Santa Maria dei Sette Dolori is a

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

church in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

built attached to a convent in the rione of

Trastevere Trastevere () is the 13th of Rome, Italy. It is identified by the initials R. XIII and it is located within Municipio I. Its name comes from Latin (). Its coat of arms depicts a golden head of a lion on a red background, the meaning of which i ...

, located on Via Garibaldi, near the intersection with Via dei Panieri. Construction of the church was begun in 1643 with plans by

Francesco Borromini Francesco Borromini (, ), byname of Francesco Castelli (; 25 September 1599 – 2 August 1667), was an Italian architect born in the modern Switzerland, Swiss canton of Ticino

, annexed to an Augustinian nunnery that was founded by Camilla-Virginia Savelli Farnese, Duchess of Latera. However, when the fortunes of the

House of Farnese The House of Farnese (, also , ) was an influential family in Renaissance Italy. The titles of Duke of Parma and Piacenza, Duke of Latera and Duke of Castro were held by various members of the family. Its most important members included Po ...

declined, so did the funding for the church, and by 1655 the work was stopped. The convent underwent a number of tribulations during the nineteenth century, however, it was not deconsecrated in 1873, as were many other monasteries. Since then, the nunnery has slowly ebbed and most of the convent is now the Hotel Donna Camilla Savelli. The Diocese presently lists the church as being in the care of the few remaining nuns of the order of ''Suore Oblate del Santo Bambino Gesù''. The monastery also served as a place to hide Jews from the fascist authorities active in the

Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. The facade of the church remains in brick, deprived of decoration. It has concave front and some odd-shaped windows that underscore Borromini's

idiosyncrasies. The interior still contains some of the marble sculptural decorations plus a ''St Augustine and the Mystery of the Trinity'' by

Carlo Maratta Carlo Maratta or Maratti (18 May 162515 December 1713) was an Italian Baroque painter and Drawing, draughtsman, active principallly in Rome where he was the leading painter in the second half of the 17th century. He was a fresco and canvas painte ...

and a canvas by

Marco Benefial Marco Benefial (25 April 1684 – 9 April 1764) "Marco Benefial (Getty Museum)" (history), The Getty Museum, 2006, webpage: GM-Benefial. was an Italian, proto- Neoclassical painter, mainly active in Rome. Benefial is best known for h ...

References

External links

Romeartlover with pictures of portal and doorway.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maria dei Sette Dolori Roman Catholic churches in Rome Baroque architecture in Rome Roman Catholic churches completed in 1655 1655 establishments in Italy Churches of Rome (rione Trastevere) 17th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Francesco Borromini buildings