Santa Maria in Montesanto is a titular minor basilica church in Rome, in the

Rione A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the title of (). Formed a ...

Campo Marzio Campo Marzio () is the 4th of Rome, Italy, identified by the initials R. IV. It belongs to the Municipio I and covers a smaller section of the area of the ancient Campus Martius. The logo of this rione is a silver crescent on a blue background. ...

, which stands in

Piazza del Popolo Piazza del Popolo is a large Town Square, urban square in Rome. The name in modern Italian language, Italian literally means "People's Square", but historically it derives from the Populus, poplars (''populus'' in Latin language, Latin, ''pioppo ...

, between

Via del Corso The Via del Corso is a main street in the historical centre of Rome. It is straight in an area otherwise characterized by narrow meandering alleys and small piazzas. Considered a wide street in ancient times, the Corso is approximately 10 metres w ...

and

Via del Babuino Via del Babuino is a street in the historic centre of Rome (Italy), located in the Rioni of Rome, rione Campo Marzio. It connects Piazza del Popolo to Piazza di Spagna and is part of the complex of streets known as Tridente, Rome, Tridente. Hist ...

. It is also known as the Church of the Artists (). The church is popularly known as the ''twin church'' of Santa Maria dei Miracoli, though it shows significant differences especially in the planimetry.

History

The name of the church derives from the fact that it replaced a smaller one, that belonged to the

Carmelites The Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel (; abbreviated OCarm), known as the Carmelites or sometimes by synecdoche known simply as Carmel, is a mendicant order in the Catholic Church for both men and women. Histo ...

of the Province of Monte Santo in

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

. It was built in 1662, on the initiative of

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 ...

, by Cardinal Girolamo Gastaldi, who was later buried there. The original design was the work of

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 ...

. The works were interrupted on the death of the Pontiff in 1667, then resumed in 1673 under the supervision of

Gian Lorenzo Bernini Gian Lorenzo (or Gianlorenzo) Bernini (, ; ; Italian Giovanni Lorenzo; 7 December 1598 – 28 November 1680) was an Italians, Italian sculptor and Italian architect, architect. While a major figure in the world of architecture, he was more prom ...

and the cooperation of

Carlo Fontana Carlo Fontana (1634/1638–1714) was an Italian people, Italian"Carlo Fontana."
''Encyclopæ ...

and finished in 1679, except for a belfry that was added in the 18th century.

granted a pontifical decree of

Canonical Coronation A canonical coronation () is a pious institutional act of the pope, duly expressed in a formal decree of a papal bull, in which the pope bestows the pontifical right to impose an ornamental crown, a diadem or an aureola, aureole to an image of ...

towards the Marian Image. The coronation took place on December 3, 1659 In July 1825

Pope Leo XII Pope Leo XII (; born Annibale Francesco Clemente Melchiorre Girolamo Nicola della Genga; 2 August 1760 – 10 February 1829) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 28 September 1823 to his death in February 1829. ...

elevated the church to the dignity of

minor basilica Basilicas are Catholic church buildings that have a designation, conferring special privileges, given by the Pope. Basilicas are distinguished for ceremonial purposes from other churches. The building need not be a basilica in the architectura ...

. In this church, on 10 August 1905, Angelo Roncalli, the future

Pope John XXIII Pope John XXIII (born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli; 25 November 18813 June 1963) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 28 October 1958 until his death on 3 June 1963. He is the most recent pope to take ...

, was ordained a priest; the event is remembered by a plaque affixed during his pontificate. Since 1953 the church has become the seat of the "Mass of the artists", a singular initiative conceived in 1941 by presbyter and art historian Ennio Francia; after changing several places for worship, the liturgical event took place in the church in Piazza del Popolo, where every Sunday, for over sixty years, this Eucharistic celebration has been celebrated with representatives of the world of culture and art. It is also in this church that the funeral of people linked to the world of culture and television is often celebrated. For these reasons, it is also known as "Church of the artists".

Description

The statues of saints on the exterior have been attributed to Bernini's design. The interior has an elliptical plan, while its so-called "twin" Santa Maria dei Miracoli has a circular plan. It has six side chapels (in the "twin" church they are four). The cupola is dodecagonal. The first chapel on the left is the ''Cappella di Santa Lucia'' ("Saint Lucy"). The second chapel, dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi, was designed by Carlo Rainaldi to honor the Carmelite nun canonized by

Pope Clement XI Pope Clement XI (; ; ; 23 July 1649 – 19 March 1721), born Giovanni Francesco Albani, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 23 November 1700 to his death in March 1721. Clement XI was a patron of the arts an ...

in 1669. The ceiling and the altarpiece of the ''Miracle of the Saint'' (ca. 1685) was painted 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 third chapel is the ''Cappella Montioni''. The Montioni family commissioned the design to Tommaso Mattei, a pupil of

Carlo Fontana Carlo Fontana (1634/1638–1714) was an Italian people, Italian"Carlo Fontana."
''Encyclopæ ...

. The altarpiece of the ''Madonna with Child and Saints Francis and Jacob'' (ca. 1687) was completed by

Carlo Maratta Carlo Maratta or Maratti (18 May 162515 December 1713) was an Italian Baroque painter and Drawing, draughtsman, active principallly in Rome where he was the leading painter in the second half of the 17th century. He was a fresco and canvas painte ...

. The ''Assumption'' fresco was painted by Giuseppe Chiari. Upon the altar is a modern statue of the ''Angel for the artists'' by Guelfo (1937–1997). The presbytery is stuccoed with angels by Filippo Carcani and houses the miraculous 15th-century altarpiece of the ''Virgin of Montesanto'', which, according to the tradition, was painted by an 11-year-old girl. The sacristy has a frescoed vault with angels and the instruments of passion, the altarpiece of the ''Deposition ''(ca. 1600) is attributed to

Biagio Puccini Biagio Puccini (1673–1721) was an Italian painter, active in his native Rome, but also in Tuscany, Umbria and the Marche in a late Baroque style. He was born in Rome. He trained with Antonio Gherardi, but was influenced by Giacinto Brandi, G ...

. Homepage for Santa Maria in Montesanto.
Under the two twin churches are the remains of two pyramid-shaped funerary monuments, which, in shape and size, are very similar to the

Pyramid of Cestius The pyramid of Cestius (in Italian language, Italian, ''Piramide di Caio Cestio'' or ''Piramide Cestia'') is an ancient Roman pyramid in Rome, Italy, near the Porta San Paolo and the Protestant Cemetery, Rome, Protestant Cemetery. It was built i ...

and to the demolished Pyramid of Romulus; like these ones, both the tombs probably date back to the Augustan age and served as a monumental entrance to the

Campus Martius The Campus Martius (Latin for 'Field of Mars'; Italian: ''Campo Marzio'') was a publicly owned area of ancient Rome about in extent. In the Middle Ages, it was the most populous area of Rome. The IV rione of Rome, Campo Marzio, which covers ...

, precisely the same function that the two churches have today. The church became a titular church in 2023.

List of Cardinal-Priests

Protase Rugambwa Protase Rugambwa (born 31 May 1960) is a Tanzanian prelate of the Catholic Church who has been metropolitan archbishop of the Archdiocese of Tabora since November 2023, after serving as coadjutor there for seven months. He was a secretary of the ...

(30 September 2023 - present)

Notes

Bibliography

* M. Armellini
''Le chiese di Roma dal secolo IV al XIX'', Rome 1891
p. 322 * E. Francia, ''I 50 anni della Messa degli Artisti'', Comitato Romano Messa degli Artisti, Rome, 1990. * C. Rendina, ''Le Chiese di Roma'', Newton & Compton Editori, Milan 2000, p. 237 * M. Quercioli, ''Rione IV Campo Marzio'', in AA.VV, ''I rioni di Roma'', Newton & Compton Editori, Milan 2000, Vol. I, pp. 264–334 * R. Luciani, ''Santa Maria dei Miracoli e Santa Maria di Montesanto'', Fratelli Palombi Editori, Rome 1990, pp. 47–73

External links

Info.roma.it
Dead link {{Monuments of Rome Maria in Montesanto

Santa Maria in Montesanto Santa Maria in Montesanto is a titular minor basilica church in Rome, in the Rione Campo Marzio, which stands in Piazza del Popolo, between Via del Corso and Via del Babuino. It is also known as the Church of the Artists (). The church is pop ...