Church of St. Alphonsus Liguori, Rome
Encyclopedia
The Church of St. Alphonsus Liguori (Chiesa di Sant'Alfonso di Liguori all'Esquilino in Italian
) is a church located on the Via Merulana on the Esquiline Hill
of Rome
, Italy
. It is dedicated to St. Alphonsus Liguori, the founder of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer
, who founded and staff the church, and is one of the thirty-three Doctors of the Church.
The church is one of the rare examples of neo-Gothic
architecture in Rome. It is one of the last papal churches of Rome, although the Redemptorists have possession of the church and its related complex.
It was built between 1855 and 1859, designed by the Scottish architect George Wigley. The facade is of brick and travertine and features three doors. In the central tympanum
of the door there is a polychrome mosaic depicting Our Lady of Perpetual Help. The facade is further embellished by a rose window.
The interior decorations, rich with marble, date from the end of the nineteenth century, and are by the Bavarian painter and Redemptorist Max Schmalzl (1850-1930). The apse is crowned by a mosaic
, put in place in 1964, depicting the Redeemer enthroned between the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph. Above the mosaic hangs the original icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, which was produced in Crete
in the 14th century and given to the Redemptorists by Pope Pius IX
in 1866.
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
) is a church located on the Via Merulana on the Esquiline Hill
Esquiline Hill
The Esquiline Hill is one of the celebrated Seven Hills of Rome. Its southern-most cusp is the Oppius .-Etymology:The origin of the name Esquilino is still under much debate. One view is that the Hill was named after the abundance of holm-oaks, exculi, that resided there...
of Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It is dedicated to St. Alphonsus Liguori, the founder of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer
Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer
The Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer is a Roman Catholic missionary Congregation founded by Saint Alphonsus Liguori at Scala, near Amalfi, Italy for the purpose of labouring among the neglected country people in the neighbourhood of Naples.Members of the Congregation, priests and brothers,...
, who founded and staff the church, and is one of the thirty-three Doctors of the Church.
The church is one of the rare examples of neo-Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
architecture in Rome. It is one of the last papal churches of Rome, although the Redemptorists have possession of the church and its related complex.
It was built between 1855 and 1859, designed by the Scottish architect George Wigley. The facade is of brick and travertine and features three doors. In the central tympanum
Tympanum (architecture)
In architecture, a tympanum is the semi-circular or triangular decorative wall surface over an entrance, bounded by a lintel and arch. It often contains sculpture or other imagery or ornaments. Most architectural styles include this element....
of the door there is a polychrome mosaic depicting Our Lady of Perpetual Help. The facade is further embellished by a rose window.
The interior decorations, rich with marble, date from the end of the nineteenth century, and are by the Bavarian painter and Redemptorist Max Schmalzl (1850-1930). The apse is crowned by a mosaic
Mosaic
Mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral...
, put in place in 1964, depicting the Redeemer enthroned between the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph. Above the mosaic hangs the original icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, which was produced in Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
in the 14th century and given to the Redemptorists by Pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX
Blessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal...
in 1866.