Santa Marta al Collegio Romano is a deconsecrated church located in the Piazza del Collegio Romano in the Rione Pigna of

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.

History

A House of Saint Martha was founded in 1543 by St

Ignatius of Loyola Ignatius of Loyola ( ; ; ; ; born Íñigo López de Oñaz y Loyola; – 31 July 1556), venerated as Saint Ignatius of Loyola, was a Basque Spaniard Catholic priest and theologian, who, with six companions, founded the religious order of the S ...

to rehabilitate women considered of poor morals, because they were adulterous or "married women shamelessly living in public sin without fear of God or men". Saint Martha is considered the patron saint of married women. The church became a monastery, and by 1560 had come under the Augustinian order. The church was consecrated in 1696, and was reconstructed by

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

. Deconsecrated by Napoleonic invasions, it functions as a cultural center. The interior art has been mostly transferred. Some stucco and architectural decoration remains. The ceiling is frescoed by Baciccio.

References

Sources

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

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