Tag Archives: Chigi Chapel

Rome’s Church of Santa Maria della Pace has Raphael’s Glorious Sibyls

Santa Maria della Pace in Rome The origins of the Church of Santa Maria della Pace ((St. Mary of Peace) can be traced to a 12th century church of St. Andrea de Acquavicariis (Saint Andrew of the Water-Vendors). It is located on Vicolo del Arco della Pace. The church is noted for Raphael’s Frescoes of the Sibyls which is above the first altar on the right near the front door.    Image via Wikipedia

Italiano: Chiesa di S. Maria della Pce a Roma,...

Italiano: Chiesa di S. Maria della Pce a Roma, nel rione Ponte (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Visit the Church of Santa Maria della Pace in Rome to see Raphael’s glorious fresco of the Sibyls. 

The Sibyls ( )

The Sibyls ( ) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Sibyls ( )

Image via Wikipedia

Bramante’s cloister is also a highlight of the Church.  The cloister is used in the summer for concerts.

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Image via Wikipedia

The church was commissioned by Pope Sixtus IV and is located directly behind Piazza Navona on Via della Pace around the corner from the Hotel Raphael.

The inscription above the six Doric columns around the portico reads: “Suscipiant Montes Pacem Populo et Colles Iustitiam. This means “The Mountains shall yield peace for the people and to the hills, justice”.

English: Raphael, The Sibyls, c. 1514 Fresco, ...

English: Raphael, The Sibyls, c. 1514 Fresco, width at base 615 cm Santa Maria della Pace, Rome 한국어: 라파엘로의 무녀, 산타마리아 델라 파체 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This beautiful old church was built in 1480 by Baccio Pontelli for Sixtus IV.  The Baroque facade was added in 1656 by Pietro da Cortona. The piazza was enlarged to accommodate the carriages of the church’s parishioners.

Four Sibyls receiving divine instructions 1514...

Four Sibyls receiving divine instructions 1514 – Rafael -Santa Maria della Pace. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Pope Alexander VII had the edifice restored in 1667. He was a member of the wealthy Sienese Chigi family and his coat of arms can be found in the tympanum.

Santa Maria del Popolo, cappella Chigi, in Rom...

Image via Wikipedia

Angels support the Dad Savior by Cosimo Fancelli

Carlo Maderno designed the high altar in 1614. It contains a 15th century image of Our Lady of Peace flanked by verde antico marble with Justice on the left and peace on the right. Under the cupola, the miraculous image of the Madonna of Peace, is believed to have bled when hit by a ball.

Crucifix given to the Church by Innocent VIII in 1490

The altar’s (shown in the photo) is a bronze relief “Angels Supporting the Dead Savior” by Cosimo Fancelli (1656). He also created the statue of Saint Catherine of Siena on the right of the relief in the niche. Saint Bernadine of Siena on the left of the niche was done by Ercole Ferrata.

Raphel’s Fresco of Four Sybils (left to right) Cumaean, Persian, Phrygian and Tiburtine are shown writing down the revelations given to them by the angels.

The frescoes can be found above the “Angels Support the Dead Savior” by Cosimo Fancelli.

Raphael’s Fresco with Sybils (1511-1513)

Raphael’s Sybils in Santa Maria Della Pace in Rome Italy

Raphael’s Sybil Tibertine

Between 1500 to 1504, Bramante was appointed to build the cloister and splendid courtyard for Cardinal Olivero Carafa. The monastery complex has the Bramante cloister. It was built in 1500-1504 for Cardinal Oliviero Carafa and it was the first work of Donato Bramante in the city.

The cloister has two levels: the lower level has arches with an inscription that indicates that the convent was built in honor of the Virgin of Peace. The upper level has interesting blend of alternating columns and pillars. Here are some of Bramante’s Frescoes in the courtyard:

Bramante’s Frescos in Santa Maria della Pace

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Bramante’s Frescoes

The 15th century crucifix over the Renaissance altar was given to the church by Innocent VIII. The paintings on the altar’s sides are of the two Mary’s who came to the tomb to anoint the dead Savior. Mary Magdalene is on the left.

Santa Maria della Pace in Rome

Dr. EveAnn Lovero writes Travel Guides @ www.vino-con-vista.com

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Filed under Churches in Rome, Santa Maria della Pace Church in Rome

Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome is Brimming with Artistic Treasures

The church of Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome has a simple facade. But wait until you get inside; it is brimming with magnificent treasures!

English: Church Santa Maria del Popolo in Roma...

English: Church Santa Maria del Popolo in Roma Česky: Pohled na kostel Santa Maria del Popolo v Římě (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Santa Maria del Popolo, cappella Chigi, in Rom...

Santa Maria del Popolo, cappella Chigi, in Rome, Italy. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Santa Maria del Popolo (Rome)

Santa Maria del Popolo (Rome) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It is an Augustinian church in the Piazza del Popolo where Pope Paschal II built an oratory over the tombs of the Roman Domitia family. It is Iocated at the foot of the Pincian Hill.

Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome, Italy: Chigi c...

Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome, Italy: Chigi chapel. Incrustated floor with the coats of arms of the House of Chigi hold by the Death. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The church is very special and has almost as much artistic wealth as St. Peter’s Basilica. It includes treasures by several famous artists, architects and sculptors including: Raphael, Gian

Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Self-Portrait

Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Self-Portrait (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Lorenzo Bernini, Caravaggio, Pinturicchio, Andrea Bregno, Guillaume de Marcillat and Donato Bramante.

Caravaggio

Caravaggio (Photo credit: Carmen Alonso Suarez)

Santa maria del polpolo, cappella chigi 4

Santa maria del polpolo, cappella chigi 4 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The dome of the Chigi Chapel is decorated with Raphael’s drawings of the Creation of the World. These depict God as creator of the heavens, surrounded by symbols of the planets.

The figure of God the Father, by the mosaicist...

The figure of God the Father, by the mosaicist Luigi da Pace after a drawing by Raphael, greets visitors in the centre of the dome of the Chigi chapel in Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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The original church was built on this site in 1099.  Bramante and Bernini made additions to the structure. Santa Maria del Popolo is packed with priceless art. Two of the Chigi cardinals are buried here. So is Cardinal Della Rovere. I love the kneeling skeleton floor medalion with the Chigi coat of arms.

Visit the gorgeous Della Rovere Chapel and be sure to admire the The oldest stained glass window in Rome by the French artist Guillaume de Marcillat. The tombs of Cardinals Ascanio Sforza and Girolama Basso della Rovere were designed by Andrea Sansovino and are located in the apse that was designed by Bramante.

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The Cerasi Chapel has two paintings by Caravaggio: “The Martyrdom and Crucifixion of St. Peter” (St. Peter was crucified upside down) on the right side of the Chapel and “Conversion of Saint Paul on the Way to Damascus” on the left side of the chapel.

The Conversion of Saint Paul

The Conversion of Saint Paul (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

These paintings were commissioned by Tiberio Cerasi in 1600.

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Caravaggio’s The Conversion on the Way to Damascus

I love the painting between the two Caravaggio paintings.

Assumption of the Virgin Mary, in Santa Maria ...

Assumption of the Virgin Mary, in Santa Maria del Popolo, Rome (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The altarpiece is the Assumption of the Virgin by Annibale Carracci; surrounded by marble columns and surmounted by a beautiful window. 

The Chigi Chapel is the most lavishly decorated. The wealthy Sienese banker Agostino Chigi commissioned Raphael to design and decorate the octagonal funerary chapel. On the altar, admire Sebastiano del Piombo, the “Nativity of the Virgin.”

“Jonah and the Great Fish” was done by Lorenzetto.

English: Jonah and the great fish, with the he...

English: Jonah and the great fish, with the head of the Farnese Antinous. Marble, drawn by Raphael and executed by Lorenzetto (1522–27), Chigi Chapel of the Church Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome. Français : Jonas et le gros poisson, avec la tête de l’Antinoüs Farnèse. Marbre, dessiné par Raphaël et exécuté par Lorenzetto (1522-1527), chapelle Chigi de l’église Santa Maria del Popolo à Rome. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The other two statues of Daniel and Habakkuk are by Bernini. The angel is telling Habakkuk to take the basket of food to the famished Daniel in the lions’ den in Babylon.

Santa maria del polpolo, cappella chigi 3

Santa maria del polpolo, cappella chigi 3 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Bernini also did the circular medallion portraits on the Pyramidal tombs of Agostino and Sigismondo Chigi.

Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome, Italy: Chigi c...

Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome, Italy: Chigi chapel. Adolfo Apolloni – Monument to Agostino Chigi (1915). Picture by Torvindus. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Santa Maria del Popolo, Capella Chigi, Roma,

Santa Maria del Popolo, Capella Chigi, Roma, (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In the inscription on the floor of “Death”, Bernini added the inscription, “Death is the way to Heaven.”

In the dome, God the creator of the heavens is surrounded by the symbols of the planets guided by angels.

The main altar has as image of the Virgin. Below the 13th century image of the Virgin it says: “You are the honor of our people.” There are two statues of Augustinian saints on either side of the picture of the Virgin: Nicholas of Tolentino on

the left and William of Maleval on the right.

In Santa Maria del Popolo,  the Della Rovere Chapel has a beautiful fresco by Pinturicchio depicting the Nativity and the life of St. Jerome.

The Cybo Chapel has sixteen columns of Sicilian jasper with an altarpiece by Carlo Maratta, “Immaculate Conception with Saints.” On the sides of the chapel are the twin tombs of the Cybo Cardinals; Lorenzo on the left and Alderano on the right.

After all that magnificent art, have a Vino con Vista at the Rosati Cafe.

Dr. EveAnn Lovero writes Italy Travel Guides. To learn more about Rome visit www.vino-con-vista.com.

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