Santi Domenico e Sisto
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...
. It is located on Largo Angelicum on the Quirinal Hill
Quirinal Hill
The Quirinal Hill is one of the Seven Hills of Rome, at the north-east of the city center. It is the location of the official residence of the Italian Head of State, who resides in the Quirinal Palace; by metonymy "the Quirinal" has come to stand for the Italian President.- History :It was...
, and is devoted to Saint Dominic
Saint Dominic
Saint Dominic , also known as Dominic of Osma, often called Dominic de Guzmán and Domingo Félix de Guzmán was the founder of the Friars Preachers, popularly called the Dominicans or Order of Preachers , a Catholic religious order...
and Saint Sixtus
Pope Sixtus II
Pope Sixtus II or Pope Saint Sixtus II was Pope from August 30, 257 to August 6, 258. He died as a martyr during the persecution by Emperor Valerian....
.
History
The first church at the site was called Santa MariaMary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
a Magnanapoli
Magnanapoli
Magnanapoli is a name given to part of the Quirinal hill in Rome, literally meaning Great Naples. The two most common explanations are that this is a corruption of:...
, and was built sometime before 1000. It belonged to the Dominican
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
s, who still serve this church, at the Convent of San Sisto at the Baths of Caracalla
Baths of Caracalla
The Baths of Caracalla in Rome, Italy were Roman public baths, or thermae, built in Rome between AD 212 and 216, during the reign of the Emperor Caracalla.- History :...
.
The present church was built at the order of Pope Pius V
Pope Pius V
Pope Saint Pius V , born Antonio Ghislieri , was Pope from 1566 to 1572 and is a saint of the Catholic Church. He is chiefly notable for his role in the Council of Trent, the Counter-Reformation, and the standardization of the Roman liturgy within the Latin Church...
, a Dominican himself, with construction work on the church commencing in 1569 (and on the convent in 1575). The original plan may have been the work of Giacomo della Porta
Giacomo della Porta
Giacomo della Porta was an Italian architect and sculptor, who worked on many important buildings in Rome, including St. Peter's Basilica. He was born at Porlezza, Lombardy and died in Rome.-Biography:...
, though the long construction period (work was only completed in 1663) meant several other architects were involved - the lower part was designed by Nicola Torriani
Nicola Torriani
Nicola Torriani was a 17th century Italian architect. He was the brother of the architect and sculptor Orazio Torriani. His works include the lower part of Santi Domenico e Sisto....
, and the upper part by Torriani or Vincenzo della Greca
Vincenzo della Greca
Vincenzo della Greca was a 17th century Italian architect. His works include Santa Maria delle Grazie, Marino and probably the upper part of Santi Domenico e Sisto, Rome.-External links:*http://www.controluce.it/?q=node/2289...
. della Greca definitely constructed the Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
travertine
Travertine
Travertine is a form of limestone deposited by mineral springs, especially hot springs. Travertine often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, and cream-colored varieties. It is formed by a process of rapid precipitation of calcium carbonate, often at the mouth of a hot...
façade in 1646, with his brother Felice, though the double staircase from 1654 is attributed to Orazio Torriani
Orazio Torriani
Orazio Torriani was an architect who worked in Rome. In 1602 he rebuilt the church of San Lorenzo in Miranda within the cella of the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina. In 1624 he built the façade for the ancient basilica of San Bartolomeo all'Isola on the Tiber Island, a work commissioned by...
. Bernini designed the high altar, the first chapel on the south side, the altar of this chapel and the sculpture group Noli me tangere
Noli me tangere
Noli me tangere, meaning "don't touch me" / "touch me not", is the Latin version of words spoken, according to , by Jesus to Mary Magdalene when she recognizes him after his resurrection....
for this chapel in 1649 (though did not carve the sculpture - this was done by a pupil, 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...
).
The ceiling painting of the Apotheosis of St Dominic was produced in 1674 by Domenico Maria Canuti
Domenico Maria Canuti
Domenico Maria Canuti was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, active mainly in Bologna and Rome.Born in Bologna, Canuti first trained in that city under Guido Reni, then with Guercino. He painted many ceiling and wall frescoes...
, with trompe l'oeil
Trompe l'oeil
Trompe-l'œil, which can also be spelled without the hyphen in English as trompe l'oeil, is an art technique involving extremely realistic imagery in order to create the optical illusion that the depicted objects appear in three dimensions.-History in painting:Although the phrase has its origin in...
framing by Enrico Haffner
Enrico Haffner
Enrico Haffner was an Italian painter of quadratura during the Baroque period, active mainly in Bologna in the late 16th and early 17th centuries....
.
The church now functions as the church to the adjacent Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum), celebrates St Thomas's festival, and closes during the university's summer break, apart from the feast of St Dominic on 7 August. Other than those two festivals, visits need to be arranged by prior appointment.
Chapels
- The altarpiece in the third chapel on the south side, by Pier Francesco MolaPier Francesco MolaPier Francesco Mola was an Italian painter of the High Baroque, mainly active around Rome.-Biography:Mola was born at Coldrerio . At the age of four, he moved to Rome with his father Giovanni Battista, a painter...
, depicts St Dominic's Vision. - In the second chapel on the north side is Francesco Allegrini's 1532 The Mystical Marriage of St CatherineCatherine of AlexandriaSaint Catherine of Alexandria, also known as Saint Catherine of the Wheel and The Great Martyr Saint Catherine is, according to tradition, a Christian saint and virgin, who was martyred in the early 4th century at the hands of the pagan emperor Maxentius...
. - In the third chapel on the north side is the 1460 Madonna and Child by Benozzo GozzoliBenozzo GozzoliBenozzo Gozzoli was an Italian Renaissance painter from Florence. He is best known for a series of murals in the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi depicting festive, vibrant processions with wonderful attention to detail and a pronounced International Gothic influence.-Apprenticeship:He was born Benozzo di...
, a pupil of Fra AngelicoFra AngelicoFra Angelico , born Guido di Pietro, was an Early Italian Renaissance painter described by Vasari in his Lives of the Artists as having "a rare and perfect talent"...
.