Santa Maria in Via Lata is a church on the

Via del Corso The Via del Corso is a main street in the historical centre of Rome. It is straight in an area otherwise characterized by narrow meandering alleys and small piazzas. Considered a wide street in ancient times, the Corso is approximately 10 metres w ...

(the ancient

Via Lata The Via del Corso is a main street in the historical centre of Rome. It is straight in an area otherwise characterized by narrow meandering alleys and small piazzas. Considered a wide street in ancient times, the Corso is approximately 10 metres w ...

), 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 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 ...

. It stands diagonal from the church of

San Marcello al Corso San Marcello al Corso, a church in Rome, Italy, is a titular church whose cardinal-protector normally holds the (intermediary) rank of cardinal-priest. The church, dedicated to Pope Marcellus I (d. AD 309), is located just inset from Via del ...

. It is the Station days for Tuesday, the fifth week of lent.

History

The first Christian place of worship here was a 5th-century oratory (chapel with welfare centre) in the Roman building beneath the present church. This was constructed within the remains of a large Roman warehouse, some long, which has also been excavated. Murals were added to the lower level between the 7th and 9th centuries (these have been detached for conservation reasons). Due to the frequent flooding of the Tiber, in 1049 the church was rebuilt with an upper level added."Church of Santa Maria in via Lata", Turismo Roma, Major Events, Sport, Tourism and Fashion Department
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Architecture

The Arcus Novus (an arch erected by emperor

Diocletian Diocletian (; la, Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus, grc, Διοκλητιανός, Diokletianós; c. 242/245 – 311/312), nicknamed ''Iovius'', was Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305. He was born Gaius Valerius Diocles ...

in 303–304), which stood on this site were destroyed during reconstruction of the church in 1491. Antonio Tebaldeo, poet and friend of

Raphael Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, better known as Raphael (; or ; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. List of works by Raphael, His work is admired for its clarity of form, ease of ...

, was buried at the end of the north aisle in 1537, though his tomb was designed in 1776. The bell tower is 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 ...

and was built in 1580. There are three bells, two of which bear dates: 1615 and 1465. The bells were reactivated in 2017, with automated programs. In anticipation of the Holy Year of 1650, the church was renovated in 1639 by

Cosimo Fanzago Cosimo Fanzago (Clusone, 12 October 1591 – Napoli, 13 February 1678) was an Italian architect and sculptor, generally considered the greatest such artist of the Baroque period in Naples, Italy. Facade Santa Maria della Sapienza. Biography Fanz ...

, but the façade, with its

Corinthian columns The Corinthian order (Greek: Κορινθιακός ρυθμός, Latin: ''Ordo Corinthius'') is the last developed of the three principal classical orders of Ancient Greek architecture and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric order w ...

imposing vertical emphasis, was completed (1658-1660) based on a design by

Pietro da Cortona Pietro da Cortona (; 1 November 1596 or 159716 May 1669) was an Italian Baroque painter and architect. Along with his contemporaries and rivals Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Francesco Borromini, he was one of the key figures in the emergence of Roman ...

. He appears to evoke a triumphal arch in the facade. The church is built of brick, with limestone details. The facade is done in

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 ...

Interior

Beginning in 1636 and continuing over the next 15 years, the interior was renovated, beginning with the apse and sanctuary and continuing with the nave. On the high altar is the church's 13th century

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 ''

Madonna Advocata The Panagia Agiosoritissa or Hagiosoritissa (Greek: Ἁγιοσορίτισσα) is the name for a type of Marian icon, showing Mary without child, slightly from the side with both hands raised in prayer. The type is known in Latin as Maria Ad ...

'', said to have performed many miracles. The ciborium in the apse is made of

alabaster Alabaster is a mineral or rock that is soft, often used for carving, and is processed for plaster powder. Archaeologists and the stone processing industry use the word differently from geologists. The former use it in a wider sense that includes ...

and

lapis-lazuli Lapis lazuli (; ), or lapis for short, is a deep-blue metamorphic rock used as a semi-precious stone that has been prized since antiquity for its intense color. As early as the 7th millennium BC, lapis lazuli was mined in the Sar-i Sang mines, ...

. The church does not have side chapels, but niches. To the right of the entrance is the baptistery, with a font of black marble. Along the right side of the nave, the first altarpiece is a ''Martydom of St Andrew'' (1685) by

Giacinto Brandi Giacinto Brandi (1621 – 19 January 1691) was an Italian painter from the Baroque era, active mainly in Rome and Naples. left, 250px, ''Christ in Gesthemane'', Pinacoteca Vaticana left, 250px, Dome of the church of San Carlo al Corso ...

, while the second altarpiece is a ''Saints Giuseppe, Nicola, and Biagio'' by

Giuseppe Ghezzi Giuseppe Ghezzi (November 6, 1634–1721) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, active mainly in Rome. Biography Born in Comunanza, in the Marche (then part of the Papal States), he was the son of the painter Sebastiano Ghezzi, a pain ...

. In the chapel to the left of the apse, is a ''Madonna with child and Saints Cyriac and Catherine'' by

Giovanni Odazzi Giovanni Odazzi (1663 – 6 June 1731) was an Italian painter and etcher of the Baroque period, active mainly in Rome. Biography Rest on Flight to Egypt He was a pupil of Ciro Ferri, then worked under the guidance of Giovanni Battista Gaulli. He ...

. The second altar on the left has a ''Saint Paul baptizes Sabine and children'' by

Pier Leone Ghezzi Pier Leone Ghezzi (28 June 1674 – 6 March 1755) was an Italian Rococo painter and caricaturist active in Rome. Biography Ghezzi was born and died in Rome. He trained under his father, Giuseppe Ghezzi, who also trained Antonio Amorosi. ...

while the first altarpiece is a ''Virgin and Saints Lawrence and Anthony'' by Pietro de Pietri. Six oval paintings on the right nave include canvases by P. de Pietri and

Agostino Masucci Agostino Masucci (; c. 1691 – 19 October 1758) was an Italian painter of the late-Baroque or Rococo period. Biography Born in Rome, he initially apprenticed with Andrea Procaccino, and then became a member of the studio of Carlo Maratta. He j ...

. On the left nave are five ovals, painted by P. de Pietri, Masucci, and

Giovanni Domenico Piastrini Giovanni Domenico Piastrini (1678–1740) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, active in Tuscany and Rome. Biography He learned first skills from his father, Francesco Maria, who had painted in the Annunziata and San Lorenzo churches of ...

. In the Chapel of the Sacrament at the bottom of the right aisle are the remains of a

Cosmatesque Cosmatesque, or Cosmati, is a style of geometric decorative inlay stonework typical of the architecture of Medieval Italy, and especially of Rome and its surroundings. It was used most extensively for the decoration of church floors, but was also u ...

-style polychrome marble floor floor.

St. Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...

is said to have spent two years here, in what is now the crypt of the church, whilst under house arrest awaiting his trial."Tuesday: Santa Maria in Via Lata", PNAC
/ref> This conflicts with the tradition regarding San Paolo alla Regola. The same was also claimed for

St Peter ) (Simeon, Simon) , birth_date = , birth_place = Bethsaida, Gaulanitis, Syria, Roman Empire , death_date = Between AD 64–68 , death_place = probably Vatican Hill, Rome, Italia, Roman Empire , parents = John (or Jonah; Jona) , occupation ...

, Paul's secretary

Luke People *Luke (given name), a masculine given name (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Luke (surname) (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Luke the Evangelist, author of the Gospel of Luke. Also known as ...

, and the martyr Martial. An altar in the lower church has a marble bas relief by

Cosimo Fancelli Cosimo Fancelli (c.1620 – 3 April 1688) was an Italian sculptor of the Baroque period, active mainly in Rome. He worked on a number of commissions with Pietro da Cortona from 1647 until Cortona's death in 1669. Gian Lorenzo Berni ...

commemorating the first excavations of the site. Due to its proximity to the Roman residence of Napoleon’s mother, some members of the Bonaparte family were temporarily buried in the church.

List of cardinal deacons

Hadrian Hadrian (; la, Caesar Trâiānus Hadriānus ; 24 January 76 – 10 July 138) was Roman emperor from 117 to 138. He was born in Italica (close to modern Santiponce in Spain), a Roman ''municipium'' founded by Italic settlers in Hispania B ...

(before 772) * Romualdo Guarna (1112–) * Guido de Castello (1127–1133) * Petrus Capuanus (1193–1200) * John of Ferentino (1204/5–1212) * Thomas Capuanus (1216) * Giacomo Colonna (1278–1297) *

Luca Fieschi Luca Fieschi ( – 31 January 1336) was a Genoese nobleman and Roman Catholic cardinal from 1300. A member of the Fieschi family and a relative of the Plantagenets, he held benefices in England and Italy. Although politically a Guelph, he was ch ...

(1300–1306) * Nicolas de Besse (1344–1369) * Pierre de Vergne (1371–1403) * Antonio de Challant (1404–1412) *

Domenico Capranica Domenico Capranica (1400 – 14 July 1458) was an Italian theologian, canonist, statesman, and Cardinal. Life Cardinal Capranica was born in Capranica Prenestina. His younger brother, Angelo, also became a cardinal. After studies in canon a ...

(1430–1444); in commendam (1444–1458) * Rodrigo Lanzol-Borja y Borja, in commendam (1458–1492) * ''vacant'' (1492–1496) * Juan de Borja Llançol de Romaní (1496–1500) * Pedro Luis de Borja Llançol de Romaní (1500–1503); in commendam (1503–1511) *

Marco Cornaro Marco Cornaro (c. 1286 – 13 January 1368), also known as Marco Corner, was the 59th doge of Venice, ruling between 1365 and 1368. His brief reign saw the loss of Venetian territory to Genoa and the Ottoman Empire, though Venice was to enjoy eco ...

(1513–1523) *

Alessandro Cesarini Alessandro Cesarini (died 13 February 1542), bishop of Pistoia, was an Italian cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. Life Born in Rome, the son of Agabito Cesarini, he became close to the Medici family, particularly Cardinal Giovanni di Lore ...

(1523–1540) * Nicolò Ridolfi (1540–1550) *

Innocenzo Cibo Innocenzo Cibo (25 August 1491 – 13 April 1550) was an Italian cardinal and archbishop. Family and education From the Genoese family Cibo, in 1488 the Cybo family purchased Florentine citizenship for a considerable sum of money ...

(1550) * Niccolò Gaddi (1550–1552) * Guidascanio Sforza (1552–1564) * Ippolito II d’Este (1564) *

Vitellozzo Vitelli Vitellozzo Vitelli (c. 1458December 31, 1502) was an Italian condottiero. He was lord of Montone, Città di Castello, Monterchi and Anghiari. Biography Together with his father, Niccolò, who became lord of Città di Castello, and his brothers, ...

(1564–1568) *

Innocenzo Ciocchi del Monte Innocenzo Ciocchi del Monte ( – 1577) was a notorious cardinal whose relationship with Pope Julius III (born Giovanni Maria Ciocchi del Monte) caused grave scandal in the early 16th century. Born in Borgo San Donnino (now Fidenza) to a beggar- ...

(1568–1577) *

Antonio Carafa Antonio Carafa (1538 – 13 January 1591) was an Italian Roman Catholic Cardinal from the House of Carafa. Biography Early years Antonio Carafa was born in Naples to Rinaldo I Carafello Carafa, a local patrician, and Giovanna of the ''signor ...

(1577–1583) * Luigi d’Este (1583–1586) * Ferdinando I de’ Medici (1587–1588) *

Francesco Sforza Francesco I Sforza (; 23 July 1401 – 8 March 1466) was an Italian condottiero who founded the Sforza dynasty in the duchy of Milan, ruling as its (fourth) duke from 1450 until his death. In the 1420s, he participated in the War of L'A ...

(1588–1617) *

Odoardo Farnese Odoardo Farnese (28 April 1612 – 11 September 1646), also known as Odoardo I Farnese to distinguish him from his grandson Odoardo II Farnese, was Duke of Parma, Piacenza and Castro from 1622 to 1646. Biography Odoardo was the eldest legit ...

(1617–1621) *

Andrea Baroni Peretti Montalto Andrea Baroni Peretti (1572–1629) was a Catholic cardinal. Biography On 30 November 1624, he was consecrated bishop by Sebastiano Poggi, Bishop Emeritus of Ripatransone, with Lorenzo Azzolini, Bishop of Ripatransone, and Aloysius Galli ...

(1621) *

Alessandro d’Este Alessandro is both a given name and a surname, the Italian form of the name Alexander. Notable people with the name include: People with the given name Alessandro * Alessandro Allori (1535–1607), Italian portrait painter * Alessandro Baricco ...

(1621–1623) *

Carlo Emmanuele Pio di Savoia Carlo Emanuele Pio di Savoia (5 January 1585 in Ferrara – 1 June 1641 in Rome) was an Italian cardinal of the Pio di Savoia family. He was the uncle of Cardinal Carlo Pio di Savoia. Life His father was Enea Pio di Savoia, Signore di Sassuolo ...

(1623–1626) *

Maurizio di Savoia Maurice of Savoy (10 January 1593 – 4 October 1657, Turin) was a Prince of Savoy and a 17th-century cardinal. Life He was the son of Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy and Infanta Catherine Michelle of Spain. Aged 14, in 1607, he became ...

(1626–1642) *

Antonio Barberini Antonio Barberini (5 August 1607 – 3 August 1671) was an Italian people, Italian Roman Catholic Church, Catholic Cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Reims, Archbishop of Reims, military leader, patron of the arts an ...

(1642–1653) * Giangiacomo Teodoro Trivulzio (1653–1655) * Giulio Gabrielli (1655–1656) * Viriginio Orsini (1656–1666) *

Francesco Maidalchini Francesco Maidalchini (21 April 1631 – 13 June 1700) was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. Early life Maidalchini was born 12 April 1631 in Viterbo, the son of Andrea Maidalchini and Pacifica Feliziani. His father was the b ...

(1666–1689) * Nicolò Acciaioli (1689) * Urbano Sacchetti (1689–1693) *

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 ...

(1693–1730) *

Lorenzo Altieri Lorenzo may refer to: People * Lorenzo (name) Places Peru * San Lorenzo Island (Peru), sometimes referred to as the island of Lorenzo United States * Lorenzo, Illinois * Lorenzo, Texas * San Lorenzo, California, formerly Lorenzo * Lorenzo State ...

(1730–1741) *

Carlo Maria Marini Carlo is a given name. It is an Italian form of Charles. It can refer to: * Carlo (name) *Monte Carlo * Carlingford, New South Wales, a suburb in north-west Sydney, New South Wales, Australia *A satirical song written by Dafydd Iwan about Prince ...

(1741–1747) *

Alessandro Albani Alessandro Albani (15 October 1692 – 11 December 1779) was a Roman Catholic cardinal, but should be best remembered as a leading collector of antiquities, dealer and art patron in Rome. He supported the art historian, Johann Joachim Winckelmann ...

(1747–1779) * Domenico Orsini d’Aragona (1779–1789) * Ignazio Gaetano Boncompagni-Ludovisi (1789–1790) * Gregorio Antonio Maria Salviati (1790–1794) *

Vincenzo Maria Altieri Vincenzo Maria Altieri (1724–1800) was an Italian Roman Catholic cardinal from 1777 to 1800. He belonged to the Altieri family, one of the noble families of Rome. Biography Vincenzo Maria Altieri was born in Rome on 27 November 1724, the son ...

(1794–1798) * Antonio Maria Doria Pamphilj (1800–1821) * Fabrizio Dionigi Ruffo (1821–1827) *

Giuseppe Albani Giuseppe (Andrea) Albani (13 September 1750 – 3 December 1834) was an Italian Roman Catholic Cardinal. He played an important role in the elections of Leo XII, Pius VIII and Gregory XVI. Biography Albani was born in Rome into a noble fam ...

(1828–1834) *

Tommaso Riario Sforza Tommaso Riario Sforza (8 January 1782 in Naples – 14 March 1857 in Rome) was the Neapolitan Cardinal who, as protodeacon, announced at the end of the 1846 conclave the election of Cardinal Giovanni Mastai-Ferretti as Pope Pius IX. He ...

(1834–1857) * Ludovico Gazzoli (1857–1858) *

Giuseppe Ugolini Giuseppe is the Italian form of the given name Joseph, from Latin Iōsēphus from Ancient Greek Ἰωσήφ (Iōsḗph), from Hebrew יוסף. It is the most common name in Italy and is unique (97%) to it. The feminine form of the name is Giuse ...

(1858–1867) *

Giacomo Antonelli Giacomo Antonelli (2 April 1806 – 6 November 1876) was an Italian cardinal deacon. He was the Cardinal Secretary of State from 1848 until his death; he played a key role in Italian politics, resisting the unification of Italy and affectin ...

(1868–1876) *

Prospero Caterini Prospero Caterini (15 October 1795, in Onano – 28 October 1881, in Rome) was an Italian cardinal. Biography Prospero Caterini was born in Onano, diocese of Acquapendente in the region of Lazio in what was then the Papal States. His parents ...

(1876–1881) *

Teodolfo Mertel Teodolfo Mertel (9 February 1806 – 11 July 1899) was a lawyer, deacon, and cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the last cardinal not to have been ordained at least a priest. Life He was born in the town of Allumiere, in the Provinc ...

(1881–1884) * Lorenzo Ilarione Randi (1884–1887) *

Joseph Hergenröther Joseph Hergenröther (15 September 1824 – 3 October 1890) was a German Church historian and canonist, and the first Cardinal-Prefect of the Vatican Archive. Biography Born in Würzburg, he was the second son of Johann Jacob Hergenröth ...

(1887–1890) *

Isidoro Verga Isidoro Verga (29 April 1832 – 10 August 1899) was an Italian canon lawyer and cardinal. He was created cardinal in 1884, and became bishop of Albano and Apostolic Penitentiary in 1896, and given the titular church of San Callisto San Callist ...

(1891–1896) *

Luigi Macchi Aloysius “Luigi” Macchi (3 March 1832, in Viterbo – 29 March 1907, in Rome) was an Italian Catholic nobleman and a Cardinal. He was a nephew of Cardinal Vincenzo Macchi. In 1859, he was ordained a priest. In 1860, he was referendary o ...

(1896–1907) * ''vacant'' (1907–1911) *

Louis Billot Louis Billot (12 January 1846 in Sierck-les-Bains, Moselle, France – 18 December 1931 in Ariccia, Latium, Italy) was a French Jesuit priest and theologian. He became a cardinal in 1911 and resigned from that status in 1927, the only person to d ...

SJ (1911–1927) * ''vacant'' (1927–1937) *

Giuseppe Pizzardo Giuseppe Pizzardo (13 July 1877 – 1 August 1970) was an Italian cardinal of the Catholic Church who served as prefect of the Congregation for Seminaries and Universities from 1939 to 1968, and secretary of the Holy Office from 1951 to 1959 ...

, cardinal priest ''

pro hac vice In the legal field, ''pro hac vice'' () is a practice in common law jurisdictions whereby a lawyer who has not been admitted to practice in a certain jurisdiction is allowed to participate in a particular case in that jurisdiction. Although ''pro ...

'' (1937–1948) * ''vacant'' (1948–1953) *

Valerian Gracias Valerian Gracias (23 October 1900 – 11 September 1978) was an Indian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Bombay from 1950 until his death and was elevated to the rank of cardinal in 1953 by Pope Pius XII. Biogr ...

, cardinal priest ''pro hac vice'' (1953–1978) * Wladyslaw Rubin (1979–1990); cardinal priest ''pro hac vice'' (1990) *

Edward Idris Cassidy Edward Idris Cassidy AC (5 July 1924 – 10 April 2021) was an Australian prelate of the Catholic Church who was president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity from 1989 to 2001. He headed the Commission of the Holy See f ...

(1991–2021); cardinal priest ''pro hac vice'' (2021) *

Fortunato Frezza Fortunato Frezza (born 6 February 1942) is an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church who devoted his career to Biblical scholarship and teaching. He has been a canon of St. Peter's Basilica since 2013. Pope Francis made him a cardinal on 27 Au ...

(2022–present)

References

Bibliography

* * Luigi Cavazzi, ''La diaconia di S. Maria in Via Lata e il monastero di S. Ciriaco: memorie storiche'' (Roma: F. Pustet, 1908). *

Richard Krautheimer Richard Krautheimer (6 July 1897 in Fürth (Franconia), Germany – 1 November 1994 in Rome, Italy) was a 20th-century art historian, architectural historian, Baroque scholar, and Byzantinist. Biography Krautheimer was born in Germany in 1897, th ...

, ''Corpus Basilicarum Christianarum Romae: The Early Christian Basilicas of Rome (IV-IX Cent.)'' (Roma:Pontificio Istituto de archeologia cristiana, 1937), pp. 72 ff. * ''Santa Maria in Via Lata'' (Roma: Tip. Centenari, 1959) hiese di Roma, cenni religiosi, storici, artistici, 87 * Tyrone Joseph Castellarin, ''The Facade of Santa Maria in Via Lata by Pietro Da Cortona'' (Columbus OH: Ohio State University Press 1966) issertation * Carlo Bertelli and Carlo Galassi Paluzzi, ''S. Maria in via Lata'' (Rome, Marietti,

971 Year 971 ( CMLXXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Battle of Dorostolon: A Byzantine expeditionary army (possibly 30–40,000 men) ...

. * Ingrid Baumgartner, ''Regesten aus dem Kapitelarchiv von S. Maria in Via Lata (1201-1259)'' Teil 1, Teil 2 (Tübingen: Max Niemeyer Verlag, 1994, 1995). * Marcello Villani, ''La facciata di S. Maria in via Lata: committenza, iconologia, proporzionamento, ordini'' (Roma: Quasar 2006). * Roberta Pardi, ''La diaconia di Santa Maria in Via Lata, Roma'' (Roma: Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato, 2006). * Maria Costanza Pierdomenici, ''La chiesa di Santa Maria in via Lata: note di storia e di restauro'' (Roma: Gangeni Editore 2011).

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Maria In Via Lata, Santa 5th-century churches Maria Via Lata Maria Via Lata Baroque architecture in Rome Burial sites of the House of Bonaparte Roman Catholic churches completed in 1660 1660 establishments in Italy Churches of Rome (rione Pigna) 17th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Pietro da Cortona buildings