Santa Maria del Popolo

Santa Maria del Popolo is an Augustinian church located in Rome, Italy. It stands in the north side of the Piazza del Popolo, one of the most famous squares in the city. The Piazza is situated between the ancient Porta Flaminia and the park of the Pincio.

Santa Maria del Popolo includes works by several famous artists, architects and sculptors, for example Raphael, Gian Lorenzo Bernini , Caravaggio, Pinturicchio, Andrea Bregno, Guillaume de Marcillat and Donato Bramante.

In 1099, a chapel was built by Pope Paschal II to Our Lady, over a tomb of the Domitia family. The name del Popolo ("of the people") probably derives from its funding by the people of Rome, but some sources say it comes from the Latin word populus , meaning "poplar" and referring to a tree located nearby.

The chapel became a church by the will of Pope Gregory IX, and given to the Augustinians, who still oversee the church, in the first half of 13th century.  Santa Maria del Popolo was reconstructed by Baccio Pontelli and Andrea Bregno in 1472-1477, commissioned by the association of the Lombards of Rome, creating an excellent example of Italian Renaissance architecture. In 1655-60 the facade was modified by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, who was asked by Pope Alexander VII to update the Renaissance church to a more modern Baroque style.

The dome is decorated with Raphael's mosaics Creation of the World.

The apse was designed by Bramante. The oldest stained glass window in Rome can be found here, made by French artist Guillaume de Marcillat. Pinturicchio decorated the vault with frescoes, including the Coronation of the Virgin. The tombs of Cardinals Ascanio Sforza and Girolamo Basso della Rovere, both made by Andrea Sansovino, can also be found in the apse.

The Cerasi Chapel holds two famous canvases painted by Caravaggio - Crucifixion of St. Peter and Conversion on the Way to Damascus. Situated between the two works of Caravaggio, there is the altarpiece Assumption of the Virgin by Annibale Carracci.


Source of description: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Maria_del_Popolo wikipedia

This object belongs to Piazza del Popolo
Neighbourhood VII Via Lata (14 regioni di Roma augustea)
Price definition of price gratis
Geographical coordinates 41.9112421, 12.4767613
Address 00187 Rome, Viale Gabriele D'Annunzio 12
Opening date 1099
More information official website

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