St. THOMAS IN PARIONE

S. TOMMASO IN PARIONE
Via di Parione 33

Consecrated by Pope Innocent II Papareschi (1130/1143) in 1139, although the original church is much older
Rebuilt 1582 by Francesco Capriani aka Francesco da Volterra (1535/94) for Mario and Camillo Cerrini
It was the headquarters of the Society of scribes and writers

It is entrusted to the Ethiopian community that celebrates Mass accompanied by Copt songs and Egyptian instruments such as the sistrum

Here Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598/1680) got married in 1639 with Caterina, younger than him by 20 years: in 33 years of marriage they had five sons and six daughters

Restoration of the interior in 1848 by Antonio Cipolla (1822/74) and in 1886

MAIN ALTAR
“Madonna and Child”, a recent picture of Ethiopian school

AT THE SIDES OF THE MAIN ALTAR
On the right “Card. Gregorio Barbarigo” and on the left “S. Filippo Neri” (St. Philip Blacks in English) maybe by Domenico Palombi, one of the collaborators of Pietro da Cortona

ALTAR ON THE LEFT
“Crucifixion” of the eighteenth century

SIXTUS V SMALL PALACE

PALAZZETTO DI SISTO V

Via di Parione 7

Built at the end of 1500s for the wedding of the nephew of Sixtus V Peretti (1585/90) Flavia Peretti with Virginio Orsini

Now is the seat of the Pio Sodalizio dei Piceni (Pius Sodality of the Piceni) derived by the Association of Residents in Rome from Marche Region

The association was founded in early 1600s and, in 1633, it became the Brotherhood of the Holy House of Loreto

The LIBRARY contains about 14,000 books

Courtyard and roof terrace with frescoes by Paul Brill (1554/1626)

INSIDE LOGGIA

“Stories of Hercules and nudes” Giuseppe Cesari aka Cavalier d'Arpino (1568/1640) and Federico Zuccari (about 1542/1609)

ROOMS

Oil paintings on canvas such as:

“Our Lady of Mercy” by Federico Fiori aka Barocci (1535/1612)

“Virgin Mary with Child blessing aka S. Maria delle Grazie” 1494 by Antonio Aquili aka Antoniazzo Romano (about 1435-40/1508)

It was originally a processional standard and it was the only painting not to have been destroyed by the fire of 1591 in the church of S. Salvatore in Lauro

“The stylistic and compositional features, including the structure of the throne in a niche or the iconography of the sacred group, correspond to the subjects of Marian paintings of the nineties definitely attributed to Antoniazzo (...) here solved in a version with a more pronounced Umbrian character, derived from Pinturicchio. His original function as a standard makes it a typical product of the mature phase of the painter, when the demands intensified in his workshop for equipment and items to be carried in processions on the occasion of the annual festivals of the brotherhoods” (Anna Cavallaro)

“Cardinal Domenico Consolini” by Francesco Podesti (1800/95

“Christ Redeemer” attributed to Melozzo of Ambrosi aka Melozzo da Forlì (1438/94)