Santa Maria in Monticelli is a church in the rione of

Regola Regola is the 7th of Rome, Italy, identified by the initials R. VII, and belongs to the Municipio I. The name comes from (the name is recognizable in the modern ''Via Arenula''), which was the name of the soft sand ( in Italian) that the river T ...

in Rome, sited on the street of the same name. A church was founded at the site in the 12th century and reconsecrated by

Innocent II Pope Innocent II (; died 24 September 1143), born Gregorio Papareschi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 14 February 1130 to his death in 1143. His election as Pope was controversial, and the first eight years o ...

in 1143. It was known as ''Sancta Maria in Monticellis Arenulae de Urbe'', in a bull by

Urban IV Pope Urban IV (; c. 1195 – 2 October 1264), born Jacques Pantaléon, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 29 August 1261 to his death three years later. He was elected pope without being a Cardinal (Catholicism), ...

in 1264. Little remains of the medieval church, except for the bell-tower. The church was entirely reconstructed in 1716 by Matteo Sassi, on a commission by

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 ...

, and in 1860 by

Francesco Azzurri Francesco Azzurri (Rome, 1831–1901) was an Italian architect. He was the nephew of the architect Giovanni Azzurri, a professor of architecture at the Academy of St. Luke in Rome. Biography Francesco studied Engineering and Architecture at the ...

. The church is the home to the Curia Generalizia dei Padri

Dottrinari The Christian Doctrine Fathers officially named Congregation of Christian Doctrine (), abbreviated D.C. and also commonly called the Doctrinaries, is a Catholic clerical religious congregation of Pontifical Right for men. As of 31 December 20 ...

. The church contains a baroque fresco of the Flagellation attributed to

Antonio Carracci Antonio Marziale Carracci (1583 – 8 April 1618) was an Italian painter. He was the natural son of Agostino Carracci. Life Carracci was born in the parish of Santa Lucia in Venice, probably in 1583, the product of an affair with a courte ...

; a 13th-century painted wooden crucifix attributed to

Pietro Cavallini Pietro Cavallini (1259 – ) was an Italian painter and mosaic designer working during the late Middle Ages. Biography Little is known about his biography, though it is known he was from Rome, since he signed ''pictor romanus''. His first nota ...

; a ''Madonna and child with saints'' 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 ...

; and a ''Head of the Redeemer'' in mosaic fragments of the 12th century. Near the sanctuary of the church is the contemporary shrine of Blessed

César de Bus César de Bus (3 February 1544 – 15 April 1607) was a French Catholic priest and founder of two religious congregations. Life César de Bus was born in Cavaillon, Comtat Venaissin (now in France). At eighteen he joined the king's army and took ...

, the French founder of the "Priests of Christian Doctrine" and the patron saint of catechists.

Bibliography

M. Armellini, ''Le chiese di Roma dal secolo IV al XIX'', Roma 1891

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maria in Monticelli, Santa 12th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy 18th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Roman Catholic churches completed in 1716 Roman Catholic churches in Rome Churches of Rome (rione Regola)