Santa Maria dei Miracoli and Santa Maria in Montesanto
Encyclopedia
Churches of Rome
There are more than 900 churches in Rome. Most, but not all, of these are Roman Catholic, with some notable Roman Catholic Marian churches.The first churches of Rome originated in places where Christians met. They were divided into three categories:...
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...
.
They are located on the Piazza del Popolo
Piazza del Popolo
Piazza del Popolo is a large urban square in Rome. The name in modern Italian literally means "People's Square", but historically it derives from the poplars after which the church of Santa Maria del Popolo, in the northeast corner of the piazza, takes its name.The piazza lies inside the northern...
, facing the northern gate of the Aurelian Walls
Aurelian Walls
The Aurelian Walls is a line of city walls built between 271 and 275 in Rome, Italy, during the reign of the Roman Emperors Aurelian and Probus....
, at the entrance of Via del Corso
Via del Corso
The Via del Corso , commonly known as the Corso, is a main street in the historical centre of Rome. It is remarkable for being absolutely straight in an area characterized by narrow meandering alleys and small piazzas...
on the square. The churches are often cited as "twin", due to their similar external appearance: they have indeed some differences, in both plan and exterior details.
Looking from the square, the two churches define the so-called "trident" of streets departing from Piazza del Popolo: starting from the left, Via del Babuino, Via del Corso and Via di Ripetta. The first two are separated by Santa Maria in Montesanto, the latter by Santa Maria dei Miracoli.
The origin of the two churches traces back to the 17th century restoration of what was the main entrance to the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
and Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
Rome, from the Via Flaminia
Via Flaminia
The Via Flaminia was an ancient Roman road leading from Rome over the Apennine Mountains to Ariminum on the coast of the Adriatic Sea, and due to the ruggedness of the mountains was the major option the Romans had for travel between Etruria, Latium and Campania and the Po Valley...
(known as Via Lata and Via del Corso in its urban trait). Pope Alexander VII
Pope Alexander VII
Pope Alexander VII , born Fabio Chigi, was Pope from 7 April 1655, until his death.- Early life :Born in Siena, a member of the illustrious banking family of Chigi and a great-nephew of Pope Paul V , he was privately tutored and eventually received doctorates of philosophy, law, and theology from...
commissioned the monumental design of the entrance of Via del Corso to architect Carlo Rainaldi
Carlo Rainaldi
Carlo Rainaldi was an Italian architect of the Baroque period.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 first with his father, Girolamo Rainaldi, a late Mannerist architect in Rome. After his father's...
. This included two churches with central plant, but the different shapes of the two areas available forced deep modifications to the projects.
Both were financed by cardinal Girolamo Gastaldi, whose crest is present in the two churches.
Santa Maria in Montesanto
Santa Maria in Montesanto, erected over a church with the same name that lay at the beginning of Via del Babuino, and was occupied by Carmelite monks. The name Montesanto (Holy Mountain) referred to Mount CarmelMount Carmel
Mount Carmel ; , Kármēlos; , Kurmul or جبل مار إلياس Jabal Mar Elyas 'Mount Saint Elias') is a coastal mountain range in northern Israel stretching from the Mediterranean Sea towards the southeast. Archaeologists have discovered ancient wine and oil presses at various locations on Mt. Carmel...
in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. The patron was Cardinal Gerolamo Gastaldi, and construction of the present church was begun on July 15, 1662, and finished in 1675, with further additions by 1679. Originally by Carlo Rainaldi
Carlo Rainaldi
Carlo Rainaldi was an Italian architect of the Baroque period.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 first with his father, Girolamo Rainaldi, a late Mannerist architect in Rome. After his father's...
, the plans were revised by Gian Lorenzo Bernini
Gian Lorenzo Bernini
Gian Lorenzo Bernini was an Italian artist who worked principally in Rome. He was the leading sculptor of his age and also a prominent architect...
, and ultimately completed by Carlo Fontana
Carlo Fontana
Carlo Fontana was an Italian architect, who was in part responsible for the classicizing direction taken by Late Baroque Roman architecture.-Biography:...
. A belfry was added in the 18th century. The statues of saints on the exterior have been attributed to Bernini's design. The interior has an elliptical plan, with a dodecagonal cupola. In 1825, the church was made a minor basilica.
In 1951, the Monsignor established a tradition of the Mass of the Artists, where on the last Sunday of October till June 29, a mass is held every Sunday with reading by an artist, and animated by music. At the end of the mass, a prayer for the artists is read.
Interior decoration
The first chapel to the left is the cappella di Santa Lucia (Saint Lucy).The second chapel is dedicated to Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzi
Magdalena de Pazzi
Saint Maria Magdalene de Pazzi is an Italian saint of the Roman Catholic Church.- Life :...
, designed by Carlo Rainaldi to honor the Carmelite nun canonized by Pope Clemente XI in 1669. The ceiling and the altarpiece of the Miracle of the saint (c. 1685) was painted by Ludovico Gimignani.
The third chapel is the cappella Montioni. The Monitoni family commissioned the design by Tommaso Mattei
Tommaso Mattei
Tommaso Mattei was a 17th century Italian architect. He was a pupil of Carlo Fontana.Among his designs are the 1693 "capella nuova del miracolo" at the basilica di S. Cristina and the cappella Montioni in Santa Maria in Montesanto, Rome....
, pupil of Carlo Fontana
Carlo Fontana
Carlo Fontana was an Italian architect, who was in part responsible for the classicizing direction taken by Late Baroque Roman architecture.-Biography:...
. The altarpiece of the Madonna with Child and Saints Francis and Jacob (c. 1687) was completed by Carlo Maratta
Carlo Maratta
Carlo Maratta or Maratti was an Italian painter, active mostly in Rome, and known principally for his classicizing paintings executed in a Late Baroque Classical manner. Although he is part of the classical tradition stemming from Raphael, he was not exempt from the influence of Baroque painting...
. 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). At one time, the sacristy held frescoes by Baciccia.
The presbitery is stuccoed with angels by Filippo Carcani and houses the miraculous 15th century altarpiece of Virgin of Montesanto, which tradition holds 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 (c. 1600) is attributed to Biagio Puccini.
Santa Maria dei Miracoli
Santa Maria dei Miracoli was begun in 1675 and finished in 1681. With a circular plan, it has an elegant 18th century bell tower by Girolamo Theodoli and an octagonal cupola. The interior has a rich stuccoStucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
decoration by Antonio Raggi
Antonio Raggi
Antonio Raggi , also called Antonio Lombardo, was a sculptor of the Roman Baroque, originating from Ticino.-Biography:He was born in Vico Morcote on the Lake Lugano. His mentor in Rome for nearly three decades was Gianlorenzo Bernini...
, Bernini's pupil. The monuments for Cardinals Benedetto and Gastaldi were designed by Carlo Fontana
Carlo Fontana
Carlo Fontana was an Italian architect, who was in part responsible for the classicizing direction taken by Late Baroque Roman architecture.-Biography:...
, who also provided design for the cupola and the lamp. The busts in bronze were completed by Girolamo Lucenti
Girolamo Lucenti
Girolamo Lucenti was an Italian sculptor of the Baroque period, active in Rome.He initially trained with Alessandro Algardi, and at Algardi's death was one of the four giovani who shared the studio, but later also worked for Algardi's rival, Bernini...
.
At the high altar is the miraculous image of the Virgin which has given the church its name. The first chapel on the right-hand side has an altar dedicated to Our Lady of Bétharram, named after a shrine near Lourdes. The order of Priests of the Sacred Heart was founded at Bétharram. There is a reproduction of Renoir
Renoir
-People with the surname Renoir :* Pierre-Auguste Renoir , French painter* Pierre Renoir , French actor and son of Pierre-Auguste Renoir* Jean Renoir , French film director and son of Pierre-Auguste Renoir...
's Madonna at Bétharram .