designed by the Italian
architect Giovanni Muzio of Milan, one of the leading architects of the Novecento style who came to Israel for the first
time in 1958. Muzio planned the church as a fortress, to contrast the new
church with the remains of the earlier churches – he meant to convey that
its fate, unlike that of its predecessors, would be different. The
fortified nature of the church is evident in its size and strength, its
seclusion from the urban surroundings, and the details of the building, like
narrow windows, almost slits. The church dimensions are 44.6 meters long
and 27 meters wide, and the dome height is 55 meters, still a large
church. The outer walls are covered in light-colored combinations of local
stone with modern reliefs and engravings that decorate the southern and
western façades. It seems that the church was based on an earlier St.
Antonio church that was built by Muzio in Varese, Italy.
Outside the Basilica of the Annunciation, Nazareth, in northern Israel:
Outside the Basilica of the Annunciation, Nazareth, in northern Israel:
Outside the Basilica of the Annunciation, Nazareth, in northern Israel:
Outside the Basilica of the Annunciation, Nazareth, in northern Israel:
Outside the Basilica of the Annunciation, Nazareth, in northern Israel:
Muzio actually erected two churches, one on top of the other. The lower church protects the valuable archaeological remains of the Byzantine-era church which are displayed next to the holy grotto; the perimeter of the modern church follows the outer limits of the walls of the Crusader-era church. The upper church is designated for the celebration of the liturgy. The upper church is connected to the monastery by a suspended courtyard that protects the underlying remains of the ancient village of Nazareth from the time of Jesus that was discovered during excavation work in 1955.
Inside the Basilica of the Annunciation, People attending the Holy Mass in The lower church, Nazareth, in northern Israel,The lower Church is centered around the grotto which, according to the tradition, was the home of Mary and the site of the Annunciation. The remnants of churches from the Crusader and Byzantine eras are seen around the grotto:
Inside, the modern style of Muzio’s work
manifests itself in the extensive use of exposed reinforced concrete and sharp
angles. The stained glass windows are striking.
The church is decorated by works of art
dedicated to Mary and to the Annunciation that were donated by every nation of
the Catholic world. Muzio was not involved in choosing the art. The church
was built by the Israeli building firm Solel Boneh during the years 1960-69 and
cost 2 million dollars.
Inside the Basilica of the Annunciation, People attending the Holy Mass in The lower church, Nazareth, in northern Israel,The lower Church is centered around the grotto which, according to the tradition, was the home of Mary and the site of the Annunciation. The remnants of churches from the Crusader and Byzantine eras are seen around the grotto:
The Church of the Annunciation is built on one of the most sacred
places for the Catholic world. According to the New Testament, this is where
the angel Gabriel announced to the Virgin Mary that she would bear the son of
God (Luke 1:26–38). In 1969, an Italian architect, Giovanni Muzio, built the
modern church on the site, and this monumental Christian symbol stimulates
political struggles to the present day. This article analyzes the various
tensions and decisions pertaining to the Church of the Annunciation, including
attempts to thwart its construction and to limit its size, as well as the
political interests that enabled the largest Franciscan church in the Middle
East to be built.
Inside the Basilica of the Annunciation, People attending the Holy Mass in The lower church, Nazareth, in northern Israel:
The site of the Annunciation has belonged since the seventeenth century to the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land. The first Franciscans arrived in the Holy Land shortly after the establishment of the order in the thirteenth century, and in the fourteenth century Pope Clement VI bestowed the title "Guardians of the Holy Places" on the Franciscans serving in the province of the Holy Land. From that time until 1847, when the Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem was re-established, the Custody was the sole representative of the Holy See and the Catholic Church in the Holy Land.
Inside the Basilica of the Annunciation, People attending the Holy Mass in The lower church, Nazareth, in northern Israel,The lower Church is centered around the grotto which, according to the tradition, was the home of Mary and the site of the Annunciation. The remnants of churches from the Crusader and Byzantine eras are seen around the grotto:
The first attempt of the Franciscan Custody to build a church dedicated to the event narrated in the Gospel—when the angel Gabriel announced to the Virgin Mary that she would bear the son of God (Luke 1:26–38)—occurred in the eighteenth century with the construction of a modest church. Subsequent attempts were crowned in 1969 with the culmination of Franciscan monumental construction in the holy places in the Holy Land, the modern Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth.
Paintings inside the Basilica of the Annunciation:
The idea of erecting a monument worthy of the sacred event originated in 1924 as an initiative of Ferdinando Diotallevi, the custos, or the head of the Franciscan Custody (in office 1918–24), with the approval of Pope Pius XI. Diotallevi meant to entrust the building of the church to Antonio Barluzzi, a young architect who had already proved his abilities and qualifications by building the Church of All Nations (Gethsemane) in Jerusalem and the Church of the Transfiguration on top of Mount Tabor (1919–24). Barluzzi was asked to submit his plans for the Church of the Annunciation, but for reasons that are still not completely clear and that involved political tensions inside and outside the Custody, the project was aborted.
Christmas crib inside the Basilica of the Annunciation, Nazareth:
The idea of rebuilding the church emerged again fifteen
years later when the new custos, Alberto Gori (in office 1937–49), reappointed
Barluzzi to the project. By that time Barluzzi was a well-appreciated architect
who had rebuilt most of the major churches of the Holy Land for the Catholic
Church. Among other edifices, he built the Church of the Flagellation, the
second station on the "via dolorosa" (1928–29); the Church of the
Beatitudes in Galilee (1937–38); and the Church of the Visitation in Ein Karem
(1938–40). He was also entrusted with other important projects: the Church of
St. Lazarus in Bethany (1952–54), the Church of the Shepherd's Fields in Beit
Sahour (1952–54), the church of Dominus Flevit on the Mount of Olives (1955),
and the incredibly ambitious project of rebuilding the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
(the new plan was prepared by Barluzzi and Luigi Marangoni and was not
executed)
Inside Basilica of the Annunciation, Nazareth, in northern Israel:
Barluzzi's
goal was to build in Nazareth the most important church on Earth dedicated to
the Annunciation and Incarnation.6 The church was to serve as a huge
architectural symbol that embodies the memory of these Gospel events,
transmitting it to the viewers through both the power and grandiosity of the
church on the outside and through the interior atmosphere glorifying the unification
of man and God that took place at the site. The Franciscan Custody published a
detailed description of the plan in 1954 in a twenty-four-page booklet written
by Barluzzi (see figures
2, 3, 4, and 5).
The
style proposed by Barluzzi was not "modern"; instead, it was
eclectic, and its only disposition to modern art was manifested in the use of
reinforced concrete (although covered mostly by local stone) and the relative
simplicity of the decorations. The church was a concentric building dominated
by a large dome and surrounded by four towers dedicated to the four
evangelists. The towers symbolized the voices announcing to the four corners of
the world the event of the Incarnation. In the plan, the length of the church
was 90 meters, and the height from the ground to the cross on top of the dome
was 72 meters.
Grotto of Basilica of the Annunciation, Nazareth:
The inner structure of the church was composed of a
rotunda that contained the holy grotto dedicated to the conservation of memory
and four wings allocated to the requirements of the liturgy. Barluzzi was
involved in the smallest details of the inner decoration far beyond the usual
level of architectural planning. For each statue he designated a location,
character, symbolic meaning, and connection to the main theme of the church. He
even dealt with the details of the paving and the mosaics, as well as the
number and location of the confessionals. In 1941, Barluzzi prepared a model on
scale of 1:100 and many sketches of the church, and his plans were approved by
Father Leonardo Bello, the minister general of the Franciscan order. Most
of the plan was prepared in 1941, but World
The main attraction of the Basilica of the Annunciation was this beautiful dome which is the natural light that came in, Nazareth, in northern Israel:
Muzio is considered one of the leading architects of the
Novecento style, constructing
major Catholic and, in particular, Franciscan monuments, and building churches, monasteries,
and religious complexes across Italy—especially in the Milan area. Muzio's
architecture successfully integrated the perceptions and the policy of the
Vatican toward sacred art and building design. Among his major works are the
Catholic University of Milan (1921–49); the St. Angelo monastery and the
Angelicum in Milan (1939); and the Franciscan general Curia in Rome, the seat
of the general government of the worldwide Franciscan order (1942–50). Muzio first arrived in Israel in 1958
after being asked to plan the Church of the Annunciation, the first structure
he built in the Holy Land. The
planning and the building of the new church lasted for more than ten years, and
the church was consecrated in 1969.
Grotto of Basilica of the Annunciation, Nazareth:
The Church of the Annunciation was planned as a fortress. It was important to Muzio to contrast the new church with the remains of the previous basilicas preserved on the site. With the powerful appearance of the new church, he meant to convey that its fate, unlike that of its predecessors, would be different. The fortified nature of the church is evident in its size and strength, its seclusion from the urban surroundings, and the details of the building. Muzio intended to create a connection between the existing monastery and the new church, thus creating a mystical setting to embody the sacred remains. His aim was to produce an isolated religious complex segregated and protected from the secular, noisy surroundings of the city of Nazareth. This seclusion was obtained by a large court protected from south and west by a tall wall with an inner arcade.
Inside Basilica of the Annunciation, Nazareth, in northern Israel:
To
enable the best possible conduct of the liturgy and to protect the valuable
archaeological remains, Muzio erected two churches, one on top of the other. The lower church
functions mainly as a museum. It preserves and exhibits the remains of the
Byzantine-era church, which are displayed next to the holy grotto, and the
perimeter of the modern church follows the outer limits of the walls of the
crusades-era church, left in situ.
The
upper church is designated for the celebration of the liturgy. The monastery is
connected to the upper church by a suspended courtyard that creates a
substitute for a cloister for use
by the monks of the monastery. At the same time, the courtyard provides shelter
for the underlying remains of the ancient village of Nazareth from the time of
Jesus that was discovered during excavation work in 1955.
Grotto of Basilica of the Annunciation, Nazareth:
The
lack of uniqueness in design and the specific adjustment of the Church of the
Annunciation to its surroundings can be seen by comparing this church to a St.
Antonio church that was built by Muzio in Varese, Italy, a few years earlier. It is clear that the church in Varese
served as a prototype for the Church of the Annunciation.
By
Israeli (and Middle Eastern) standards, the Church of the Annunciation is
undeniably a monumental building. The church dimensions are 44.6 meters long
and 27 meters wide, and the dome height is 55 meters. The modern style of
Muzio's work manifests itself in the extensive use of exposed reinforced
concrete, sharp angles, and modern reliefs and engravings that decorate the
southern and western façades. The artwork on the façade depicts the biblical
events of the Annunciation and the Incarnation. The outer walls are covered in
light-colored combinations of local stone. The narrow windows, almost slits,
are suitable for the intense light of the Israeli sun and contribute to the
fortified perception of the church.
Outside the Basilica of the Annunciation, Nazareth, in northern Israel:
The
inner part of the church is decorated by works of art dedicated to Mary and to
the Annunciation that were donated by different nations. Muzio was not involved
in deciding the artistic ornaments that were not directly part of the
architecture. The commissariats of the Holy
Land chose acknowledged artists
in sacred art from all over the world and ordered specific works of art to
adorn the church. Every nation of the Catholic world contributed to the
glorification and the splendor of the church, and this global involvement
confirmed the ecumenical approach of the basilica's founders
The
juxtaposition of the plans in view of the criticism is striking in its
similarities.
Is
Muzio's plan more aesthetic than Barluzzi's? Beauty, as we all know, is in the
eye of the beholder. Although there were no complaints on aesthetic grounds of
Muzio's church from the Catholic world, widespread criticism came from Israeli
journalists covering the building process. They criticized the design as
"gray as the highway," called it "a mass of reinforced concrete,"
and joked about the appearance of the dome that "looks like a pile of hay
or a cork of a bottle."
The
criticism of the large sums of money spent on the new church referred to
Muzio's plan as well. The budget for the church, according to Barluzzi's plan,
was estimated by the Custody as just over $1 million. 29 The final cost of Muzio's built
church, according to the Israeli periodical Christian
News from Israel, was about $2 million.
Muzio's
church is not as high or as spacious as that featured in Barluzzi's plan;
still, it is one of the largest churches in the Holy Land, and it is greatly
disproportionate to the surrounding city of Nazareth. Muzio also detached the
church from its urban surroundings and enclosed it behind a high wall, which
contributes to the sense of size. As the church was quickly nicknamed by the
local inhabitants Knise Kbire (Arabic for "big church"),
it is clear that this is not the modest church envisioned by the critics of
Barluzzi's plan.
It is
notable that Muzio's plan is more suited to the demands of modern art than
Barluzzi's, yet many elements transform the church into a largely traditional
one—in particular, the traditional church dome and the stone cover. It is certainly
not as modern as other churches that were built at the same time around Europe.
