The Baptism of Christ was a piece originally intended for the monks of San Salvi, a Catholic monastery in eastern Florence. Verrocchio's brother was an abbot here, meaning he was the head of the monks at San Salvi. The Baptism of Christ painting was a commission and was used as an altarpiece. The painting was kept in this location from approximately the 1470's until 1530, after the monastery was destroyed. The painting was moved to Santa Verdiana, another monastery, and in 1919, was rediscovered and moved to the Uffizi gallery, where it has remained ever since.
This specific image is a picture of San Salvi, the monastery in Florence. The monastery itself has quite a humble appearance. It is quite old, as the monastery was supposedly founded in 1048 by Saint Giangualberto, who dedicated the monastery to Saint Michael. The monastery has been enlarged over time, and includes many famous commissions of artwork. The Baptism of Christ, although it no longer remains there, was once made home at San Salvi. Most notably, San Salvi now includes The Last Supper by Andrea del Sarto (not to be confused with Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper).
Work Cited:
“Verrocchio.” Cavallini to Veronese - Italian Renaissance Art, cavallinitoveronese.co.uk/general/view_artist/45.
“The Last Supper of San Salvi in Florence.” Visit Florence - Fall in Love with Florence, Italy!, www.visitflorence.com/florence-museums/last-supper-in-san-salvi.html.
Image Cited:
San Salvi Monastery. Digital image. Wikipedia. 11 May 2011,https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Salvi#/media/File:Chiesa_di_san_salvi_01.JPG.
