Anchor 1 ▼ Left Aisle

Anchor 1 ▼ Moses Lifting Up the Bronze Serpent Artist: Corrado Giaquinto Date: 1744 • The fresco is Moses Lifting Up the Bronze Serpent

Anchor 1 ▼ ▲ ▶ ◀ Lante della Rovere Chapel Artist: Marcello Venusti Date: ca. 1570-1580 • The painting over the altar is St. James the Greater

Anchor 1 ▼ ▲ ▶ ◀ Nave • The single nave has two aisles separated by 80 columns of Baveno granite. The T shape of the church gives a good idea of what an early basilica would have been like. Although this has been completely rebuilt after the fire of 1823, it was modeled on the original basilica built by Emperor Theodosius (379-395) • The rebuilding took place from 1831-1854 under the supervision of the architect Luigi Poletti

Anchor 1 ▶ ◀ Main Door • The pantheon was originally built in 28 BC by Marcus Agrippa • It was restored many times over the centuries. The bronze doors themselves were restored by Pope Pius VI who reigned from 1559-1565 • When the construction of the baldachin at St. Peter's stalled because of lack of bronze, Pope Urban VIII (1623-1644) of the Barberini family had the trusses and girders melted down for reuse. This was the cause of the famous saying: "What the barbarians didn't do, the Barberini did." • The floor was renovated by Pope Pius IX in 1846-1878 ▼

Anchor 1 ▼ Sacred Heart Chapel ▶ ◀

Anchor 1 ▼ ▲ ◀ Chapel of the Passion Artist: Giacinto Brandi Date: 1682 • This painting is Christ Scourged at the Pillar • Scourging was a common prelude to crucifixion in the Roman system. Jesus is turned over to the Roman prefect Pontius Pilate for judgment who sends him to be scourged by the Roman guards

Anchor 1 ▼ Sacristy

Anchor 1 ▼ ▶ Baptismal Font Chapel • This chapel was originally dedicated to the creche and included paintings by Bosio da San Gimignano and Cavalier d'Arpino. In the 1600s it was given to the Caffarelli family and renovated by Cardinal Scipione Borghese. Following the plan of Filippo Raguzzini it was restored and then later restored again in the 1800s

Anchor 1 Borghese Chapel Artist: Baldassarre Croce Date: 1593 • The painting is Death of the Virgin ▶ ◀ ▼

Anchor 1 ◀ Baptistry Artist: Arnaldo Foschini Date: 1930 • While the room is ancient, it was redesigned after the fire. The baptismal font is also a modern work

Anchor 1 ▼ S. Sebastiano • The painting is of St. Mother Theresa

Anchor 1 ▶ ◀ Monument to Maria Clementina Sobieski Artist: Filippo Barigioni (design) Date: 1745 • Maria was the wife of James Edward Stuart whose monument is across the aisle • The statue is charity who holds a heart in one hand and, on the other, holds a mosaic image of Maria. The mosaic is a copy of that by Ignaz Stern • The text calls her "Queen of Britain, France, and Ireland" even though Mary II and William III of Orange held the throne

Anchor 1 ▶ ◀ Back ▼ Exit

Anchor 1 ▼ ▶ ◀ Tomb of Cardinal Giovanni Maria Gabrielli • The tomb is the Funeral Monument of Cardinal Giovanni Maria Gabrielli (1711 d.)

Anchor 1 Scala Santa • ▲ ◀

Anchor 1 ▼ Crucifixion Chapel Artist: Sermoneta Date: 1575 ca • The altarpiece is Crucifixion

Anchor 1 ▼ ▲ ▶ ◀ Interior • The lower nave was not decorated until 1858-1861 when Prince Alessandro Torlonia (1800-1886) undertook the project • Torlonia was the benefactor of the giallo antico pilasters and the Egyptian alabaster around them • Torlonia also furnished the pediment and marble columns found on both sides of the main door

Anchor 1 ▶ ▼ Interior

Anchor 1 ▼ Monument to Leo XI • The urn relief shows Leo XI, as a cardinal, acting as Pope Clement VIII's legate. In this role, on September 17th 1595, Leo absolved the excommunication of King Henry IV of France. King Henry had become Catholic as a means of reinforcing his claim on the French throne