Feoli and Cicada Chapels

[2] The right for obtaining a funeral chapel in the basilica had been secured in 1484 by Giorgio della Croce, apostolic secretary and the second husband of Vannozza dei Cattanei, the former mistress of Pope Alexander VI.

The Vicar General of the Congregation, Gaudientio di Bargi gave her permission on 24 February 1500 to acquire the chapel (the first to the right of the high altar), and furnish it according to her wish.

On 4 March 1501 Vannozza commissioned Andrea Bregno and Giovanni di Larigo to design a tabernacle and an altar.

The paving there was laid down between 1653 and 1659 indicating that the large tombstone was removed from its place before that time and probably sold to some marble worker.

The chapel was obtained in 1857 by Pietro Feoli who commissioned Giambattista Benedetti to completely redesign it in Neo-Renaissance style.

The other chapel inherited the old dedication to Saint Lucy but it was restored and re-dedicated to St. Rita of Cascia in 1901 by Cardinal Agostino Ciasca.

The current Renaissance Revival decoration of the chapel was executed in 1858 by Casimiro Brugnone de Rossi who was a favoured artist at the time of Pope Pius IX.

[6] Today the only surviving parts are the marble bust, the sarcophagus resting on strigillated supports and a pedestal with the coat-of-arms (a crowned eagle).

These two monuments are similar wall tombs in neo-Quattrocento style with finely carved vegetal decoration, shell shaped gables, the family coats-of-arms and the portraits of the deceased set in medaillons.