Nicola Monachesi (1795–1851) was an Italian painter believed to have painted the earliest frescos in the United States.
In Italy, he was a pupil of the Accademia di San Luca, Rome, studying under Gaspare Landi, and won his first prize for painting.
[3] Its inscription reads: "Born and trained in Italy, this artist executed some of the first fresco paintings in America, beginning in the 1830s.
[14] The center of the ceiling of the church is occupied by his painting representing the ascent of St. Augustine into Heaven.
He is placed on a cushion of clouds in the middle with a chorus of angels at the feet of the Virgin holding the Baby Jesus in her arms.