Santa Maria ai Monti

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Santa Maria dei Monti.

detail of the high altar.

Santa Maria dei Monti (also known as Madonna dei Monti or Santa Maria ai Monti) is a titular church in Rome. The church is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

1 History
2 Titular cardinals
3 Gallery
4 References
5 External links

[edit] History

The church was commissioned by Pope Gregory XIII in 1580 to celebrate the discovery of a miraculous 15th century image of Our Lady with Sts Lawrence and Stephen, found in the ruins of a nearby convent of the Poor Clares, which now hangs over the high altar. A copy is processed through the streets on April 26th each year.

It was designed by Giacomo della Porta with a façade^[1] inspired by his prior work of the Gesú. It has two rows of Corinthian pilasters that are connected with volutes. Above the door is a dedicatory inscription and votive niches. The work was continued by Carlo Lombardi and Flaminio Ponzio. Original to this phase are the 1599 statues by Giovanni Anguilla of the four major prophets of the Old Testament in the niches of the dome.

The apse is decorated by Giacinto Gimignani and Cristoforo Casolani. The latter also produced the frescoes of the four Evangelists in the dome and the ceiling fresco in the nave depicting The Ascension, Angels and Doctors of the Church (1624). In each of the eight sections of the dome are depictions of scenes from the life of the Blessed Virgin, made by several artists, while in the vault and the arches of the chapels are stucco angels by Ambrogio Buonvicino. In the first chapel to the right are frescoes of the story of San Carlo Borromeo and a Madonna and child with the saint (1624) by Giovanni da San Giovanni. The third chapel has a Walk to Calvary by Paris Nogari. The main altar has a Madonna with child with saints Stephen & Lorenzo from the early 15th century. In the third chapel on the left, is a Nativity by Girolamo Muziano, flanked by an Adoration of the Magi and Dream of St. John both by Cesare Nebbia. In the first chapel to the left (north) is an Annunciation (1588) by Durante Alberti.

St Benedict Joseph Labre died here in 1783 and was buried in the north transept beneath an altar. An effigy of him was added by Achille Albacini in 1892. His feast is celebrated in the church on 16th April.

It has been a parochial church since 1824, served by diocesan clergy, and a titular since 1960.