Santa Maria della Pace is a 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 ...

, central

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 ...

, not far from

Piazza Navona Piazza Navona () is a public open space in Rome, Italy. It is built on the site of the Stadium of Domitian, built in the 1st century AD, and follows the form of the open space of the stadium. The ancient Romans went there to watch the '' agones' ...

. The building lies in rione Ponte.

History

The current building was built on the foundations of the pre-existing church of Sant'Andrea de Aquarizariis in 1482, commissioned by

Pope Sixtus IV Pope Sixtus IV ( it, Sisto IV: 21 July 1414 – 12 August 1484), born Francesco della Rovere, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 August 1471 to his death in August 1484. His accomplishments as pope include ...

. The church was rededicated to the Virgin Mary to commemmorate a miraculous bleeding of a Madonna image there in 1480. The author of the original design is not known, though

Baccio Pontelli Baccio Pontelli (c. 1450 – 1492) was an Italian architect, who designed the Sistine Chapel in The Vatican City. Baccio is an abbreviation of Bartolomeo. Pontelli was born in Florence. Passing the phase of artistic formation with Giuliano and ...

has been proposed. In 1656–67 Pope Alexander VII commissioned

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 ...

to enlarge the tiny Piazza della Pace in front of the 15th-century church of Santa Maria, to accommodate the carriages of its wealthy parishioners. Vasi_1747_San_Tommaso_in_Parione

Several houses had to be demolished. This also involved the design of a new Baroque facade complete with semicircular portico. The newly formed piazza, focused on the church facade even in its architectural detailing, had the additional benefits of facilitating the turning of coaches which had become so fashionable with the Roman nobility of the time and creating an ingenious unified ensemble of the church in its urban setting. The play of concave and convex forms at varying scales in and around the predominant main facade masks the neighboring buildings, extends the apparent breadth of the facade and so increases the visual impact on the spectator physically confined by the small trapezoidal piazza. The monumental effect of the plasticity of forms, spatial layering and chiarascuro lighting effects belies the actual scale of this urban intervention. The inscription around the porch architrave is taken from

Psalm 72 Psalm 72 is the 72nd psalm from the Book of Psalms. Traditionally seen as being written by King Solomon, its heading may be translated 'to or for Solomon'. In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate t ...

: SUSCIPIANT MONTES PACEM POPULO ET COLLES IUSTITIAM ("The mountains shall bring peace to the people; and the hills, justice"). This reference to the 'mountains' of the coat of arms of the

Chigi family The House of Chigi () is an Italian princely family of Sienese origin descended from the counts of Ardenghesca, which possessed castles in the Maremma, southern Tuscany. Later, the family settled in Rome. The earliest authentic mention of them i ...

, to which Alexander VII belonged, is presumably an allusion to the benefits of his papal reign. Oak leaf motifs, another Chigi family emblem, can also be found on the facade. On the upper facade, Cortona had the curved travertine panels cut to make grained matching patterns, in an unusual use of this particular material.

Interior

The interior, which can be reached from the original fifteenth-century door, has a short nave with cruciform vaulting and a tribune surmounted by a cupola. Cortona articulated the interior of the dome with octagonal coffering and a series of ribs radiating from the lantern. This is an early example of combining these two forms of dome decoration and was employed by

Gianlorenzo 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 ...

in his later churches at

Ariccia Ariccia (Latin: ''Aricia'') is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Rome, central Italy, southeast of Rome. It is in the Alban Hills of the Lazio (Latium) region and could be considered an extension of Rome's southeastern suburbs. One ...

and Castelgandolfo.

Carlo Maderno Carlo Maderno (Maderna) (1556 – 30 January 1629) was an Italian architect, born in today's Ticino, who is remembered as one of the fathers of Baroque architecture. His façades of Santa Susanna, St. Peter's Basilica and Sant'Andrea della Vall ...

designed the high altar (1614) to enframe the venerable icon of the ''Madonna and Child''.

Chigi Chapel

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 ...

began to fresco the '' Sibyls receiving angelic instruction'' (1514) above the arch of the Chigi Chapel, the first altar on your right, commissioned by

Agostino Chigi Agostino Andrea Chigi (29 November 1466 – April 11, 1520) was an Italian banker and patron of the Renaissance. Born in Siena, he was the son of the prominent banker Mariano Chigi, a member of the ancient and illustrious Chigi family. He moved ...

, the papal banker. The ''Deposition'' over the altar is 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 ...

Cesi Chapel

The second chapel on the right, the Cesi Chapel, was designed by

Antonio da Sangallo the Younger 250px, A model of the Apostolic Palace, which was the main project of Bramante during Sangallo's apprenticeship. 250px, The church of Santa Maria di Loreto near the Rome.html"_;"title="Trajan's_Market_in_Rome">Trajan's_Market_in_Rome. image: ...

,"Santa Maria della Pace", Fodor's Expert Review
/ref> and has a very fine Renaissance decoration on the external arch by Simone Mosca, as well as two small frescoes, the ''Creation of Eve'' and the ''Original Sin'' by

Rosso Fiorentino Giovanni Battista di Jacopo (8 March 1495 in Gregorian style, or 1494 according to the calculation of times in Florence where the year began on 25 March – 14 November 1540), known as Rosso Fiorentino (meaning "Red Florentine" in Italian) ...

Ponzetti Chapel

The first chapel on the left (Ponzetti Chapel) holds the noteworthy Renaissance fresco "Madonna with Saints" by

Baldassarre Peruzzi Baldassare Tommaso Peruzzi (7 March 1481 – 6 January 1536) was an Italian architect and painter, born in a small town near Siena (in Ancaiano, ''frazione'' of Sovicille) and died in Rome. He worked for many years with Bramante, Raphael, and lat ...

, who is better known as an architect. The second chapel has marble taken from the ruins of the

Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus The Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, also known as the Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus ( la, Aedes Iovis Optimi Maximi Capitolini; it, Tempio di Giove Ottimo Massimo; ) was the most important temple in Ancient Rome, located on the Capitoline ...

. The tribune has paintings by

Carlo Maratta Carlo Maratta or Maratti (13 May 162515 December 1713) was an Italian painter, active mostly in Rome, and known principally for his classicizing paintings executed in a Late Baroque Classical manner. Although he is part of the classical tradition ...

, Peruzzi,

Orazio Gentileschi Orazio Lomi Gentileschi (1563–1639) was an Italian painter. Born in Tuscany, he began his career in Rome, painting in a Mannerist style, much of his work consisting of painting the figures within the decorative schemes of other artists. After ...

Francesco Albani Francesco Albani or Albano (17 March or 17 August 1578 – 4 October 1660) was an Italian Baroque painter who was active in Bologna (1591–1600), Rome (1600–1609), Bologna (1609), Viterbo (1609–1610), Bologna (1610), Rome (1610–1617) ...

and others. A main feature of the church and monastery complex is the Bramante cloister. Built in 1500–1504 for Cardinal

Oliviero Carafa Oliviero Carafa (10 March 1430 – 20 January 1511), in Latin Oliverius Carafa, was an Italian cardinal and diplomat of the Renaissance. Like the majority of his era's prelates, he displayed the lavish and conspicuous standard of living that was ...

, it was the first work of

Donato Bramante Donato Bramante ( , , ; 1444 – 11 April 1514), born as Donato di Pascuccio d'Antonio and also known as Bramante Lazzari, was an Italian architect and painter. He introduced Renaissance architecture to Milan and the High Renaissance style ...

in the city. It has two levels: the first is

articulated An articulated vehicle is a vehicle which has a permanent or semi-permanent pivot joint in its construction, allowing it to turn more sharply. There are many kinds, from heavy equipment to buses, trams and trains. Steam locomotives were sometim ...

by shallow pilasters set against an arcade; the second also has pilasters set against an arcade which is vertically continuous with the lower story, but with columns located in between each arch span. The cloister has an exhibition space and a coffee bar on the upper level.

Gallery

File:Santa maria maggiore, cappella maggiore.jpg, The altare maggiore in the main chapel File:Cappella cesi, 00.jpg, Cappella Cesi File:Cappella olgiati 01 con battesimo di cristo di orazio gentileschi, 1603,.jpg, Cappella Olgiati File:2013-06-04 ROMA S. MARIA DELLA PACE.JPG, Dome File:Santa Maria della Pace September 2015-1a.jpg, Bramante cloister File:Grabmal G. Bocciacio SM della Pace.jpg, Frescoes in the cloister File:Raffaello, Sibille e angeli, 1514, 04.jpg, Detail of Raphael's ''Sibyls''

Cardinal Priests

The Church of Santa Maria della Pace was designated as a ''titulus'' for a Cardinal-Priest on 13 April 1587 by Pope Sixtus V. The holders of the title were:Patrice Gauchat, ''Hierarchia catholica medii et recentioris aevi'' Volumen Quartum (Monasterii 1935), p. 45. *

Antonmaria Salviati Antonio Maria Salviati (January 21, 1537 – April 26, 1602) was a Republic of Florence, Florentine Roman Catholic cardinal. Biography Salviati was born in Florence, son of Lorenzo Salviati and Costanza Conti, the nephew of cardinals Bernardo ...

(20 April 1587 – 23 April 1600) *

Flaminio Piatti Flaminio may refer to: Geography * Flaminio (Rome), a quartiere * Flaminio – Piazza del Popolo (Rome Metro), an underground station * Rignano Flaminio, a comune in the Metropolitan City of Rome * Stadio Flaminio, a stadium in Rome Other * Il Fla ...

(24 April 1600 – 1 November 1613) * Giacomo Serra (28 September 1615 – 19 August – 19 August 1623) *

Alessandro d'Este Alessandro d'Este (1568–1624) was a 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 *'' E ...

(2 October 1623 – 13 May 1624). *

Melchior Klesl Melchior Khlesl (Klesl,Klesel,CleseliusHe uses the spelling Khlesl himself in his German-language correspondence: Victor Bibl, Klesl's Briefe an K. Rudolfs II. Obersthofmeister Adam Freiherrn von Dietrichstein (1583-1589). Ein Beitrag zur Geschic ...

(1 July 1624 – 18 September 1630) * Fabrizio Verospi (5 September 1633 – 27 January 1639) *

Marcantonio Franciotti Marco Antonio Franciotti (1592 – 8 February 1666) was an Italian Catholic Cardinal and Bishop of Lucca. Early life Franciotti was born in 1592 in Lucca, Tuscany, the son of Curzio Franciotti. He was educated at the University of Bologna ...

(19 December 1639 – 8 February 1666) * Giacomo Filippo Nini (15 March 1666 – 11 August 1680) *

Stefano Brancaccio Stefano Brancaccio (1618–1682) was a Roman Catholic cardinal. On 1 January 1645, he was consecrated bishop by Francesco Barberini (seniore), Cardinal-Bishop of Porto e Santa Rufina Porto or Oporto () is the second-largest city in Portugal, ...

(22 September 1681 – 8 September 1682) * Carlo Barberini (27 September 1683 – 30 April 1685) * Giacomo Franzoni (30 April 1685 – 10 November 1687) * Augustyn Michal Stefan Radziejowski (14 November 1689 – 11 October 1705) * Lorenzo Maria Fieschi (25 June 1706 – 1 May 1726) *

Carlo Alberto Guidobono Cavalchini Carlo Alberto Guidoboni CavalchiniOr Guidobono. (26 July 1683 – 7 March 1774) was an Italian Cardinal. Considered ''papabile'' in the Papal conclave, 1758, he was vetoed by Louis XV of France under the ''jus exclusivae''. A lawyer by education ...

(23 September 1743 – 12 February 1759) * Antonio Maria Priuli (13 July 1759 – 19 April 1762) *

Marcantonio Colonna (iuniore) Marcantonio Colonna (16 August 1724 – 4 December 1793) was an Italian Catholic cardinal. Born in Rome on 16 August 1724, Colonna was made Cardinal-Deacon of Santa Maria in Aquiro by Pope Clement XIII on 19 November 1759. He was then ordained a ...

(19 April 1762 – 25 June 1784) *

Ignazio Busca Ignazio Busca (31 August 1731 in Milan – 12 August 1803 in Rome) was an Italian cardinal and Secretary of State of the Holy See. He was the last son of Lodovico Busca, marquess of Lomagna and Bianca Arconati Visconti. he took a degree in '' u ...

(3 August 1789 – 18 December 1795) * Carlo Bellisomi (18 December 1795 – 18 September 1807) * Antonio Gabriele Severoli (1 October 1817 – 8 September 1824) * Carlo Maria Pedicini (15 December 1828 – 5 July 1830) *

Giuseppe Antonio Sala Giuseppe Antonio Sala (27 October 1762 – 23 June 1839) was an Italian cardinal of the Catholic Church who served in numerous high-profile positions in the Roman Curia. Early life Giuseppe Antonio Sala was born on 27 October 1762 in Rome to ...

(30 September 1831 – 23 June 1839) *

Charles Januarius Acton Charles Januarius Edward Acton (6 March 1803 – 23 June 1847) was an English cardinal. Born in 1803 in Naples, he was the second son of Sir John Francis Acton, 6th Baronet. The family, a cadet branch of the Actons of Aldenham Park, near Bridg ...

(24 January 1842 – 21 December 1846) * Pierre Giraud (4 October 1847 – 17 April 1850) * Juan Jose Bonel y Orbe (30 November 1854 – 11 February 1857) *

Fernando de la Puente y Primo de Rivera Doctor Fernando de la Puente y Primo de Rivera (28 August 1808 – 12 March 1867) was a Spanish cardinal of the Catholic Church. He was appointed by Pope Pius IX in 1861. He served as the Bishop of Salamanca from 1852 to 1857, the Archbishop o ...

(21 May 1862 – 12 March 1867) * Juan de la Cruz Ignacio Moreno y Maisanove (22 November 1869 – 28 August 1884) *

Domenico Agostini Domenico Agostini (31 May 1825 — 31 December 1891) was an Italian Roman Catholic Cardinal and Patriarch of Venice. Born near Treviso, he studied in the local seminary, then in the University of Padua. He took a doctorate of philosophy and law, b ...

(7 June 1886 – 31 December 1891) * Michael Logue (19 January 1893 – 19 November 1924) * Patrick Joseph O'Donnell (17 December 1925 – 22 October 1927) *

August Hlond August Hlond (July 5, 1881 – October 22, 1948) was a Polish cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, who was Archbishop of Poznań and Gniezno in 1926 and Primate of Poland. He was then appointed as the Archbishop of Gniezno and Warsaw in 194 ...

, SDB (20 June 1927 – 22 October 1948) *

Maurice Feltin Maurice Feltin (15 May 1883 – 27 September 1975) was a French Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Paris from 1949 to 1966, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1953 by Pope Pius XII. Biography Born in Delle, ...

(12 January 1953 – 27 September 1975) * Joseph Asjiro Satowaki (30 June 1979 – 8 August 1996) *

Francisco Javier Errázuriz Ossa Francisco Javier Errázuriz Ossa (; born 5 September 1933) is a Chilean prelate of the Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Santiago from 1998 to 2010. He has been a cardinal since 2001 and was a member of Pope Francis' Council of Cardin ...

(21 February 2001 – incumbent)

Notes

References

Bibliography

* Mariano Armellini, ''Le chiese di Roma dalle loro origini sino al secolo XIX'' (Roma: Editrice Romana, 1878), pp. 433–434. * Nunzia Di Girolamo, ''Santa Maria della Pace : saggio monografico'' (Montreal: K-Editrice Internazionale, 1985). *

External links

Pietro da Cortona urbanistic plan of Santa Maria della Pace
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Santa Maria Della Pace, Rome Roman Catholic churches completed in 1482 Maria Pace Rome Renaissance architecture in Rome Maria Pace Rome Maria Pace Rome Donato Bramante church buildings Pietro da Cortona buildings Maria Pace