Santa Maria della Consolazione is a Roman Catholic church in Rome, Italy at the foot of the

Palatine Hill The Palatine Hill (; la, Collis Palatium or Mons Palatinus; it, Palatino ), which relative to the seven hills of Rome is the centremost, is one of the most ancient parts of the city and has been called "the first nucleus of the Roman Empire." ...

, in rione

Campitelli Campitelli is the 10th ''rioni of Rome, rione'' of Rome, identified by the initials R. X, and is located in the Municipio I. Its emblem consists of a black dragon's head on a white background. This symbol comes from the legend that Pope Silvest ...

History

The church is named after an icon of the Virgin Mary which was placed on this site to console criminals who were tossed down off the cliff above the church, thought to be the Tarpeian Rock from where condemned

Ancient Roman In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 BC ...

criminals were tossed to their death in Roman times. In 1385 a condemned nobleman, Giordanello degli Alberini, paid 2 gold florins for the icon to provide consolation for criminals facing death. History of the church.
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Architecture and art

A church originally was built here in 1470, but rebuilt during 1583–1600 by

Martino Longhi the Elder Martino Longhi the Elder (1534–1591) was an Italian architect, the father of Onorio Longhi and the grandfather of Martino Longhi the Younger. He is also known as ''Martino Lunghi''. He was born in Viggiù into a family of architects, and initiall ...

, during which time the Mannerist façade was installed. The tympanum was completed in 1827 by

Pasquale Belli Pasquale is a masculine Italian given name and a surname mainly found in southern Italy. It is a cognate of the French name Pascal, the Spanish Pascual, the Portuguese Pascoal and the Catalan Pasqual. Pasquale derives from the Latin ''pascha ...

. The first chapel on the right has frescoes of ''Scenes of the Passion'' (1556) by Taddeo Zuccari. The second chapel on has a ''Madonna with Child and Saints'' (1575) by

Livio Agresti Livio Agresti (1508–1580), also called Ritius or Ricciutello, was an Italian painter of the late Renaissance or Mannerist period, active both in his native city of Forlì and in Rome, where he died. He was one of the members of the "Forlì paint ...

. The third chapel on the right has a ''Story of Jesus and Virgin'' by Giovanni Baglione. The chapel to the right of the presbytery has an icon of the Virgin from the 13th century. The altar, designed by Martino Longhi, has a fresco copy of the 14th century ''Madonna della Consolazione'', repainted by Antoniazzo Romano. The walls of the presbytery are frescoed with a ''Nativity'' and an ''Assumption'' by

Niccolò Circignani Niccolò Circignani (c. 1517/1524 – after 1596) was an Italian painter of the late-Renaissance or Mannerist period. Biography Born in Pomarance, he is one of three Italian painters called Pomarancio. His first works are documented from th ...

(il Pomarancio), who also painted the ''Scenes of the Life of Mary and Jesus'' in the fifth chapel. The 4th chapel to the left has frescoes on the ''Life of St. Andrew'' by

Marzio Colantonio Ganassini Marzio di Colantonio or di Colantonio Ganassini or di Cola Antonio (c. 1580s – after 1623) was an Italian painter, as a painter of still-lifes and landscapes, and fresco decorations of ''grotteschi'' and battle scenes with small figures. His ...

. In the 3rd chapel on the left, are frescoes of scenes from the ''Life of the Virgin'' by

Francesco Nappi Francesco Nappi (1565 – 1630s) was an Italian painter, mainly recalled for his decorative frescoes in a Mannerist style. Biography He was born in Milan. He painted for one of the chapels in Santa Croce in Gerusalemme and Santa Maria della Cons ...

; the 2nd chapel on the left has a ''St Francis receives the Stigmata'' of the 17th century; the 1st chapel has a ''Mystical Marriage of St Catherine'' (c. 1530), and a marble relief by Raffaello da Montelupo.

References

External links

Panoramic view of interior.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maria Della Consolazione, Santa Roman Catholic churches completed in 1600 16th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Maria Mannerist architecture in Italy 1600 establishments in Italy Churches of Rome (rione Campitelli)