Search this site

Anchor 1 Seven Churches List 1) Santa Croce in Gerusalemme [Holy Cross in Jerusalem] 2) S. Giovanni in Laterano [St. John Lateran] 3) S. Lorenzo fuori le Mura [St. Lawrence Outside the Walls] 4) S. Maria Maggiore [St. Mary Major] 5) S. Paolo fuori le Mura [St. Paul Outside the Walls] 6) S. Pietro [St. Peter's] 7) S. Sebastiano [St. Sebastian] Major Churches List 8) Chiesa del Gesu [Church of Jesus] 12) S. Andrea al Quirinale [St. Andrew on the Quirinal] 16) S. Cecilia in Trastevere [St. Cecilia in Trastevere] 23) S. Giorgio in Velabro [St. George in Velabro] 31) S. Maria ad Martyres (Pantheon) [St. Mary and Martyrs (Pantheon)] 43) S. Maria sopra Minerva [St. Mary Above Minerva] 49) Ss. Quattro Coronati [Four Holy Crowned Ones] Anchor 2 Minor Churches List 51) Cappella S. Filippo Neri [Chapel of St. Philip Neri] 62) Chiesa del Preziosissiomo Sangue [Church of the Most Precious Blood] 73) Immacolata e S. Benedetto G. Labre [Immaculate Conception and St. Benedict G. Labre] 84) Oratorio di S. Giovanni in Oleo [Oratory of St. John in Oil] 95) S. Balbina [St. Balbina] 106) S. Cesareo de' Appia [St. Caesarius of the Appian Way] 117) S. Giovanni a Porta Latina [St. John Before the Latin Gate] 128) S. Gregorio VII Papa al Gelsomino [Pope St. Gregory VII at Gelsomin] 139) S. Marcella [St. Marcella] 140) S. Saba [St. Sabas] 151) S. Sisto Vecchio [Old St. Sixtus] 162) S. Teresiae ab Infante Jesu [St. Therese of the Infant Jesus] 173) SS. Fabiano e Venanzio [Saints Fabian and Venantius] 184) SS. Nereo e Achilleo [Saints Nereus and Achilleus] 195) Scala Santa [Holy Stairs] Anchor 3

Anchor 1 ▼ St. Bartholomew Date: 1705-1712 ca. Artist: Pierre Le Gros • The statue is St. Bartholomew. His symbol is flayed skin and knife which later stories say was how he was martyred . • All of the statues in the pillars are of the 12 apostles of Jesus (except St. Paul). These 12 pillars follow Revelation 21:14 which speak of the 12 apostles as the 12 foundations of the new Jerusalem • The dove in the pediment is the heraldic device of the Pamphili. Pope Innocent X (1644-1655), a Pamphili, renovated the nave

Anchor 1 ▼ St. Processus and St. Martinian • As the story goes, Processus and Martinian were guards during the imprisonment of Peter and Paul in the Mamertine. They were both converted to Christianity and later martyred. • In the 9th century the relics of St. Processus and St. Martinian were moved to old St. Peter's and are now under this altar ▲

Anchor 1 ▼ ▲ ▶ ◀ Chapel of St. Francis Xavier Artist: Pietro da Cortona Date: 1674-1678 • St. Francis Xavier (1506-1552) was one of the original Jesuits under St. Ignatius of Loyola. He is especially famous for his missionary zeal • The right forearm of St. Francis Xavier, with which he baptized, is displayed above the altar • The benefactor for the chapel was Giovanni Francesco Negrone (1629-1713). Because of their kindness to him, Negrone placed the coat of arms of Pope Clement IX on the left and Pope Innocent XI on the right. Pope Innocent XI later made him a cardinal in 1686. His tombstone is in front of the chapel to the left

Anchor 1 ▶ ◀ Chapel of St. Gregory the Great

Anchor 1 ▼ ▲ ▶ ◀ Chapel of St. Sebasian Artist: Domenichino Date: Mosaic copy • The altarpiece is Martyrdom of St. Sebastian. The original is in S. Maria degli Angeli

Anchor 1 ▼ ◀ ▶ Entrance

Anchor 1 ▼ ▶ ◀ Nave

Anchor 1 ▼ ▶ Tomb of Benedict XIV Artist: Pietro Bracci Date: 1769 • The monument is Tomb of Benedict XIV. The center statue is Pope Benedict XIV (1740-1758) giving his papal blessing during the 1750 Holy Year. The left statue is Wisdom Artist: Gaspare Sibilla • The right statue is Disinterestedness. Sibilla's signature can be found on the coins

Anchor 1 ▼ Monument of Pope Boniface VIII Artist: Giotto (attributed) Date: 1300 ca • The fresco is Pope Boniface VIII proclaiming the first Holy Year in 1300 • The fresco was originally in the outside loggia of the Lateran Palace. When that was destroyed in 1586 the fresco was moved to the cloister. It was finally moved here around 1786

Anchor 1 ▼ SS. Quattro Coronati Date: 847-855 • This apse was originally part of Pope Leo IV's (847-855) church. After damage to the church in the sack of Rome by the Normans in 1084, Pope Paschal II (1099-1118) reconstructed a smaller church but did not change the apse. Note that the apse is wider than the nave ▶ ◀ ▲

Anchor 1 Chiesa del Gesu Original church of S. Maria della Strada: Current baroque church: 1584 • When St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556) brought the Society of Jesus, often called the Jesuits, to Rome in 1537 he was given S. Maria della Strada which was located here. When they needed a larger space, they demolished the old church and then built the Gesu. St. Ignatius lived in the rooms to the right of the Gesu from 1544-1556. These rooms can still be visited today. • The new church first had a foundation stone laid around 1550 before delays. A second time, now with plans by Michelango, a foundation stone was laid in 1554 before delays. The third plan under Vignola, followed by Giovanni Tristano and then Giovanni De Rosis, was successful. Facade Artist: Giacomo Della Porta Date: 1571-1575 • The statues are St. Ignatius (left) and St. Francis Xavier (right) who have relics within. The IHS is the Latin monogram"Iesus Hominum Salvator" which means Jesus Savior of Humanity. • The benefactor was Cardinal Alessandro Farnese (1520-1589). The Farnese coat of arms is at the top of the facade. The text reads: "Cardinal Alessandro Farnese, Vice-Chancellor, erected 1575." • This facade indicates the transition from the Renaissance to the baroque. It was often imitated throughout Europe. ▶

Anchor 1 ▶ ◀ Sacred Heart Chapel • This chapel was originally dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption in 1548 by duke Visconti di Modrone of Milan. A later benefactor Vincenzo Maccarni rededicated the chapel to the Resurrection. It was then dedicated to Mary Magdalene before its current dedication to the Sacred Heart • The devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus was promoted by St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690) who was a French Visitation nun who had visions of Mary and Jesus who encouraged her to make know the wonders of Jesus' love for humanity ▼

Anchor 1 ▼ ▲ ▶ ◀ Tomb of Gregory XVI

Anchor 1 ▼ Confession • The statue is St. John the Baptist

Anchor 1 ◀ S. Sebastiano • This is the entrance to the Catacombs of St. Sebastian. You can visit them still today • The room within is part of the remains of the 4th century church and contains many inscriptions. Excavations in 1915 found many 3rd century graffiti which mention Peter and Paul. This is because, at that time, the bodies of Peter and Paul were buried here • While the word 'catacomb' has come to refer to all of the various cemeteries near Rome, it originally only referred to this cemetery. It was known as the 'cemoeterium ad catacumbas' or cemetery at the hollows • These catacombs were always known and were often visited over the centuries. This included saints such as St. Jerome (340-420 ca.), St. Brigid of Sweden (1303-1373 ca.), and St. Philip Neri (1515-1595). ▼

Anchor 1 Monument to Queen Christina of Sweden Artist: Jean Baptiste Theodon Date: 1702 ca. • The relief recalls Queen Christina (1626-1689) coming into the Catholic faith on November 3, 1655 in Innsbruck, Austria ▼

Anchor 1 ▼ ▶ ◀ Patrizi Chapel Artist: Giuseppe Puglia Date: 1635 • The altarpiece is Virgin Appears in a Dream to Giovanni and his Wife • Note that Mary is indicating in the direction of the miraculous snow. The story connected with this painting is noted on the Patrizi monument on the floor

Anchor 1 ▶ ◀ Tomb of Umberto I ▼

Beggar's Rome