Santa Barbara dei Librai is a small

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

church in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, Italy. It was once known as ''Santa Barbara alla

Regola Regola is the 7th ''rione'' of Rome, Italy, identified by the initials R. VII, and belongs to the Municipio I. The name comes from ''Arenula'' (the name is recognizable in the modern ''Via Arenula''), which was the name of the soft sand (''rena'' ...

'' after the rione in which it was located. Today it now considered within the rione of

Parione Parione is the 6th ''rione'' of Rome, identified by the initials R. VI, and belongs to the Municipio I. Its name comes from the fact that in the area there was a huge ancient wall, maybe belonging to the stadium of Domitianus; the nickname ...

, near the

Campo de' Fiori Campo de' Fiori (, literally "field of flowers") is a rectangular square south of Piazza Navona in Rome, Italy, at the border between rione Parione and rione Regola. It is diagonally southeast of the Palazzo della Cancelleria and one block north ...

History

Giuseppe Vasi Giuseppe Vasi (27 August 1710 – 16 April 1782) was an Italian engraver and architect, best known for his ''vedute''. Biography He was born in Corleone, Sicily and later, around 1736, moved to Rome. After a period of intense visits and studies, ...

dates the consecration of the church by 1306, although it is probable that a church existed at the site since the 10-11th century. Inscriptions inside claim that the church was established by Giovanni di Crescenzio de Roizo and his wife Rogata, who was a senator of Rome in the second century. In 1600, it was granted to the

confraternity A confraternity ( es, cofradía; pt, confraria) is generally a Christian voluntary association of laypeople created for the purpose of promoting special works of Christian charity or piety, and approved by the Church hierarchy. They are most c ...

of the Bookmakers (bookbinders, publishers, and scribes) or Librari, who titled the church after St Thomas Acquinas and St

John of God John of God ( pt, João de Deus; es, Juan de Dios; lat, Joannes Dei; March 8, 1495 – March 8, 1550) was a Portuguese soldier turned health-care worker in Spain, whose followers later formed the Brothers Hospitallers of Saint John of God, a ...

as patrons. During the papacy of

Innocent XI Pope Innocent XI ( la, Innocentius XI; it, Innocenzo XI; 16 May 1611 – 12 August 1689), born Benedetto Odescalchi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 21 September 1676 to his death on August 12, 1689. Poli ...

, the church was restored. In 1634, after a fire, the confraternity of book makers bought out adjacent properties. The baroque façade was remade by

Giuseppe Passeri Giuseppe Passeri (12 March 1654 – 2 November 1714) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, active in his native city of Rome. Born the nephew of the painter Giovanni Battista Passeri, Giuseppe trained in the studio of Carlo Maratta. ...

. The statue of

St Barbara Saint Barbara ( grc, Ἁγία Βαρβάρα; cop, Ϯⲁⲅⲓⲁ Ⲃⲁⲣⲃⲁⲣⲁ; ; ), known in the Eastern Orthodox Church as the Great Martyr Barbara, was an early Christian Lebanese and Greek saint and martyr. Accounts place her in ...

over the door was sculpted by

Ambrogio Parisi Ambrogio is a given name, and may refer to: *Saint Ambrogio (Ambrose), patron saint of Milan *Ambrogio Lorenzetti ( – 1348), painter *Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, the birth name of Pope Pius XI *Ambrogio Bergognone, Renaissance painter *Ambr ...

, and the angel painted on a wall is attributed to

Guido Reni Guido Reni (; 4 November 1575 – 18 August 1642) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, although his works showed a classical manner, similar to Simon Vouet, Nicolas Poussin, and Philippe de Champaigne. He painted primarily religious ...

. The church has paintings by

Luigi Garzi Luigi Garzi (1638 – 1721) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, whose work displayed heavy influences of the Bolognese painter, Guido Reni. Biography Born in Pistoia. He started learning from a poorly known landscape painter, Salomo ...

; a fresco of '' St Saba'' by

Giovanni Battista Brughi Giovanni Battista Brughi (1660 – 1730) was an Italian painter and mosaic artist of the late-Baroque period. Biography He was born in Genoa, and pupil of Giovanni Battista Gaulli Giovanni Battista Gaulli (8 May 1639 – 2 April 1709), also kn ...

, pupil of

Baciccio Giovanni Battista Gaulli (8 May 1639 – 2 April 1709), also known as Baciccio or Baciccia (Genoese nicknames for ''Giovanni Battista''), was an Italian artist working in the High Baroque and early Rococo periods. He is best known for his grand ...

, in the chapel of Specchi; and frescoes by

Francesco Ragusa Francesco Ragusa (1590s – 1655) was an Italian painter of the late-Mannerist and early-Baroque period, active in mainly in Rome. *Not to be confused with Italian actor Francesco Ragusa of From the Clouds to the Resistance. Biography He was born ...

and

Domenico Monacelli Domenico is an Italian given name for males and may refer to: People * Domenico Alfani, Italian painter * Domenico Allegri, Italian composer * Domenico Alvaro, Italian mobster * Domenico Ambrogi, Italian painter * Domenico Auria, Italian archite ...

. The church was used by the confraternity till 1878, but fell into abandon and was deconsecrated. In 1982, it was restored.''Itinerario istruttivo per ritrovare con facilità tutte le Magnificenze di Roma e di alcune città, e castelli suburbani. Settima Giornata'' i
Romeartlover.it
/ref> The adjacent oratory is sited in the ruins of the

Theater of Pompey The Theatre of Pompey ( la, Theatrum Pompeii, it, Teatro di Pompeo) was a structure in Ancient Rome built during the latter part of the Roman Republican era by Pompey the Great (Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus). Completed in 55BC, it was the first perma ...

. Among the works of art inside the church are: *Triptych of ''Madonna and child with John the Baptist and Archangel Michael'' (1453) by

Leonardo da Roma Leonardo is a masculine given name, the Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese equivalent of the English, German, and Dutch name, Leonard. People Notable people with the name include: * Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519), Italian Renaissance scientist, ...

. *Crucifixion by Garzi

Gallery

File:Santa Barbara dei Librai Rome.jpg, Church exterior File:Parione - Santa Barbara dei Librai - Madonna con san Giovanni e Arcangelo Michele 01443.JPG, Triptych by Leonardo da Roma File:Parione - Santa Barbara dei Librai - organo 01441.JPG, Parione - Santa Barbara dei Librai File:Santa Barbara dei Librai - Interior.jpg, Santa Barbara dei Librai - Interior File:Rome, Santa Maria dei Librai 009.JPG, Rome, Santa Maria dei Librai File:Santa Barbara dei Librari (incisione).jpg, Santa Barbara dei Librari. 17th century engraving File:StBarbaraParisi.jpg, Sculpture on facade depicting Saint Barbara File:Rome, Santa Maria dei Librai 005.JPG, Fresco of Santa Barbara on the nave ceiling

Sources

* Morelli Gonippo, la chiesa di sants Barbara dei librai, Roma 1927 * C. Rendina, ''Le Chiese di Roma'', Newton & Compton Editori, Milano 2000 * C. Cerchiai, ''Rione V Ponte'', in AA.VV, ''I rioni di Roma'', Newton & Compton Editori, Milano 2000, Vol. I, pp. 335–382 *

Mariano Armellini Mariano Armellini (7 February 1852 – 24 February 1896) was an Italian archaeologist and historian. Born in Rome, he was one of the founders of the Pontifical Academy of Martyrs. He is the author of ''Gli antichi cimiteri cristiani di Roma e d'I ...

br>''Le chiese di Roma dal secolo IV al XIX'', Roma 1891
[https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/I/Gazetteer/Places/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Roma/Rome/_Texts/Titi/1763*/home.html F. Titi, ''Descrizione delle Pitture, Sculture e Architetture esposte in Roma'', Roma 1763] {{DEFAULTSORT:Barbara dei Librai, Rome 17th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Roman Catholic churches in Rome Churches of Rome (rione Parione)