Santa Maria in Campitelli or Santa Maria in Portico (''Santa Maria in Portico di Campitelli'') is a church dedicated to the

Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother o ...

on the narrow Piazza di Campitelli in

Rione Sant'Angelo Sant'Angelo is the 11th ''rione'' of Rome, Italy, located in Municipio I. Often written as ''rione XI - Sant'Angelo'', it has a coat of arms with an angel on a red background, holding a palm branch in its left hand. In another version, the angel h ...

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 Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

. The church is served by the Clerics Regular of the Mother of God.

History

Tradition holds that a primitive oratory or church was founded at the site during the years 523–526, under the papacy of

Pope John I Pope John I ( la, Ioannes I; died 18 May 526) was the bishop of Rome from 13 August 523 to his death. He was a native of Siena (or the "Castello di Serena", near Chiusdino), in Italy. He was sent on a diplomatic mission to Constantinople by the ...

. This structure was located near the

Porticus Octaviae The Porticus Octaviae (Portico of Octavia; it, Portico di Ottavia) is an ancient structure in Rome. The colonnaded walks of the portico enclosed the temples of Jupiter Stator and Juno Regina, as well as a library. The structure was used as a fi ...

(giving the church and icon its name of "Madonna of the Portico"). The structure was created to house a venerated 25 cm-high

icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Catholic churches. They are not simply artworks; "an icon is a sacred image used in religious devotion". The most ...

of the Virgin Mary and Saints Peter and Paul. According to legend, the icon appeared miraculously in 524 at the table of Galla, a Roman woman who was helping the poor, and it was said to be carried in processions since 590.Schofield, Nicholas. "Santa Maria in Campitelli: an old Roman church with strong British connections", Venerable English College, Rome, 26 February 2020
/ref> The initial church structure was the no-longer extant Oratory of Santa Galla, located across the piazza from the present church, and which was attached to a hospital of the same name. More recent analysis of the style and

dendrochronology Dendrochronology (or tree-ring dating) is the scientific method of dating tree rings (also called growth rings) to the exact year they were formed. As well as dating them, this can give data for dendroclimatology, the study of climate and atmos ...

of the icon date it to the 11th century. The image is very likely a reproduction of some ancient painting or mosaic venerated in the Galla portico. Circa 1656, the city of Rome was ravaged by plague, and it was felt that the prayers to this icon, which had been carried in procession through the streets, had played a role in stopping the epidemic. This putative miraculous intervention prompted

Pope Alexander VII Pope Alexander VII ( it, Alessandro VII; 13 February 159922 May 1667), born Fabio Chigi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 April 1655 to his death in May 1667. He began his career as a vice- papal legate, an ...

to erect a grander church, instead of the ancient oratory, to house the icon. He commissioned the high

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

design from

Carlo Rainaldi Carlo Rainaldi (4 May 1611 – 8 February 1691) was an Italian architect of the Baroque period. Biography Born in Rome, Rainaldi was one of the leading architects of 17th century Rome, known for a certain grandeur in his designs. He worked at f ...

, and construction took place between 1659 and 1667. The church was kept under the maintenance by the order of Clerics Regular of the Mother of God, that had been founded in

Lucca Lucca ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the Serchio River, in a fertile plain near the Ligurian Sea. The city has a population of about 89,000, while its province has a population of 383,957. Lucca is known as one o ...

. Rainaldi's facade has a complex stacking of two levels of

travertine Travertine ( ) is a form of terrestrial limestone deposited around mineral springs, especially hot springs. It often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, cream-colored, and even rusty varieties. It is formed by a pro ...

Corinthian Corinthian or Corinthians may refer to: *Several Pauline epistles, books of the New Testament of the Bible: **First Epistle to the Corinthians **Second Epistle to the Corinthians **Third Epistle to the Corinthians (Orthodox) *A demonym relating to ...

(below) and composite columns, detached from the facade, and emphasizing a strong vertical lines."Church of Santa Maria in Portico in Campitelli", Turismo Roma, Major Events, Sport, Tourism and Fashion Department
/ref> The original design included statues which were however never executed. The portal has an inscription offering ''plenary indulgence daily to the living and dead''. Santa Maria in Portico is a

diaconate A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Churc ...

; it has as its current

Cardinal-Deacon A cardinal ( la, Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae cardinalis, literally 'cardinal of the Holy Roman Church') is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. Cardinals are created by the ruling pope and typically hold the title for life. Col ...

Michael Louis Fitzgerald Michael Louis Fitzgerald (born 17 August 1937) is a British cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and an expert on Christian–Muslim relations. He has had the rank of archbishop since 2002. At his retirement in 2012, he was the papal nun ...

. To the left of the facade is a fountain by

Giacomo della Porta Giacomo della Porta (1532–1602) was an Italian architect and sculptor, who worked on many important buildings in Rome, including St. Peter's Basilica. He was born at Porlezza, Lombardy and died in Rome. Biography Giacomo Della Porta was b ...

. The Church was a location for the 2021 movie ''

House of Gucci ''House of Gucci'' is a 2021 American biographical crime drama film directed by Ridley Scott, based on the 2001 book ''The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed'' by Sara Gay Forden. The film follows Patriz ...

'' for the scene of the wedding of Patrizia (Lady Gaga) and Maurizio (Adam Driver).

Interior

Rome Santa Maria in Campitelli 2020 P02 Santa Maria in Portico

The main altar of the church houses the icon in a gilded ''glory'' or ''gloria'' of angels, clouds and rays of light, recalling the effects used by

Bernini Gian Lorenzo (or Gianlorenzo) Bernini (, , ; Italian Giovanni Lorenzo; 7 December 159828 November 1680) was an Italian sculptor and architect. While a major figure in the world of architecture, he was more prominently the leading sculptor of his ...

for the apse of

Basilica of St Peter The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican ( it, Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano), or simply Saint Peter's Basilica ( la, Basilica Sancti Petri), is a Church (building), church built in the Renaissance architecture, Renaissanc ...

. Designed by Rainaldi (c.1666), it was completed by

Giovanni Antonio de Rossi Giovanni Antonio de' Rossi (1616–1695) was an Italian architect of the Baroque period, active mainly in Rome. Life He was a contemporary of Carlo Rainaldi. In 1657, he completed the sacristy of Tivoli Cathedral. That same year, he designed the r ...

Ercole Ferrata Ercole Ferrata ( 1610 – 10 July 1686) was an Italian sculptor of the Roman Baroque. Biography A native of Pellio Inferiore, near Como, Ferrata initially apprenticed with Alessandro Algardi, and became one of his prime assistants. When h ...

and Giovanni Paolo Schor. The main altar enshrines the small icon of Santa Maria in Portico. The icon is a precious work of silver-gilt and

champlevé enamel Champlevé is an enamelling technique in the decorative arts, or an object made by that process, in which troughs or cells are carved, etched, die struck, or Casting (metalworking), cast into the surface of a metal object, and filled with vitreo ...

, probably from the 11th century. There is a staircase behind the 'gloria' allowing a better view of the icon, open by request only. In the right crossing is the funerary monument of

Cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...

Bartolomeo Pacca Bartolomeo Pacca (27 December 1756, Benevento – 19 April 1844) was an Italian cardinal, scholar, and statesman as Cardinal Secretary of State. Pacca served as apostolic nuncio to Cologne, and later to Lisbon. Biography Bartolomeo Pacca was ...

(died 1863), sculpted by

Ferdinando Pettrich Friedrich August Ferdinand Pettrich (1798 – 14 February 1872) was a German sculptor active in Germany, Brazil, the United States, and Italy. He was an internationally famous portrait sculptor who created busts of political figures in Washingto ...

Chapels

* Chapel of St. Michael the Archangel: The first chapel on the right has an altarpiece depicting ''St Michael Archangel'' by

Sebastiano Conca Sebastiano Conca (8 January 1680 – 1 September 1764) was an Italian painter. Biography He was born at Gaeta, then part of the Kingdom of Naples, and apprenticed in Naples under Francesco Solimena. In 1706, along with his brother Giovanni, who ...

. * Chapel of St. Anne: The second chapel, designed by Rainaldi, has an altarpiece depicting ''Saints Anne, Joseph, and Mary'' by

Luca Giordano Luca Giordano (18 October 1634 – 3 January 1705) was an Italian late-Baroque painter and printmaker in etching. Fluent and decorative, he worked successfully in Naples and Rome, Florence, and Venice, before spending a decade in Spain. Ear ...

. The angels are by Michel Maille,

Francesco Cavallini Francesco, the Italian (and original) version of the personal name "Francis", is the most common given name among males in Italy. Notable persons with that name include: People with the given name Francesco * Francesco I (disambiguation), sever ...

, and

Francesco Baratta Francesco Baratta the elder (c. 1590–1666) was an Italian sculptor of the Baroque period. He was born in Massa, Tuscany, Massa di Carrara, and moved to Rome to work under Gian Lorenzo Bernini. He was one of many siblings, one of whom, Francesco ...

. * Capella Muta Busi: The third chapel on the right displays an ancient Roman alabaster column, previously part of the old oratory. * Albertoni Chapel: In the first chapel on the left, was refurbished (1705) by commission of Prince Angelo Altieri, and designed by Sebastiano Cipriani. The bas-relief altarpiece depicts a ''Holy Family and

Blessed Blessed may refer to: * The state of having received a blessing * Blessed, a title assigned by the Roman Catholic Church to someone who has been beatified Film and television * ''Blessed'' (2004 film), a 2004 motion picture about a supernatural ...

Ludovica Albertoni'' by

Lorenzo Ottoni Lorenzo Ottoni, also known as Lorenzo Ottone or Lorenzone, (1658–1736) was an Italian sculptor who was commissioned by the papacy and various noble houses of Renaissance Italy. Life Ottoni was born in Rome in 1658 and spent the majority of h ...

.Melchiorri, page 327. The site chosen for this church included the location of the house where Ludovica Albertoni had lived. In 1669 Gaspare Paluzzi Albertoni had married Laura Caterina Altieri, niece of Pope

Clement X Pope Clement X ( la, Clemens X; it, Clemente X; 13 July 1590 – 22 July 1676), born Emilio Bonaventura Altieri, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 29 April 1670 to his death in July 1676. Elected pope at ag ...

. This Pope, whose family name would have otherwise died, had this Albertoni change their surnames to Altieri. Flanking the Baroque Ottoni relief are two neoclassical funerary monuments of Altieri family members. * Albertoni Altieri Chapel: The second chapel on the left was commissioned by Cardinal

Paluzzo Paluzzi Altieri degli Albertoni Paluzzo Paluzzi Altieri degli Albertoni (8 June 1623 – 29 June 1698) was an Italian Catholic Cardinal and Cardinal-Nephew to Pope Clement X. Biography Altieri was born Paluzzo Paluzzi degli Albertoni in Rome, the eldest of two sons to Antoni ...

, and designed by Giovanni Battista Contini. The angels in the cardinal's funerary monument here were sculpted by Giuseppe Mazzuoli. The main altarpiece was painted by Il Baciccia, while the ceiling frescoes were painted by Giacinto Calandrucci. The remains of John Leonardi, San Giovanni Leonardi, founder of the Clerics Regular, is enshrined under the altar. * Capizucchi Chapel/: In the third chapel to the left is an altarpiece depicting the ''Conversion of St Paul'' by Ludovico Gimignani. The ceiling was frescoed by Ricciolini. This chapel was commissioned by a member of the Capizucchi family, and designed by Mattia de Rossi. Since the time of the James Francis Edward Stuart, the church has been a center of devotion praying for the conversion of England back to Catholicism. File:Santa Maria in Campitelli (Rome) - Interior.jpg, View towards main altar and gilded ''glory'' File:SantaMariaCampitelli-Altare01-SteO153.JPG, SantaMariaCampitelli-Altar File:ROMA 2010 (5101827424).jpg, Marble bas-relief depicting the ''Holy Family and Blessed Ludovica Albertoni'' by Ottoni. File:S M in Campitelli - organo P1110410.JPG, pipe organ

List of cardinal deacons

Ippolito de' Rossi Ippolito de' Rossi (1531–1591) was a Roman Catholic cardinal. Episcopal succession He was the principal co-consecrator A consecrator is a bishop who ordains someone to the episcopacy. A co-consecrator is someone who assists the consecrato ...

(1586–1587) * Vincenzo Costaguti (1643–1652) *

Benedetto Pamphilj Benedetto Pamphili (often with the final ''long i'' orthography, Pamphilj) (25 April 1653 – 22 March 1730) was an Italian cardinal, patron of the arts and librettist for many composers. Life Pamphili was born in Rome on 25 April 1653 int ...

(1681–1685) *

Melchior de Polignac Melchior Cardinal de Polignac (11 October 1661 – 20 November 1742) was a French diplomat, Cardinal and neo-Latin poet. Second son of Armand XVI, marquis de Polignac and Marquis Chalancon, Governor of Puy; and Jacqueline de Beauvoir -Grimoard-d ...

(1724) * Giacomo Lanfredini (1734–1741) * Henry Stuart (1747–1759) * Flavio Chigi (1759–1771) * Filippo Carandini (1787–1794) * Charles Erskine (1803–1811) * Stanislao Sanseverino (1816–1825) *

Belisario Cristaldi ''Belisario'' (''Belisarius'') is a ''tragedia lirica'' (tragic opera) in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti. Salvadore Cammarano wrote the Italian libretto after Luigi Marchionni's adaptation of play, ''Belisarius'', first staged in Munich in 1 ...

(1828–1831) *

Adriano Fieschi Adriano or Adrião is the form of the Latin given name ''Hadrianus'' commonly used in the Italian language; the form Adrian is used in the English language. Notable people with the name include: * Adriano Banchieri, Italian composer, music theori ...

(1838–1843) *

Lodovico Altieri Lodovico Altieri (17 July 1805 – 11 August 1867) was an Italian Roman Catholic cardinal. He served in various capacities under various popes and belonged to a noble Roman house making him a descendant of Pope Clement X. The sainthood proces ...

(1845–1860) * Francesco Pentini (1863–1869) * Bartolomeo Pacca, Jr. (1875–1880) * Francesco Ricci Paracciani (1882–1891) *

Francesco Segna Francesco Segna S.T.D. (31 August 1836 - 4 January 1911) was a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and Archivist of the Holy Roman Church. Francesco Segna was born in Poggio Ginolfo, Italy. He was of a noble and rich family. He was edu ...

(1894–1911) * Giovanni Lugari (1911–1914) *

Francis Aidan Gasquet Francis Aidan Cardinal Gasquet (born Francis Neil Gasquet; 5 October 1846 – 5 April 1929) was an English Benedictine monk and historical scholar. He was created Cardinal in 1914. Life Gasquet was the third of six children of Raymond Gasquet, ...

, OSB (1915–1924; Cardinal priest: 1924–1929) *

Massimo Massimi Massimo Massimi (10 April 1877 – 6 March 1954) was an Italian cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura in the Roman Curia from 1946 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1935. ...

(1935–1946; Cardinal priest: 1946–1954) *

Carlo Chiarlo Carlo Chiarlo (4 November 1881 – 21 January 1964) was an Italian cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as nuncio to several countries, mostly Latin American, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1958. Biography Born in Pontre ...

(Cardinal priest: 1958–1964) *

Charles Journet Charles Journet (26 January 1891 – 15 April 1975) was a Swiss Roman Catholic theologian. He was the first Swiss named a cardinal. Journet has been considered a figure of holiness and a candidate for canonisation; he has been accorded the title ...

(1965–1973; Cardinal priest: 1973–1975) *

Corrado Bafile Corrado Bafile (4 July 1903 – 3 February 2005) was an Italian cardinal of the Catholic Church who served as Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints from 1975 to 1980, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1976. At the time of his ...

(1976–1987; Cardinal priest: 1987–2005) *

Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo (27 August 1925 – 19 November 2017) was an Italian prelate of the Catholic church. He worked in the diplomatic service of the Holy See from 1977 until he retired in 2001. As Archpriest of the Basilica of Saint ...

(2006–2017) *

Michael L. Fitzgerald Michael Louis Fitzgerald (born 17 August 1937) is a British cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and an expert on Christian–Muslim relations. He has had the rank of archbishop since 2002. At his retirement in 2012, he was the papal nun ...

(2019–present)

References

External links

website

"Santa Maria in Campitelli", Churches of Rome

"Celebrated Sanctuaries of the Madonna", ''The Rambler'', 1860, p. 211
{{DEFAULTSORT:Santa Maria In Campitelli Roman Catholic churches completed in 1667 Maria Campitelli Maria Campitelli Maria Campitelli 1667 establishments in Italy Maria Campitelli