
Walking through the Old Catholic Church of Rome
• Walking on the Old Catholic Church of Rome
If you are in Rome, be sure to visit the old Catholic Church, which in the historical part of the city a lot. They shake their grandeur, beautiful architecture and rich interior, which had been worked best masters of Italy.

The Church of Il Gesu, or "Church of the Gesù" - the cathedral church of the Jesuits, in which buried its founder - Ignatius of Loyola. Located on a small square of the same name in the center of Rome.

Church of Gesu was built in 1568-1584 years in the spirit of Mannerism. One of the original plans was a project proposed by Michelangelo, but he was rejected

The church was accepted as canon for Jesuit churches all over Europe (especially in the Commonwealth, in the current Ukraine, Lithuania and Belarus), as well as in Latin America.

One of the main artistic features of the Church of the Gesu is unique fresco on the ceiling of the church. Written in a special way the figures create the illusion that they are floating near the ceiling, and even cast a shadow on it, whereas in fact they are written in the same plane.


Santa Maria sopra Minerva ( "Holy Mary over Minerva") - titular minor basilica in the Roman Piña region; one of the main temples of the Roman Catholic Dominican order. Located near the Pantheon on the site of an ancient temple, which was initiated erroneously attributed pagan goddess Minerva.

The church is considered to be the only surviving Gothic churches of Rome.

In the XIII century on the ruins of the temple of Minerva settled Dominicans, who built the existing church and allegedly still in 1280-1370 gg. That is built it for 90 years. In the 19th century, large-scale restoration was carried out.

In the church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva (or near it) going to commission on the abdication of heretics and held themselves renunciation rituals. In particular, it is here renounced his "errors" Galileo and Count Cagliostro.

Among the artistic treasures of the Church - Chapel Carafa with Filippino Lippi paintings, baroque chapel Aldobrandini and the statue standing with the cross of Christ (1521, Michelangelo's work). Before the temple stands a marble elephant, on which Bernini in 1667 erected a small Egyptian obelisk.

Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri (Italian: Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri.) - Basilica dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the angels and martyrs, is on the Republic Square.

The church rebuilt from the remains of the ancient Diocletian, presumably, under the project Michelangelo. Construction was completed after his death in 1566.

facade of the church Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri is part eksedry caldarium (room for hot baths), the former term, the basic premise is located in the frigidarium (room for cold baths).

Inside the Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri decorated with antique columns, classical ornaments, sculptures and paintings, including works by French artists of the XVII-XVIII centuries.


The Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri buried Salvator Rosa, a famous Italian artist and poet of the XVII century.

Santa Maria in Trastevere - titular basilica in Trastevere area, perhaps one of the oldest churches in Rome dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Facade of the church is also decorated with mosaics Cavallini, depicting the Virgin Mary among the saints 10 (XII-XIII cc.).

At this point, there was supposedly already great basilica and in the XI century, when Pope Innocent II built a new building with a campanile in the III century under Pope Calixto I, the first church in the IV century when the Pope was built Yulia I.

In 1140 the upper part of the dome of the apse was decorated with a mosaic of Christ on a golden background surrounded by Mary, the apostles, the saints, and Pope Innocent II with the layout of the church in his hands.

Under the frieze depicting scenes from the life of Mary by Pietro Cavallini (1291).

In the Basilica are works of art of antiquity, early Christian and medieval (including sarcophagi).


In the central nave is the Baroque colonnade of 22 Ionic columns, taken from the Baths of Caracalla.

Santa Maria della Vittoria - a small church in the eastern part of Rome, known emphatically theatrical Cornaro Chapel decoration and especially the group performed Bernini "Ecstasy of St. Teresa", which is considered a triumph of Baroque art.

The church was built the Order of Barefoot Carmelites from 1605 as the church of St. Paul.

The author of the project was the famous architect Carlo Maderno.

After the Battle of White Mountain (1620) the church was pereosvyaschena in honor of the Virgin Mary and the victory over the enemies of the Catholic faith.

Construction of Santa Maria della Vittoria was completed in 1626, but the interior decoration continued until the end of the XVII


View of the chapel Cornaro with the sculpture "The Ecstasy of St. Teresa".

Sacro Cuore di Gesù - Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, located near Termini Station. Built in the XIX century.

Santa Maria Maggiore - Church, the Papal Basilica, one of the four major basilicas of Rome. Many dads, trying to make this a very revered church more beautiful, rebuilt and decorated it. The bell tower, the tallest in Rome (75 m), dates back to 1377 year. The current facade with a portico and a loggia was built in the 1740s. Ferdinando Fuga. In the loggia, on the wall, which is the old facade of the church, preserved mosaic decor beginning of XIV century.