S. Maria In Portico
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Santa Maria in Campitelli or Santa Maria in Portico (''Santa Maria in Portico di Campitelli'') is a church dedicated to the
Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...
on the narrow Piazza di Campitelli in Rione Sant'Angelo,
Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
,
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
. The church is served by the
Clerics Regular of the Mother of God The Clerics Regular of the Mother of God (; abbreviated OMD) is a Religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right. Its priests are dedicated to education and pastoral care. The Order was founded by St. John Leona ...
.


History

Santa Maria in Campitelli is located over the former site of the Temple of Jupiter Stator, part of the
Porticus Octaviae The Porticus Octaviae (Latin language, Latin for the 'Portico of Octavia'; ) is an ancient structure in Rome. The colonnaded walks of the portico enclosed the Temple of Juno Regina (Campus Martius), Temples of Juno Regina (north) and Temple of J ...
until the area's destruction in the
Great Fire of Rome The Great Fire of Rome () began on 19 July 64 AD. The fire started in the merchant shops around Rome's chariot stadium, Circus Maximus. After six days, the fire was brought under control, but before the damage could be assessed, the fire reignit ...
in the mid-1st century. The Temple of Juno Regina was located nearby. Tradition holds that a primitive oratory or church was founded at the site during the years 523–526, under the papacy of
Pope John I Pope John I (; died 18 May 526) was the bishop of Rome from 13 August 523 to his death on 18 May 526. He was a native of Siena (or the "Castello di Serena", near Chiusdino), in Italy. He was sent on a diplomatic mission to Constantinople by the ...
. This structure was located near the
Porticus Octaviae The Porticus Octaviae (Latin language, Latin for the 'Portico of Octavia'; ) is an ancient structure in Rome. The colonnaded walks of the portico enclosed the Temple of Juno Regina (Campus Martius), Temples of Juno Regina (north) and Temple of J ...
(giving the church and icon its name of "Madonna of the Portico"). The structure was created to house a venerated 25 cm-high
icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic Church, Catholic, and Lutheranism, Lutheran churches. The most common subjects include Jesus, Mary, mother of ...
of the Virgin Mary and Saints Peter and Paul. According to legend, the icon appeared miraculously in 524 at the table of Galla, a Roman woman who was helping the poor, and it was said to be carried in processions since 590.Schofield, Nicholas. "Santa Maria in Campitelli: an old Roman church with strong British connections", Venerable English College, Rome, 26 February 2020
/ref> The initial church structure was the no-longer extant Oratory of Santa Galla, located across the piazza from the present church, and which was attached to a hospital of the same name. More recent analysis of the style and
dendrochronology Dendrochronology (or tree-ring dating) is the scientific method of chronological dating, dating tree rings (also called growth rings) to the exact year they were formed in a tree. As well as dating them, this can give data for dendroclimatology, ...
of the icon date it to the 11th century. The image is very likely a reproduction of some ancient painting or mosaic venerated in the Galla portico. Circa 1656, the city of Rome was ravaged by plague, and it was felt that the prayers to this icon, which had been carried in procession through the streets, had played a role in stopping the epidemic. This putative miraculous intervention prompted
Pope Alexander VII Pope Alexander VII (; 13 February 159922 May 1667), born Fabio Chigi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 April 1655 to his death, in May 1667. He began his career as a vice- papal legate, and he held various d ...
to erect a grander church, instead of the ancient oratory, to house the icon. He commissioned the high
Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...
design from
Carlo Rainaldi Carlo Rainaldi (4 May 1611 – 8 February 1691) was an Italian architect of the Baroque period. Biography Born in Rome, Rainaldi was one of the leading architects of 17th-century Rome, known for a certain grandeur in his designs. He worked at f ...
, and construction took place between 1659 and 1667. The church was kept under the maintenance by the order of
Clerics Regular of the Mother of God The Clerics Regular of the Mother of God (; abbreviated OMD) is a Religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right. Its priests are dedicated to education and pastoral care. The Order was founded by St. John Leona ...
, that had been founded in
Lucca Città di Lucca ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the Serchio River, in a fertile plain near the Ligurian Sea. The city has a population of about 89,000, while its Province of Lucca, province has a population of 383,9 ...
. Rainaldi's facade has a complex stacking of two levels of
travertine Travertine ( ) is a form of terrestrial limestone deposited around mineral springs, especially hot springs. It often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, cream-colored, and rusty varieties. It is formed by a process ...
Corinthian (below) and composite columns, detached from the facade, and emphasizing a strong vertical lines."Church of Santa Maria in Portico in Campitelli", Turismo Roma, Major Events, Sport, Tourism and Fashion Department
/ref> The original design included statues which were however never executed. The portal has an inscription offering ''plenary indulgence daily to the living and dead''. Santa Maria in Portico is a
diaconate A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian denominations, such as the Catholi ...
; it has as its current
Cardinal-Deacon A cardinal is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. As titular members of the clergy of the Diocese of Rome, they serve as advisors to the pope, who is the bishop of Rome and the visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. Ca ...
Michael Louis Fitzgerald Michael Louis Fitzgerald (born 17 August 1937) is a British cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and an expert on Christian–Muslim relations. He has had the rank of archbishop since 2002. At his retirement in 2012, he was the Apostolic Nunc ...
. To the left of the facade is a fountain by
Giacomo della Porta Giacomo della Porta (1533–1602) was an Italian architect and sculptor. Most likely born in Genoa or Porlezza, Italy, his work was inspired by famous Renaissance artists such as Michelangelo and Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola. He started in his car ...
. The Church was a location for the 2021 movie ''
House of Gucci ''House of Gucci'' is a 2021 American biographical crime drama film directed by Ridley Scott, based on the 2001 book ''The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed'' by Sara Gay Forden. The film follows Patri ...
'' for the scene of the wedding of Patrizia (Lady Gaga) and Maurizio (Adam Driver).


Interior

The main altar of the church houses the icon in a gilded ''glory'' or ''gloria'' of angels, clouds and rays of light, recalls the effects used by
Bernini Gian Lorenzo (or Gianlorenzo) Bernini (, ; ; Italian Giovanni Lorenzo; 7 December 1598 – 28 November 1680) was an Italian sculptor and architect. While a major figure in the world of architecture, he was more prominently the leading sculptor ...
for the apse of
Basilica of St Peter The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican (), or simply St. Peter's Basilica (; ), is a church of the Italian High Renaissance located in Vatican City, an independent microstate enclaved within the city of Rome, Italy. It was initially ...
. The design was an invention of
Melchiorre Cafà Melchiorre Cafà (1636–1667), born Melchiorre Gafà and also known as Caffà, Gafa, Gaffar or Gafar, was a Maltese Baroque sculptor. Cafà began a promising career in Rome but this was cut short by his premature death following a work acciden ...
who made a wax model (but his participation in the project was cut short by his untimely death) the project was directed by Rainaldi (c.1666), it was completed by
Giovanni Antonio de Rossi Giovanni Antonio de' Rossi (1616–1695) was an Italian architect of the Baroque period, active mainly in Rome. Life He was a contemporary of Carlo Rainaldi. In 1657, he completed the sacristy of Tivoli Cathedral. That same year, he designed the ...
,
Ercole Ferrata Ercole Ferrata (1610 – 10 July 1686) was an Italian sculptor of the Roman Baroque. Biography A native of Pellio Inferiore, near Como, Ferrata initially apprenticed with Alessandro Algardi, and became one of his prime assistants. When hi ...
and Giovanni Paolo Schor. The main altar enshrines the small icon of Santa Maria in Portico. The icon is a precious work of silver-gilt and
champlevé enamel Champlevé is an enamelling technique in the decorative arts, or an object made by that process, in which troughs or cells are carved, etched, die struck, or Casting (metalworking), cast into the surface of a metal object, and filled with vitreou ...
, probably from the 11th century. There is a staircase behind the 'gloria' allowing a better view of the icon, open by request only. In the right crossing is the funerary monument of
Cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal most commonly refers to * Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of three species in the family Cardinalidae ***Northern cardinal, ''Cardinalis cardinalis'', the common cardinal of ...
Bartolomeo Pacca Bartolomeo Pacca (27 December 1756, Benevento – 19 April 1844, Rome) was an Italian cardinal, scholar, and statesman as Cardinal Secretary of State. Pacca served as apostolic nuncio to Cologne, and later to Lisbon. Biography Bartolomeo Pacca ...
(died 1863), sculpted by Ferdinando Pettrich.


Chapels

* Chapel of St. Michael the Archangel: The first chapel on the right has an altarpiece depicting ''St Michael Archangel'' by
Sebastiano Conca Sebastiano Conca (8 January 1680 – 1 September 1764) was an Italian painter. Biography He was born at Gaeta, then part of the Kingdom of Naples, and apprenticed in Naples under Francesco Solimena. In 1706, along with his brother Giovanni, wh ...
. * Chapel of St. Anne: The second chapel, designed by Rainaldi, has an altarpiece depicting ''Saints Anne, Joseph, and Mary'' by
Luca Giordano Luca Giordano (18 October 1634 – 3 January 1705) was an Italian late-Baroque painter and printmaker in etching. Fluent and decorative, he worked successfully in Naples, Rome, Florence, and Venice, before spending a decade in Spain. Early l ...
. The angels are by Michel Maille,
Francesco Cavallini Francesco, the Italian (and original) version of the personal name "Francis Francis may refer to: People and characters *Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church (2013–2025) *Francis (given name), including a list of people and fictional cha ...
, and
Francesco Baratta Francesco Baratta the elder (c. 1590–1666) was an Italian sculptor of the Baroque period. He was born in Massa, Tuscany, Massa di Carrara, and moved to Rome to work under Gian Lorenzo Bernini. He was one of many siblings, one of whom, Francesco ...
. * Capella Muta Busi: The third chapel on the right displays an ancient Roman alabaster column, previously part of the old oratory. * Albertoni Chapel: In the first chapel on the left, was refurbished (1705) by commission of Prince Angelo Altieri, and designed by Sebastiano Cipriani. The bas-relief altarpiece depicts a ''Holy Family and Blessed
Ludovica Albertoni Ludovica Albertoni (1473 - 31 January 1533) was an Italian Roman Catholic noblewoman from the Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. I ...
'' by
Lorenzo Ottoni Lorenzo Ottoni, also known as Lorenzo Ottone or Lorenzone, (1658–1736) was an Italian sculptor who was commissioned by the papacy and various noble houses of Renaissance Italy. Life Ottoni was born in Rome in 1658 and spent the majority of h ...
.Melchiorri, page 327. The site chosen for this church included the location of the house where Ludovica Albertoni had lived. In 1669 Gaspare Paluzzi Albertoni had married Laura Caterina Altieri, niece of Pope
Clement X Pope Clement X (; ; 13 July 1590 – 22 July 1676), born Emilio Bonaventura Altieri, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 29 April 1670 to his death on 22 July 1676. Emilio Bonaventura Altieri, born in Rome in ...
. This Pope, whose family name would have otherwise died, had this Albertoni change their surnames to Altieri. Flanking the Baroque Ottoni relief are two neoclassical funerary monuments of Altieri family members. * Albertoni Altieri Chapel: The second chapel on the left was commissioned by Cardinal
Paluzzo Paluzzi Altieri degli Albertoni Paluzzo Paluzzi Altieri degli Albertoni (8 June 1623 – 29 June 1698) was an Italian Catholic Cardinal and Cardinal-Nephew to Pope Clement X. Biography Altieri was born Paluzzo Paluzzi degli Albertoni in Rome, the eldest of two sons to Antoni ...
, and designed by Giovanni Battista Contini. The angels in the cardinal's funerary monument here were sculpted by Giuseppe Mazzuoli. The main altarpiece was painted by Il Baciccia, while the ceiling frescoes were painted by Giacinto Calandrucci. The remains of San Giovanni Leonardi, founder of the Clerics Regular, is enshrined under the altar. * Capizucchi Chapel/: In the third chapel to the left is an altarpiece depicting the ''Conversion of St Paul'' by
Ludovico Gimignani Ludovico Gimignani (1643 – 26 June 1697) was an Italian painter, who is mainly known for his altarpieces for churches in Rome. Biography Ludovico was born in Rome as the son of the painter Giacinto (1611–1681). His father was one of the ma ...
. The ceiling was frescoed by Ricciolini. This chapel was commissioned by a member of the Capizucchi family, and designed by Mattia de Rossi. Since the time of the
James Francis Edward Stuart James Francis Edward Stuart (10 June 16881 January 1766), nicknamed the Old Pretender by Whigs (British political party), Whigs or the King over the Water by Jacobitism, Jacobites, was the House of Stuart claimant to the thrones of Ki ...
, the church has been a center of devotion praying for the conversion of England back to Catholicism. File:Santa Maria in Campitelli (Rome) - Interior.jpg, View towards main altar and gilded ''glory'' File:SantaMariaCampitelli-Altare01-SteO153.JPG, SantaMariaCampitelli-Altar File:ROMA 2010 (5101827424).jpg, Marble bas-relief depicting the ''Holy Family and Blessed Ludovica Albertoni'' by Ottoni. File:S M in Campitelli - organo P1110410.JPG, pipe organ


List of cardinal deacons

* Ippolito de' Rossi (1586–1587) * Vincenzo Costaguti (1643–1652) *
Benedetto Pamphilj Benedetto Pamphili (often with the final ''long i'' orthography, Pamphilj) (25 April 1653 – 22 March 1730) was an Italian cardinal, patron of the arts and librettist for many composers. Life Pamphili was born in Rome on 25 April 1653 int ...
(1681–1685) *
Melchior de Polignac Melchior Cardinal de Polignac (11 October 1661 – 20 November 1742) was a French diplomat, Cardinal and Neo-Latin poet. Second son of Armand XVI, marquis de Polignac and Marquis Chalancon (1608–1692), Governor of Puy; and Jacqueline de Beauvo ...
(1724) * Giacomo Lanfredini (1734–1741) * Henry Stuart (1747–1759) * Flavio Chigi (1759–1771) * Filippo Carandini (1787–1794) * Charles Erskine (1803–1811) * Stanislao Sanseverino (1816–1825) * Belisario Cristaldi (1828–1831) * Adriano Fieschi (1838–1843) * Lodovico Altieri (1845–1860) *
Francesco Pentini Francesco, the Italian (and original) version of the personal name "Francis", is one of the most common given name among males in Italy. Notable persons with that name include: People with the given name Francesco * Francesco I (disambiguation) ...
(1863–1869) * Bartolomeo Pacca, Jr. (1875–1880) * Francesco Ricci Paracciani (1882–1891) * Francesco Segna (1894–1911) * Giovanni Lugari (1911–1914) * Francis Aidan Gasquet, OSB (1915–1924; Cardinal priest: 1924–1929) *
Massimo Massimi Massimo Massimi (10 April 1877 – 6 March 1954) was an Italian cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura in the Roman Curia from 1946 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1935. ...
(1935–1946; Cardinal priest: 1946–1954) * Carlo Chiarlo (Cardinal priest: 1958–1964) *
Charles Journet Charles Journet (26 January 1891 – 15 April 1975) was a Swiss Roman Catholic theologian. He was the first Swiss named a cardinal. Journet has been considered a figure of holiness and a candidate for canonisation; he has been accorded the tit ...
(1965–1973; Cardinal priest: 1973–1975) *
Corrado Bafile Corrado Bafile (4 July 1903 – 3 February 2005) was an Italian cardinal of the Catholic Church who served as Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints from 1975 to 1980, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1976. At the time of hi ...
(1976–1987; Cardinal priest: 1987–2005) *
Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo (27 August 1925 – 19 November 2017) was an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church. He worked in the diplomatic service of the Holy See from 1977 until he retired in 2001. As Archpriest of the Basilica of Sai ...
(2006–2017) * Michael L. Fitzgerald (2019–present)


References


External links


website

"Santa Maria in Campitelli", Churches of Rome

"Celebrated Sanctuaries of the Madonna", ''The Rambler'', 1860, p. 211
{{DEFAULTSORT:Santa Maria In Campitelli Roman Catholic churches completed in 1667 Maria Campitelli Maria Campitelli Maria Campitelli 1667 establishments in Italy Maria Campitelli