Santa Maria di Loreto (Rome)

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The church of Santa Maria di Loreto, designed by Antonio da Sangallo the younger.

Santa Maria di Loreto is a 16th century church in Rome, located just across the street from the Trajan's Column, near the giant Monument of Vittorio Emanuele II.

The construction of this church was started in 1507 by Antonio da Sangallo the younger, with an octagonal floor plan; the dome and the lantern were completed by Jacopo del Duca some 75 years later. The church was built atop an earlier 15th century chapel. It is most notable for the adjacent erection of a similarly domed 18th century church Santissimo Nome di Maria, giving the semblance of twin churches.

The interior decoration is best noted for the statuary, including a statue at the entrance by Andrea Sansovino and around the altar, four angels by Stefano Maderno, and representations of four martyred virgin and Roman saints, apt companions to a church dedicated to the transposed house of the Virgin Mary’s Annunciation. The four martyrs in order of completion were Saint Agnes by Pompeo Ferrucci, Saint Flavia Domitilla by Domenico de Rossi, Saint Cecilia by Giuliano Finelli, and the famous early Baroque statue of Santa Susanna by Francois Duquesnoy.