Recent restorations at the Parish Church of San Silvestro in Barberino have also allowed for the recovery of paintings executed inside the church’s nave, commissioned by Tito Chini in 1931 by the then-parish priest Don Giuseppe Focacci. These works included the complete painted decoration of the church walls, the large choir, the two large side chapels, the other four smaller chapels, as well as the ceiling beams, sacristy, and the external façade with its loggia. Additionally, the Fornaci San Lorenzo manufactured the large polychrome stained-glass windows, while others were extensively restored and integrated, such as the Stations of the Cross tiles, and the consecration crosses, some flower vases, and the side altars.
The centerpiece of the Chini works is undoubtedly the paintings on the three apse domes that conclude the main chapel and the two side chapels. The heart of the entire decoration is recognizable in the scene of the Ascension of Christ, flanked by the apostles and the Tetramorph (the symbols of the four evangelists), represented, as mentioned, in the apse drum that overlooks the main altar. This is a complex composition that showcases Tito’s figurative style of the time, the same period in which he was also working on the decoration of the town hall in Borgo San Lorenzo. The figure of Christ shows a fixed, hieratic frontal pose (similar to the San Lorenzo in Borgo), contrasted with the plasticity of the surrounding figures, some shown in profile, displaying moments of true perspective virtuosity.
The left side chapel features the apse dome decorated with the scene of the Last Supper. The painting follows the traditional iconography of the Florentine Last Suppers of the 14th and 15th centuries, reflecting Tito’s remarkable figurative culture, which was especially influenced by classical painting in sacred works. Here, the figures are characterized by a solemn monumental quality, with a rich and varied color palette.
The right-side chapel’s apse dome depicts the Crucifixion (on the right), with a simple iconographic arrangement: set against the background of an intensely blue sky, the dramatic figure of the crucified Christ dominates, with the figures of Saint John, Mary Magdalene to the right, and The Madonna and Mary of Cleophas to the left. Tito’s style here largely follows the Tuscan tradition, but some graphic and linear elegance, particularly in the outlined figures of the women, suggests a subtle reminiscence of the Liberty style typical of the Chini family.
The refined ceramic tiles on the side altar steps, accompanied by the classic columns with water leaf capitals—typical products of the Fornaci San Lorenzo—are also attributed to the Borghigiana manufactory. The same applies to the exquisite stained-glass windows, some of which feature busts of the evangelists and are signed by the manufactory. Others, according to documentation, were restored with integrations, which in this case must have been quite extensive.
The contribution of the Fornaci San Lorenzo manufactory is also evident in the decoration of the small chapel located at the beginning of the left wall of the church, which houses the baptismal font. The inscription on the font (probably the only non-Chini work in the space, attributed to Father Edoardo Rossi) tells us that it was commissioned by Don Giuseppe Focacci in 1924. However, it is likely that the Chini intervention occurred later, possibly around the same time as Tito’s other works in the Barberino parish (1931). The ceiling features a simple painted decoration in geometric spirals, and four beautiful circular polychrome majolica tiles (white, blue, and yellow) depict the symbols of the Evangelists. Among them, the image of the lion of St. Mark and the powerful and plastic depiction of the ox of St. Luke stand out for their quality and inventiveness.
Scheda di Marco Pinelli
