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Santa Maria in Vallicella, also called Chiesa Nuova, 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 ...
,
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 ...
, which today faces onto the main thoroughfare of the Corso Vittorio Emanuele and the corner of Via della Chiesa Nuova. It is the principal church of the
Oratorians An Oratorian is a member of one of the following religious orders: * Oratory of Saint Philip Neri (Roman Catholic), who use the postnominal letters C.O. * Oratory of Jesus (Roman Catholic) * Oratory of the Good Shepherd (Anglican) * Teologisk Orator ...
, a religious congregation of secular priests, founded by
St Philip Neri Philip Romolo Neri ( ; it, italics=no, Filippo Romolo Neri, ; 22 July 151526 May 1595), known as the "Second Apostle of Rome", after Saint Peter, was an Italian priest noted for founding a society of secular clergy called the Congregation of th ...
in 1561 at a time in the 16th century when the
Counter Reformation The Counter-Reformation (), also called the Catholic Reformation () or the Catholic Revival, was the period of Catholic resurgence that was initiated in response to the Protestant Reformation. It began with the Council of Trent (1545–1563) a ...
saw the emergence of a number of new religious organisations such as the
Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...
(Jesuits), the
Theatines The Theatines officially named the Congregation of Clerics Regular ( la, Ordo Clericorum Regularium), abreviated CR, is a Catholic order of clerics regular of Pontifical Right for men founded by Archbishop Gian Pietro Carafa in Sept. 14, 1524. I ...
and the
Barnabites , image = Barnabites.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = One version of the Barnabite logo. "P.A." refers to Paul the Apostle and the three hills symbolize the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. , a ...
.


History

By tradition,
St. Gregory the Great Pope Gregory I ( la, Gregorius I; – 12 March 604), commonly known as Saint Gregory the Great, was the bishop of Rome from 3 September 590 to his death. He is known for instigating the first recorded large-scale mission from Rome, the Gregoria ...
built the first church on the site. By the 12th century, it was dedicated to ''Santa Maria in Vallicella'' ("Our Lady in the Little Valley")."Santa Maria in Vallicella", Churches of Rome
/ref> In 1575, Pope Gregory XIII recognised Neri's group as a religious Congregation and gave them the church and its small attached
convent A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Angl ...
. St. Philip Neri, helped by Cardinal Pier Donato Cesi and
Pope Gregory XIII Pope Gregory XIII ( la, Gregorius XIII; it, Gregorio XIII; 7 January 1502 – 10 April 1585), born Ugo Boncompagni, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 May 1572 to his death in April 1585. He is best known for ...
, had the church rebuilt, starting in 1575. When Pierdonato died, his brother Angelo Cesi,
Bishop of Todi The Italian Catholic diocese of Todi existed until 1986, when it was united into the diocese of Orvieto-Todi.
, continued his family's patronage. Initially the architect was Matteo di Città di Castello, but he was replaced later by Martino Longhi the Elder. The nave was completed in 1577, and the church was consecrated in 1599. The facade, designed by Fausto Rughesi, was completed in 1605 or 1606. The Cesi
heraldry Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known bran ...
is still evident in the church.


Interior

The ground plan follows the
Counter-Reformation The Counter-Reformation (), also called the Catholic Reformation () or the Catholic Revival, was the period of Catholic resurgence that was initiated in response to the Protestant Reformation. It began with the Council of Trent (1545–1563) a ...
design of churches established at the ''Gesù''; a single main nave with transepts and side chapels, leading towards the High Altar. Neri had intended that the interior be plain with whitewashed walls but it was filled by patrons with various artistic works, mainly during the period from 1620 to 1690, including masterworks by some of the principal artists of those decades in Rome. It is renowned for its altarpieces by
Barocci Federico Barocci (also written ''Barozzi'')(c. 1535 in Urbino – 1612 in Urbino) was an Italian Renaissance painter and printmaker. His original name was Federico Fiori, and he was nicknamed Il Baroccio. His work was highly esteemed and inf ...
,
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 ...
's ceilings, and the
Rubens Sir Peter Paul Rubens (; ; 28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640) was a Flemish artist and diplomat from the Duchy of Brabant in the Southern Netherlands (modern-day Belgium). He is considered the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque traditio ...
altarpiece on an unusual slate, canvas and copper support.
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 ...
's decorations include the 'Trinity' in the dome (painted 1647–51). The prophets 'Isiah', 'Jeremiah', 'Daniel' and 'Ezechiel' in the four pendentives were painted in 1655–56 and 1659–60 along with his fresco of the 'Assumption of the Virgin' adorning the apse. There is an implied visual continuum between the dome and the apse frescoes aided by the fact that there is no dome drum; the assumpting Virgin (in the apse) raises her eyes towards Heaven and the Father (in the dome) extends his hand as if bestowing His blessings upon her. Cortona's nave vault fresco of the 'Miracle of the Madonna della Vallicella' was executed in 1664–65. This is clearly set within an elaborate gold frame, a ''quadro riportato'', and is painted with a Venetian influenced view of '' di sotto in su'' (from below to above). His designs for the vault decoration around the painting, with elaborate white and gilt stucco work incorporating figurative, geometrical and naturalistic elements, were carried out 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 Bernini ...
and
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 hi ...
. The walls of the nave and transept, as well as the presbytery ceiling, have canvases of ''Episodes of the Old and New Testament'' are by
Lazzaro Baldi Lazzaro Baldi ( – 30 March 1703) was an Italian painter and engraver of the Baroque period active mainly in Rome.
,
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 paint ...
, Daniele Seiter,
Giuseppe Passeri Giuseppe Passeri (12 March 1654 – 2 November 1714) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, active in his native city of Rome. Born the nephew of the painter Giovanni Battista Passeri, Giuseppe trained in the studio of Carlo Maratta. A ...
, and Domenico Parodi.


Chapels

The first altarpiece on the right is a ''Crucifixion'' by Pulzone with a ceiling fresco painted by
Lanfranco Lanfranco (active in Modena from c. 1099 to 1110) was an Italian architect. His only known work is the Modena Cathedral. Record of his work there is in the early 13th-century manuscript ''Relatio de innovatione ecclesie sancti Gemeniani'' in th ...
. The third altarpiece is an ''Ascension'' by
Girolamo Muziano Girolamo Muziano or Mutiani (c. 1532 – 1592), was an Italian painter, one of the most prominent artists active in Rome in the mid-to-late sixteenth century. Life He was born in Acquafredda, near Brescia, but active mainly in Rome. The accou ...
, the fourth, a ''Pentecost'' by
Giovanni Maria Morandi Giovanni Maria Morandi (30 April 1622 – 18 February 1717) was an Italian painter, mainly active in Rome and his natal city of Florence, but also Venice. He is said to have briefly trained in Florence with Sigismondo Coccapani and Giovann ...
; the fifth, an ''Assumption'' by Cerrini. In the transept is a ''Coronation of Mary'' by the
Cavaliere d'Arpino Giuseppe Cesari (14 February 1568 – 3 July 1640) was an Italian Mannerist painter, also named Il Giuseppino and called ''Cavaliere d'Arpino'', because he was created ''Cavaliere di Cristo'' by his patron Pope Clement VIII. He was much patroniz ...
, who also painted the first altarpiece (''Presentation in the Temple'') on the right. In the right presbytery, is the Spada family chapel completed in 1593 by Rainaldi. Inside, a ''Madonna and Child with Saints Carlo Borromeo and Ignatius of Loyola'' (1675) was painted by Maratta. In the central presbytery, the bronze ciborium was designed by
Ciro Ferri Ciro Ferri (1634 – 13 September 1689) was an Italian Baroque sculptor and painter, the chief pupil and successor of Pietro da Cortona. He was born in Rome, where he began working under Cortona and with a team of artists in the extensive fresc ...
in 1681. The ''Madonna and Child'' with side panels showing''Saints Domitilla, Nereus and Achilleus'' and ''Saints Gregory the Great, Maurus and Papianus'' (1606–08) is one of the few works painted by
Peter Paul Rubens Sir Peter Paul Rubens (; ; 28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640) was a Flemish artist and diplomat from the Duchy of Brabant in the Southern Netherlands (modern-day Belgium). He is considered the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque tradit ...
created specifically for a Roman commission. Commissioned for 300 scudi by Monsignor
Jacopo Serra Giacomo Serra (1570–1623) was a Catholic cardinal. Life He was a son of the noblewoman Claudia Lomellini and her husband Antonio Maria Serra, deputy to Genoa's Nobile Vecchio Portico and a senator of Florence. He moved to Rome, where in Janu ...
(a Genoese-born partner in the Pallavicini Bank and the brother of Maria Di Antonio Serra, whose portrait Rubens painted in 1606), when installed the altarpiece is said to have caused a 'stir' among observers in Rome, who were generally unaccustomed to the Flemish painterly style. In the left transept is a ''Presentation of Mary to the Temple'' (1593–4) by
Federico Barocci Federico Barocci (also written ''Barozzi'')(c. 1535 in Urbino – 1612 in Urbino) was an Italian Renaissance painter and printmaker. His original name was Federico Fiori, and he was nicknamed Il Baroccio. His work was highly esteemed and inf ...
. He completed two altarpieces that were highly admired in his time, including one in the ''Chapel of the Visitation'' (1583–86). The sacristy was begun in 1621 based on architectural plans by Mario Arconio and completed by Paolo Maruscelli in 1629. In the sacristy is a marble sculptural group of ''S. Filippo with an Angel'' by
Alessandro Algardi Alessandro Algardi (July 31, 1598 – June 10, 1654) was an Italian high-Baroque sculptor active almost exclusively in Rome, where for the latter decades of his life, he was, along with Francesco Borromini and Pietro da Cortona, one of the majo ...
. The wall frescoes are by
Francesco Trevisani 200px, ''Portrait of Cardinal Pietro Ottoboni ''by Francesco Trevisani. The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, County Durham">Barnard_Castle.html" ;"title="Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle">Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, County Durham, England. Frances ...
and the ''Benediction by Christ'' by Cerrini with the ceiling frescoed with ''Angels carrying the instruments of the Passion'' (1633–34) 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 ...
. The fifth altarpiece on the left is an ''Annunciation'' by the Passignano; the fourth, a ''Visitation'' by
Barocci Federico Barocci (also written ''Barozzi'')(c. 1535 in Urbino – 1612 in Urbino) was an Italian Renaissance painter and printmaker. His original name was Federico Fiori, and he was nicknamed Il Baroccio. His work was highly esteemed and inf ...
with the ceiling frescoed with ''Saints'' by Saraceni. In the third ''Adoration by the Shepherds'' by
Durante Alberti Durante Alberti (c. 1556 – 1623) was an Italian painter of the late-Renaissance period. He was born in Borgo San Sepolcro. He was active mainly in his native town and Rome, where he arrived during the papacy of Gregory XIII. He was also call ...
and the vault frescoed with a ''Saint'' by Cristofano Roncalli. The second altarpiece is an ''Adoration by the Magi'' by
Cesare Nebbia Cesare Nebbia (c.1536–c.1614) was an Italian painter from Orvieto who painted in a Mannerist style. Biography Nebbia was born in Orvieto. He trained with Girolamo Muziano, and under this master, he helped complete a flurry of decoration th ...
; the first, a 'Presentation to the Temple'' by d'Arpino. In 1635 Alessandro Salucci worked on decorations in the Chapel of the Presentation of Our Lady. Salucci painted frescoes on the vault, depicting the story of Hannah,
Elkanah Elkanah ( he, אֱלְקָנָה ''’Ĕlqānā'' " El has purchased") was, according to the First Book of Samuel, the husband of Hannah, and the father of her children including her first, Samuel. Elkanah practiced polygamy; his other wife, ...
and the young
Samuel Samuel ''Šəmūʾēl'', Tiberian: ''Šămūʾēl''; ar, شموئيل or صموئيل '; el, Σαμουήλ ''Samouḗl''; la, Samūēl is a figure who, in the narratives of the Hebrew Bible, plays a key role in the transition from the bib ...
. Salucci's frescos were painted over the decorations made by Domenico de Coldie in 1590. One painting that did not stay in its intended chapel is worth recording;
Caravaggio Michelangelo Merisi (Michele Angelo Merigi or Amerighi) da Caravaggio, known as simply Caravaggio (, , ; 29 September 1571 – 18 July 1610), was an Italian painter active in Rome for most of his artistic life. During the final four years of h ...
's altarpiece of the ''
Entombment of Christ The burial of Jesus refers to the entombment of the body of Jesus after crucifixion, before the eve of the sabbath described in the New Testament. According to the canonical gospel narratives, he was placed in a tomb by a councillor of the san ...
'' was commissioned by Alessandro Vittrice, nephew of one of Saint Philip's friends, and depicted the entombment in a radically naturalistic format, foreign to the grand manner found in the remaining altarpieces. The original is in the
Vatican Vatican may refer to: Vatican City, the city-state ruled by the pope in Rome, including St. Peter's Basilica, Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museum The Holy See * The Holy See, the governing body of the Catholic Church and sovereign entity recognized ...
Pinacoteca. A copy by a Flemish painter now takes its place; the original is on display in the Vatican Museum. Neri is buried in the chapel to the left of the choir, which is dedicated to him, in a tomb decorated with
mother-of-pearl Nacre ( , ), also known as mother of pearl, is an organicinorganic composite material produced by some molluscs as an inner shell layer; it is also the material of which pearls are composed. It is strong, resilient, and iridescent. Nacre is ...
. Designed by
Onorio Longhi Onorio Longhi (1568–1619) was an Italian architect, the father of Martino Longhi the Younger and the son of Martino Longhi the Elder. Born in Viggiù, Lombardy, Longhi began as assistant for his father, and inherited the latter's commission ...
in 1600, the first octagonal part of the chapel has a central vault painting of St. Philip by Roncalli, and an altarpiece of ''The Virgin Appearing to St Philip Neri'' by
Guido Reni Guido Reni (; 4 November 1575 – 18 August 1642) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, although his works showed a classical manner, similar to Simon Vouet, Nicolas Poussin, and Philippe de Champaigne. He painted primarily religi ...
(now a mosaic copy). In the inner and more removed part of the chapel, Cortona added a lantern to let in more light and the dome was redecorated, perhaps by Ciro Ferri.Merz, 2008, p. 122 Adjacent to the church is the Casa dei Filippini or the House of the
Oratorians An Oratorian is a member of one of the following religious orders: * Oratory of Saint Philip Neri (Roman Catholic), who use the postnominal letters C.O. * Oratory of Jesus (Roman Catholic) * Oratory of the Good Shepherd (Anglican) * Teologisk Orator ...
. There is a marked contrast between the pale travertine facade of the church and the brick-built facade of the Casa. The Casa includes the Oratory designed by the Baroque architect,
Francesco Borromini Francesco Borromini (, ), byname of Francesco Castelli (; 25 September 1599 – 2 August 1667), was an Italian architect born in the modern Swiss canton of Ticino
.


Cardinal-Priests

Since the 1946 consistory of
Pope Pius XII Pope Pius XII ( it, Pio XII), born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (; 2 March 18769 October 1958), was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death in October 1958. Before his e ...
, the church has been used as a
titular church In the Catholic Church, a titular church is a church in Rome that is assigned to a member of the clergy who is created a cardinal. These are Catholic churches in the city, within the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Rome, that serve as honorary des ...
. *
Benedetto Aloisi Masella Benedetto Aloisi Masella (29 June 1879 – 30 September 1970) was an Italian cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as prefect of the Discipline of the Sacraments from 1954 to 1968, and as chamberlain of the Roman Church (or camer ...
(18 February 1946 – 21 June 1948) * Francesco Borgongini Duca (12 January 1953 – 4 October 1954) *
Paolo Giobbe Paolo Giobbe (10 January 1880 – 14 August 1972) was an Italian cardinal of the Catholic Church who served as Papal Datary in the Roman Curia from 1959 to 1968, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1958. Biography Giobbe was born in Rom ...
(15 December 1958 – 14 August 1972) *
James Knox James Robert Knox GCC (2 March 1914 – 26 June 1983) was an Australian prelate of the Catholic Church. After years as a Vatican diplomat, he served as Archbishop of Melbourne from 1967 to 1974, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worsh ...
(5 March 1973 – 26 June 1983) *
Edward Bede Clancy Edward Bede Clancy AC (13 December 1923 – 3 August 2014) was an Australian Catholic bishop and cardinal. He was the seventh Catholic Archbishop of Sydney from 1983 to 2001. He was made Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria in Vallicella in 1988. ...
(28 June 1988 – 3 August 2014) *
Ricardo Blázquez Pérez Ricardo is the Spanish and Portuguese cognate of the name Richard. It derived from Proto-Germanic ''*rīks'' 'king, ruler' + ''*harduz'' 'hard, brave'. It may be a given name, or a surname. People Given name * Ricardo de Araújo Pereira, Portugu ...
(14 February 2015 – present)


See also

*
History of early modern period domes Domes built in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries relied primarily on empirical techniques and oral traditions rather than the architectural treatises of the time, but the study of dome structures changed radically due to developments in mathemati ...


References


Bibliography

* Ian Ferguson Verstegen, ''Federico Barocci and the Oratorians: Corporate Patronage and Style in the Counter-Reformation'' (Kirksville, Mo. USA: Truman State University Press, 2015). * Alba Costamagna, Anna Gramiccia, Daria De Angelis, ''La festa del colore: Rubens alla Chiesa Nuova'' (De Luca Editori d'Arte, 2005) ollana di studi e ricerche della Soprintendenza speciale per il Polo museale romano, 2 * Costanza Barbieri, Sofia Barchiesi, Daniele Ferrara, ''Santa Maria in Vallicella: Chiesa Nuova'' (Roma: Fratelli Palombi, 1995). * Paolo Montorsi, Carlo Molteni, Mario Colli, ''La Chiesa Nuova: la facciata, il restauro : 1595-1995 celebrazione Filippine'' (Roma: Gestedil, 1994). * Antonella Pampalone, ''La Cappella della famiglia Spada nella Chiesa Nuova: Testimonianze documentarie'' (Roma: Ministero per i Beni Culturali e Ambientali, Ufficio Centrale per i Beni Archivistici, 1993). * Francis Haskell, ''Patrons and Painters: A Study in the Relations Between Italian Art and Society in the Age of the Baroque'' (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1980), pp. 68–76.


External links


Description on Roma 2000 websiteParish website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maria In Vallicella 16th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Maria Vallicella Baroque architecture in Rome Roman Catholic churches completed in 1599 Religious organizations established in the 1590s 1599 establishments in Italy Churches of Rome (rione Parione) Church buildings with domes