St. BERNARDINO OF SIENA

S. BERNARDINO DA SIENA

Via Panisperna 256

1625 for Cardinal Giangarzia Mellini who also paid to build the monastery for the Franciscan Tertiaries Nuns

INTERIOR

Renovations in 1823 and in the years 1963/65

DOME

“Glory of S. Bernardino and Franciscan saints” about 1639 by Bernardino Gagliardi (1609/1660)

“In the busy and successful career as a fresco painter in various churches in Rome that the painter, who came to Rome from Umbria in the wake of fellow Umbrian Avanzino Nucci, began in the fourth decade of the seventeenth century as a lesser exponent of Classicism in Baroque, the frescoes of S. Bernardino represent an important episode, witness of Gagliardi's effort of adapting to the new Roman style of Domenichino, Lanfranco and Sacchi” (Angela Catalano)

1^st RIGHT - CHAPEL OF St. FRANCIS

Above the altar “St. Francis Receiving the Stigmata” first half of 1600s by the Bolognese Emilio Savonanzi (1580/1660)

2^nd RIGHT - CHAPEL OF THE PASSION

Above the altar “Christ Carrying the Cross between the Virgin Mary, Veronica and St. John the Evangelist” maybe by Giovanni Alberti (1558/1601)

MAIN ALTAR

Canvas “S. Bernardino in Glory” 1736/38 by Antonio Amorosi (1660/1738)

On the right “Preaching of St. Bernard”, on the left “Funeral of S. Bernardino”, on the apse “Assumption of Mary”, on the pilasters “Saints”, under the arch “Virtues” and, outside the arch, “Prudence” and “Fortress” 1663 by Clemente Maioli (1634/73) from Ferrara, follower of Pietro da Cortona close to the style of Giovanni Francesco Romanelli

2^nd LEFT - CHAPEL MAFFEI

Above the altar “Immaculate Conception” 1717 by Biagio Puccini (1673/1721)

“The canvas, with compositional influence from Carlo Maratta, shows a softening of the first way of the artist, more expressive and with more contrasts of light” (Angela Catalano)

1^st LEFT – ATTAVANTI CHAPEL

Above the altar “S. Verdiana and Mr. and Mrs. Attavanti” second half of the sixteenth century by an anonymous sixteenth-century artist

ON THE DOOR OF THE SACRISTY

“Eternal Father and an angel with Sts. Anthony, Elizabeth of Hungary and Agatha” 1617 by Giovanni Baglione (1566/1643)

ON THE RIGHT SIDE DOOR

“Blessed Elena and Francis in adoration of the Cross” 1631 by an anonymous seventeenth-century artist

St. BENEDICT IN PISCINULA

S. BENEDETTO IN PISCINULA

Piazza in Piscinula 40

It is mentioned in the sources for the first time at the end of the tenth century

It was built incorporating the cell of St. Benedict (about 480/547), where the saint lived in the years 495/500

The cell according to tradition was part of the DOMUS ANICIORUM, or the home of his family, the Anici

The ancient document Liber Censuum of 1198 describes the church as “De Piscina” (of the pool) probably because of the proximity of some ancient thermal pools

BELL TOWER and ORATORIO to the left of the vestibule were built between the twelfth and the thirteenth century

The bell tower is the smallest in Rome and it includes the oldest bell in a tower in the world, dating from 1069, and the smallest one as well, with only 45 cm (17.7 inches) in diameter

This little bell has even found place in the Guinness Book of World Records for being, in fact, the oldest bell tower known, although some scholars date it to the fourteenth century

In the years 1676 and 1718 there were changes to the church

1844 renovations and FAÇADE by Pietro Camporese the Younger (1792/1873)

VESTIBULE maybe the original nucleus of the place of worship:

On the left CHAPEL OF OUR LADY

On the right CELL OF St. BENEDICT

Remains of the Cosmatesque FLOOR dating back to the twelfth or thirteenth century enhanced after the 2007 restoration

COUNTER FAÇADE AND RIGHT WALL

Fragments of frescoes “Last Judgment, Sacrifice of Cain and Abel, and maybe Expulsion from Paradise” by an unknown artists of the beginning of the twelfth century

“To judge these frescoes is difficult because of the poor state they are in, but the decorations seem to be part of the Roman and Lazio region painting style of the late eleventh and early twelfth century - like in S. Clemente or Ceri - an observation not denied by what one can imagine from the treatment of physiognomies. Guiglia also included these frescoes in the iconographic period that has its roots in the group of the Atlantic Bibles - so-called Umbrian-Roman - for which a close comparison can still be the cycle in Ceri” (Serena Romano)

TO THE RIGHT OF THE APSE

Altarpiece “St. Anne, Madonna and Child with the patron”

MAIN ALTAR

“St. Benedict” all works of the fifteenth century

Fragment of a fresco in the apse with festoons

St. BENEDICT

S. BENEDETTO

Via del Gazometro 23

1936 Clemente Busiri Vici (1887/1965)

Only the outer walls remained standing after the bombing of the Allied Forces on March 3, 1944

It was rebuilt in 1949 and completed inside in 1953

In the ceiling round panels “Stories of St. Benedict” by Ferruccio Ferrazzi (1891/1978)

“After a debut inspired by Segantini and a temporary, partial adherence to Futurism, he followed the neo-classicism of the Novecento (Twentyeth-Century) current, albeit mitigated with accents of Pre-Raphaelite origin. He thoroughly studied encaustic technique and he used it, especially in wall paintings” (Enciclopedia Treccani)

In the CHAPELS two paintings:

“Madonna and Child” 1951 by Silvio Consadori (1909/94)

 ”St. Joseph with Jesus teenager” 1953 by Luigi Filocamo (1906/88)

MAIN ALTAR

Canvas “St. Benedict” by Ferruccio Ferrazzi