Santa Maria della Quercia (Our Lady of the Oak Tree) is 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
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
church located on the piazza of the same name, one block southeast of the
Palazzo Farnese
Palazzo Farnese () or Farnese Palace is one of the most important High Renaissance List of palaces in Italy#Rome, palaces in Rome. Owned by the Italian Republic, it was given to the French government in 1936 for a period of 99 years, and cur ...
in the Rione (district) of
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'' ...
of central
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 ...
.
History
A prior church at the site was named ''San Niccolò de Curte'' or ''de Ferro'', with the former referring to the ancient Roman noble family of the Orsini, who had their palace nearby;
["Santa Maria della Quercia", Churches of Rome]
/ref> and the latter name likely referring to the Capodiferro family who once owned the nearby Palazzo Spada
The Palazzo Spada is a palace located on Piazza di Capo Ferro #13 in the rione Regola of Rome, Italy. Standing very close to the Palazzo Farnese, it has a garden facing towards the Tiber river.
The palace accommodates a large art collection, th ...
in the contiguous Piazza Capo di Ferro.
In 1507, Pope Julius II
Pope Julius II ( la, Iulius II; it, Giulio II; born Giuliano della Rovere; 5 December 144321 February 1513) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1503 to his death in February 1513. Nicknamed the Warrior Pope or th ...
allowed for the church to represent Viterbo
Viterbo (; Viterbese: ; lat-med, Viterbium) is a city and ''comune'' in the Lazio region of central Italy, the capital of the province of Viterbo.
It conquered and absorbed the neighboring town of Ferento (see Ferentium) in its early history. ...
, and the church was renamed after a venerated image of the Virgin from that town that had initially been hung on an oak tree. In addition the ''quercia'' or oak was the emblem on the heraldic shield of the House of Della Rovere
The House of Della Rovere (; literally "of the oak tree") was a noble family of Italy. It had humble origins in Savona, in Liguria, and acquired power and influence through nepotism and ambitious marriages arranged by two Della Rovere popes: F ...
, to which Pope Julius belonged. In the piazza in front, an oak tree is traditionally planted.
In 1532, the Pope Clement VII
Pope Clement VII ( la, Clemens VII; it, Clemente VII; born Giulio de' Medici; 26 May 1478 – 25 September 1534) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 November 1523 to his death on 25 September 1534. Deemed "the ...
granted the church to the guild of the Butchers (Macellai), to whom it still belongs. Pope Benedict XIII
Pope Benedict XIII ( la, Benedictus XIII; it, Benedetto XIII; 2 February 1649 – 21 February 1730), born Pietro Francesco Orsini and later called Vincenzo Maria Orsini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 29 May ...
in the early 18th century entrusted the reconstruction to Filippo Raguzzini
Filippo Raguzzini (19 July 1690 – 21 February 1771) was an Italian architect best known for a range of buildings constructed during the reign of Benedict XIII.
Biography
Raguzzini was born in Naples into a family of stonemasons. Little is kn ...
,Accurata, E Succinta Descrizione Topografica, E Istorica Di Roma
Volume 1, by Ridolfino Venturini, published by Carlo Barbellieni, Rome (1768); page 244-245. later completed by Domenico Gregorini by 1731.
In the 19th century, restorations were again pursued by
Pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX ( it, Pio IX, ''Pio Nono''; born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878, the longest verified papal reign. He was notable for convoking the First Vatican ...
, and other continued after the Second World War.
Interior
The church layout is in a Greek cross with a cupola and three chapels. The ceiling has a painting of the ''Sacrifice of Isaac'' 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 ...
. To the right of the entrance is a depiction of the ''Baptism of Christ'' by
Pietro Barbieri and to the left of the entrance, a ''Crucifixion'' by
Filippo Evangelista. Above the main altar is a replica of the icon of the ''Madonna della Quercia di Viterbo''.
[
]
See also
* Basilica of Santa Maria della Quercia, Viterbo
References
{{Reflist
Sources
M. Armellini, ''Le chiese di Roma dal secolo IV al XIX'', Roma 1891
Bibliography
* C. Rendina, ''Le Chiese di Roma'', Newton & Compton Editori, Milano 2000, p. 213
* M. Quercioli, ''Rione VII Regola'', in AA.VV, ''I rioni di Roma'', Newton & Compton Editori, Milano 2000, Vol. II, pp. 448–498
* G. Ciprini – F. Ciprini, ''La confraternita di S. Maria della Quercia de’ Macellari di Roma'', Roma 2004
Maria Quercia
Maria Quercia
Maria Quercia
18th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy