Church of Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome. Piazza del Popolo and Church of Santa Maria del Popolo

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Santa Maria del Popolo is a church in the square of the same name in Rome at the foot of the Pincio hill next to the Porta del Popolo - the main northern gate of the city in the Middle Ages.

The Church of Santa Maria del Popolo is an iconic place in Rome both for the history of the city, and for its legends, and for world culture, but especially for Christians.

It is assumed that it is in this church that one of the first Gospels, translated by Cyril and Methodius into the Slavic language, is kept.

In the 9th century, Saints Cyril and Methodius brought the Holy Book to Rome for the court of Pope Henrian II, who approved services in Slavic and allowed the Gospel to be kept in Slavic in Roman churches.

Dear independent travelers! If any of you managed to visit the museum of the Church of Santa Maria del Popolo and were lucky enough to see the first Gospel in the Slavic language, tell us about it!

Legend of the Church of Santa Maria del Popolo

According to one of the legends of the city of Rome, the Church of St. Mary del Popolo appeared on this site “thanks to” Nero, or rather the ghost of the terrible emperor. The legend goes like this: a long time ago, in the distant Middle Ages, the ghost of Nero began to appear in the area of ​​​​Piazza del Popolo, bringing confusion and fear into human souls.

It was rumored that it was here that the cruel emperor was buried, who remained in the memory of his ancestors only as a persecutor of Christians who burned the great city. Most often, a sign of the insatiable Nero was seen on a walnut tree growing in the square. Panic caused by a terrible ghost forced the people to turn to Pope Paschal II for help and protection. And then, one night in 1099, the Pope saw the Blessed Virgin Mary in a dream, commanding that this tree be cut down. Paschal II performed this exactly, and, as they say, with his own hand.

At the same place, he found human bones, which he threw into the Tiber, and at this place he ordered the erection of a chapel in honor of the Virgin Mary, with whose patronage Rome got rid of the nightmarish ghost of Nero. In addition, just at this time the crusaders once again liberated Jerusalem, which was an additional reason for praising the Virgin Mary.

Popular rumor claims that money for the construction of this chapel was collected by the whole world, which is why both the square and the church of the same name are called “del Popolo”, that is, “folk”.

History of the Church of Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome

In the 13th century, a small Roman-style church was added to the already built chapel. And the church that we see now was completed at the end of the 15th century (reconstruction began in 1472) at the behest of Sixtus IV, who instructed the Florentine architect Baccio Pontelli to give the church the completed appearance of a Latin cross, making it in a strict Renaissance style.

Icon of the Madonna del Popolo in the main apse of the Church of Santa Maria del Popolo

(Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo is one of the first churches in Rome built in the Renaissance style). In 1505, Donato Bramante expanded the church with an apse, and even later (mid-17th century) G. Lorenzo Bernini added baroque elements (arched lines) to the main facade in order to slightly “modernize” the appearance of the church to the then “fashionable” baroque.

At that time, next to the church of Santa Maria del Popolo, there was the first Augustinian monastery in Rome, where Martin Luther himself stayed during his visit in 1510-1511. Unfortunately, during the sack of Rome in 1527, this monastery was completely destroyed.

Apse of Santa Maria del Popolo

The apse of the church, which houses the main altar, is famous for its icon of the Mother of God, which, according to legend, is attributed to the hand of the Evangelist Luke himself. In fact, this image of the “Madonna del Popolo” was created by a Siena master in the 13th century, which in no way detracts from the goodness and holiness of the image. Those who visited the Church of Santa Maria del Popolo were able to see this for themselves.

Here, in the apse of the main altar of the basilica, there are two stained glass windows, considered the oldest in Rome. They were made by the French master Guillaume de Marcillat in 1509.

Church of Santa Maria del Popolo on the map of Rome:

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February 19th, 2018

This church is a real museum. Here are works by Bernini, Raphael, Bramante, Caravaggio, Pinturicchio, Carracci. It was also made famous by Dan Brown's bestseller "Angels and Demons", in which one of the actions takes place in the Chigi Chapel. There is also a legend associated with the history of the church.

The Church of Santa Maria del Popolo is located in the People's Square - Piazza del Popolo. The church building was erected in 1472-1477 on the site of a medieval chapel.
01.

There is an assumption that it was here, where the steps of the church, on June 9, 68 at the age of 30, that Emperor Nero, who is still considered a despicable person, committed suicide in order to avoid a shameful execution, despite his services in urban planning - the construction of the Golden House. Many people do not know that the people of Rome loved the emperor and mourned his death. The repulsive image of Nero was created for political reasons by ancient authors. For Christians, Nero was the Antichrist, since under him the apostles Paul and Peter were executed.
02.

This is an engraving of a supposed family tomb of the Domitian family to which Nero belonged. The ashes of Nero were placed in it - according to ancient Roman tradition, his corpse was burned. Centuries passed. The tomb collapsed over time. Trees grew on the ruins. Either they were poplars or a huge walnut. Black crows settled in the crown of the trees, which medieval people considered to be demons in this place. Many people saw the ghost of Nero wandering around the square at night. In a word, it was not a good place. And so, a thousand years after the death of Nero, Pope Paschal II ordered that this tree or trees be cut down, burned, and the ashes and everything that remained from the tomb thrown into the Tiber. The place was consecrated and a chapel to the Virgin Mary was built. This was in 1099.
03.

Church portico decor.
04.

In the 17th century, the interior of the church was thoroughly updated by Bernini. Sculptures of saints were placed on the cornices of the arches based on Bernini’s sketches. On the arch on the left are sculptures of early Christian women: St. Catherine and St. Barbara, the work of Antonio Raggi (1624-1686) - a Baroque sculptor, author of one of the angels on the Bridge of Angels.
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Central nave
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Apse ( altar part) made according to drawings by Bramante. It is believed that the Miraculous Altar Icon "Madonna del Popolo" is one of the eight Roman icons painted by the Apostle Luke.
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Fragment of apse decor.
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General view of the altar, decorated with four columns of black marble.
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The apse of the main altar has two stained glass windows - the oldest in Rome. They were made by the French master Guillaume de Marcillat in 1509. .
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Description of the altar and choir. (Detailed descriptions in Italian and English are available in front of each chapel.)
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Chapels of St. Thomas Villanova and St. Rita.
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Above the chapels is a Baroque organ and the coat of arms of Pope Alexander VII.
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Coat of arms of Pope Alexander VII (1599 - 1667), who came from the wealthy Chigi family, thanks to whose patronage masterpieces of Baroque architecture arose in Rome. It was at this time that a beautiful colonnade was built on the square of St. Peter's Cathedral - the work of the Baroque genius - Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680). On Bernini's colonnade you can see the coat of arms of Pope Alexander VII.
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Bust of a cardinal Gian Girolamo Albani(1509-1591), author - Paracca.
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Altar of the Holy Family. Marble work has been completed Gabriele Renzi in 1658. Angel sculpture on the right - work Antonio Raggi.
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Mellinni Chapel. The vault of the chapel - frescoes by the artist Giovanni da San Giovanni, 1623-1624.
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Chapel Rovere. The frescoes and altar are the work of Pinturicchio, 1485-90. At the bottom of the chapel are “faux-paintings” - drawings that create a three-dimensional effect.
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"Deceptions."
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Made according to sketches by Carlo Fontana, the Cibo Chapel, richly decorated with precious types of multi-colored marble, is one of the most beautiful in the church.
The altarpiece is one of the significant paintings by Carlo Maratta, 1686.
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Ceiling fresco.
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On the walls in the depths of the chapel there are funerary busts.
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Beginning in 1470, the church was a popular burial place for the Roman aristocracy and high-ranking Church officials. They were buried not only in tombs, but also in crypts under the floor of the church. A gravestone in the central nave, trampled by the feet of believers and tourists since 1581....
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This slab has been trampled on since 1566...
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Funerary monument for Maria Eleonora Boncompagni, who died in 1745, in typical late Baroque style, 1749.
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This tombstone near the entrance is not immediately noticeable, but when you see it, it gives you goosebumps. What is significant is that the tombstone was made by the architect himself - Giovanni Battista Gisleni - two years before his death in 1670. On the tombstone there is an inscription: “Death is a symbol of life.”
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For centuries, Catholic churches have been honored burial places. There are many tombstones in the church, and the church is a real museum of sculpture.
30.

In front of this tomb, not far from the entrance, next to the Chigi Chapel, everyone stops, ladies love to take pictures near it. But I didn’t notice that anyone carefully read what was written on the marble bedspread. This is the tomb of Maria Flaminia Chigi-Odescalchi, built in 1771, the work of the Italian architect and sculptor Paolo Posi (1708 - 1776). At one time the tomb was admired, but later it became considered tacky, and guidebooks do not mention it at all.
31.

Maria Flaminia Chigi-Odescalchi was a representative of two rich and noble families of Italy: the Chigi and Odescalchi families, each of which had a Pope: Benedetto Odescalchi (1611-1689) - the 240th Pope Innocent XI and Alexander VII from the Chigi family, 237 th Pope. The sculptural composition symbolically depicts the union of these clans: the lion is a symbol of the Odescalchi clan, the mountain is a symbol of the Chigi clan. At the top of the tomb is an eagle (symbol of Odescalchi), below is a bronze oak trunk (genus Chiji).
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Near this tombstone is the iconic Chigi Chapel, known to the general public from the best-selling book and film “Angels and Demons”. In September 2012 it was closed for restoration...
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During my visit to Rome in October 2015, the Chigi Chapel was opened after restoration work.
The chapel was built according to Raphael's design in 1513-1516, but remained unfinished. The chapel acquired its final appearance almost a hundred and fifty years later.
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There are two pyramids in the chapel, not four, as Dan Brown wrote. And then the question arises: was Dan Brown even in this church? On the other hand, Brown fantasized a lot in his book.
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To the right of the altar of the chapel is the sculpture “The Prophet Jonah”, work by Lorenzetto, 1522.
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Sculpture "Prophet Jonah" close-up.
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Near the entrance on the left there is a sculpture of the same sculpture - Lorenzetto.
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The marble sculpture depicts Eliya, made in 1522.
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Sculpture by Bernini, 1655-56. "Daniel and the Lion"
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To the right of the altar is a Bernini sculpture that Dan Brown noticed. The angel's finger, which shows the way to the hero of Brown's bestseller, has been broken off. And this is strange, since this shot was taken in 2015, i.e. after the restoration of the church.

As soon as you enter Rome through the northern gate (ancient Porta Flaminia, now Porta del Popolo), on the left side you will see the modest Revival façade of the church dedicated to the Holy Virgin. The modest appearance is deceptive, but the splendor with the ancient obelisk in the center persistently invites you not to stop and move forward. Stop, please. And visit the church first.

Your patience will be rewarded handsomely. You will be pleasantly surprised by the contrast between the restrained Renaissance decoration on the outside and the flaming multicolor of the Baroque interior. There are not many churches in Rome, on the design of which many outstanding masters of art worked with inspiration. The Popes paid close attention to the Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo, and legends are associated with it.

Emperor Nero's tomb and folk legend

In ancient times, there was a mausoleum on the site of the church family of Domiti, to which the emperor belonged Nero(Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus). After the emperor's suicide, his ashes rested for centuries in this family crypt. However, as we know, under Nero the holy apostles Peter, Paul and thousands of Christians were executed, which gave rise to a persistent idea of ​​him as the Antichrist. Since the times of early Christian communities, there has also been a belief that Nero the Antichrist could return and bring with him grief and death.

In the photo on the left (fine engraving D. Piranesi- click!) depicts the crypt of Nero. Over time, according to legend, on the ruins of this grave, a huge walnut grew, in the crown of which crows and demons settled. The place was considered cursed and people avoided it. In 1099, Pope Paschal II ordered the tree to be cut down, burned, and the ashes, along with the remains of the grave, thrown into the Tiber River.

Then, using voluntary donations from citizens, a small chapel dedicated to the Holy Mother of God was built in this place.

In 1227, Pope Gregory IX converted the chapel into a church and expanded it. On his instructions, the first relic is transferred to the church - the image of the Virgin Mary from the Lateran Chapel of the Holy Savior (Santissimo Salvatore). Since 1250, the church comes into the possession of the monastic order of St. Augustine. In 1472 - 1477, at the behest of Pope Sixtus IV, the architect Andrea Bregno designed the facade of the basilica and the tomb of della Rovere. At the beginning of the 16th century, Bramante designed the choir of the basilica, then Raphael designed the Chigi Chapel, and at the beginning of the 17th century. Bernini completely rebuilt the interior of the church in the Baroque style.

Interior of the Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo

Many noble families (from bankers to cardinals and popes) sought to acquire family chapels in the basilica. This entailed the participation of dozens of sculptors, artists and architects in the design of parts of the interior.

The central nave of the basilica. In the depths there is an altar and an icon Madonna del Popolo.

The arched spans are decorated in marbled stucco by the great Gian Lorenzo Bernini, commissioned by Pope Alexander VII Chigi.

Famous icon Santa Maria del Popolo in the central altar.

Original altar work Andrea Bregno.

Right nave

Chapel della Rovere (first on the right). Pinturicchio. Presepe(nativity scene). San Girolamo is on his knees and behind him, presumably, is a self-portrait of the artist himself.

Cibo Chapel (second from right). Carlo Maratta. Immaculate Conception with Saints John the Evangelist, Gregory, Augustine and John of Antioch.

Chapel Basso della Rovere (third from left). Pinturicchio's students. Madonna and Child surrounded by saints.

Choir vault. Pinturicchio(1508-1509). Coronation of the Virgin Mary. Madonna surrounded by evangelists, church fathers and Sybils.

Left nave

Famous Cerasi Chapel(to the left of the altar): works by the great masters Caravaggio and Annibale Carracci are presented here:

Caravaggio. Crucifixion of Saint Peter(1601).

According to legend, the Apostle Peter asked his executioners to crucify him on the cross head down so that they would not liken him, a mere mortal, to the Savior.

Conversion of Saul, or Paul on the road to Damascus (1601).

Caravaggio, the master of light and shadow, depicted one of the episodes from the life of the apostle, which played a decisive role in his conversion to Christianity. We quote from the Acts of the Holy Apostles:

As he walked and approached Damascus, a light from heaven suddenly shone around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him: Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting Me? He said: Who are you, Lord? The Lord said: I am Jesus whom you persecute. It's hard for you to go against the bullshit. He said in awe and horror: God! what do you want me to do? and the Lord [said] to him: get up and go into the city; and you will be told what you need to do. The people walking with him stood in a daze, hearing the voice but not seeing anyone. Saul got up from the ground, and with his eyes open he saw no one. And they led him by the hands and brought him to Damascus. And for three days he did not see, and did not eat, and did not drink.

Annibale Carracci. In the center of the chapel - Ascension of the Virgin Mary(1601).

Chigi Chapel (second from left)

Luigi de Pace(based on drawings by Raphael). The Creator surrounded by eight images of planets. Mosaic, 1516

Lorenzetto. Prophet Jonah comes out of the whale's belly onto the shore.

Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Angel and Prophet Habakkuk(1658-1661). Commissioned by Pope Alexander VII.

The angel helps the prophet get a bowl and feed soup to Daniel, who was thrown into a den of lions (composition from the opposite side, see below).

Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Prophet Daniel with lions(1655-1657). Commissioned by Pope Alexander VII.

Useful information

In the 16th century, at the intersection of the three main streets of Rome, it was formed Piazza del Popolo(Piazza del Popolo). Translated from Italian - People's Square. In fact, its name comes from the Latin word "populus" - "poplar".

The square is located outside the northern gate of the Aurelian Wall (in ancient Rome they were called Porta Flaminia, and now Porta del Popolo). This is where the Via Flaminia started (as Via del Corso used to be called), leading to Rimini, and formerly the most important road in the northern direction. For centuries, Piazza del Popolo was the site of public executions.

The current neoclassical appearance of the square is the work of the architect Giuseppe Valadier (1811-1822). He removed the fountain by Giacomo della Porta from 1572 from the square and ordered the demolition of several buildings and walls remaining from Bernini's plan for the construction of St. Peter's Square.

In the center of the square rises egyptian obelisk Pharaoh Seti I (Obelisk Flaminio or Obelisk Popolo) , brought from Heliopolis by order of Emperor Augustus.

If you look from the north side, you can see that three streets diverge from Piazza del Popolo in different directions - Via del Corso in the center, Via del Babuino on the left and Via Ripetta on the right .

Twin churches of Santa Maria dei Miracoli(Santa Maria dei Miracoli)and Santa Maria in Montesanto(Santa Maria in Montesanto) mark the connection of streets. Built by the architect Carlo Rainaldi and subsequently completed by Bernini and Carlo Fontana (1662-1679)

Church of Santa Maria del Popolo
(Santa Maria del Popolo)

In ancient times, on the site of the church there was a mausoleum of the Domitian family, to which Emperor Nero, who was considered by the people as the Antichrist, belonged (since under Nero the holy apostles Peter, Paul and thousands of Christians were executed). After the emperor's suicide, his ashes also rested in the family crypt.
But since the times of early Christian communities, there has been an opinion that Nero the Antichrist could return and bring with him grief and death.

On the ruins of this grave, according to legend, a huge walnut tree grew, in the crown of which demons in the guise of black crows settled.

In 1099, Pope Paschal II ordered the tree to be cut down and burned, and the ashes, along with the remains of the grave, to be thrown into the Tiber. The chapel of the Virgin Mary was built on the “cursed” place. In 1235, by the will of Pope Gregory IX, it was expanded and became a church. In 1250 he handed over the church to the order of Augustinian monks.

In 1472-1477, Baccio Pontelli and Andrea Bregno worked on the reconstruction of Santa Maria del Popolo, who turned the basilica into one of the best examples of the early Italian Renaissance.

In the middle of the 17th century. Bernini redid the façade (at the request of Pope Alexander VII), giving it a Baroque appearance. Bramante worked on the apse of the basilica (here you can find the oldest stained glass window in Rome, made by the Frenchman Guillaume de Marcilla). The vaults of the apse are painted with frescoes by Pinturicchio.

Many noble families sought to acquire family chapels in the basilica. This entailed the participation of dozens of sculptors, artists and architects in the design of parts of the interior.

Central nave

In the background there is an altar and an icon of the Madonna del Popolo. The arched spans are decorated in marbled stucco by Bernini, commissioned by Pope Alexander VII Chigi.

Right nave

Chapel della Rovere(first on the right). Pinturicchio. " Presepe".

Cibo Chapel(second from right). Carlo Maratta. " Immaculate Conception."

It was created for Cardinal Alderano Cibo at the end of the 17th century by Carlo Fontana. The beauty of the paintings decorating it, the priceless marble cladding of the walls and the work of outstanding craftsmen make it one of the most significant sacred monuments of Rome at the end of the 17th century.

Chapel Basso della Rovere(third from left). Pupils of Pinturicchio. " Madonna and Child surrounded by saints".

Left nave

Chigi Chapel(known from the book and film “Angels and Demons”) (second from left)

Started in 1513 from a sketch by Raphael for his patron Agostino Chigi and completed Bernini in 1652-1656.

Dome mosaics "The Creator God in the sky, surrounded by the symbols of the Sun and the seven planets" made by Luigi de Pace from Raphael's cardboard in 1516. Painting in the altar "Birth of the Virgin"- Sebastiano del Piombo.
Sculptures by Bernini - "Daniel and the Lion" And "Habakkuk and the Angel".

Cesari Chapel(to the left of the altar)

Early Baroque masters were involved in painting the Cerasi Chapel - Annibale Carracci And Caravaggio.

In September 1600, Cardinal Cesari bought a border in the church of Santa Maria del Popolo and commissioned Caravaggio to depict two Gospel scenes on cypress panels: the conversion of Saul and the martyrdom of St. Peter

The order for the central board was given to Aniballe Caracci.
Thus, the customer decided to arrange a competition between two artists representing different schools.

The original version of Caravaggio's paintings was rejected by the relatives of Cesari who suddenly died. The first picture has not survived, and the second, “The Conversion of Saul,” belongs to a private collection.
Cherasi's heirs came to their senses, realizing that they had gone too far, because... the rejected boards were purchased at a high price by an influential cardinal, and demanded that the artist strictly comply with all the terms of the signed contract.

New paintings for the church of Santa Maria del Popolo were soon completed.
It must be admitted that the failure with their first option clearly benefited Caravaggio. Now his composition has acquired classical completeness and simplicity.

The use of light looks innovative, when everything depicted on the canvases immediately appears to the viewer’s eye entering a rather cramped and shallow chapel, which, thanks to the sculptor Fontana and the paintings of Tacconi, who decorated the vaults and ceiling, acquired a majestic Baroque appearance, which is enhanced by the central altar panel of Carracci.

The result is a chapel that from a distance looks like a genuine temple inside a temple.
But this impression of theatrical pomp is muted immediately upon entering the chapel itself, on the side walls of which are placed two masterpieces by Caravaggio, striking in the perfection of their execution and the harsh truth of life.

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio.

Crucifixion of Saint Peter

A beam of light falling from the right reveals an unusual composition of the painting, which has a cruciform shape formed by the diagonal of the cross with the apostle nailed to it and the figures of his torturers located on the canvas, whose heads, arms and legs almost protrude from the plane of the canvas. (According to legend, the Apostle Peter asked his executioners to crucify him on the cross head down so that they would not liken him, a mere mortal, to the Savior).

The figure of the apostle is painted with astonishing realism, for which the same sitter was chosen who posed for Joseph in the Rest on the Flight into Egypt and for the rejected version of the Apostle Matthew and the Angel.

Opposite is placed an even more laconic and sparingly colored canvas, not devoid of the same monumentality - "Conversion of Saul".

This plot, widespread in painting, tells how, on the way to Damascus, the persecutor of Christians, the Jew Saul (the future Apostle Paul), was suddenly blinded by a heavenly ray and, falling from his horse, heard the voice of Christ: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? »
Caravaggio decisively rejects traditional iconography, creating the most revolutionary painting in the history of world religious art.
He was the first to depict the real, unadorned world, freeing himself from centuries-old convention.

"The Conversion of Saul" by Veronese

"The Conversion of Saul" by Michelangelo

Art critic Matteo Marangoni writes: "The Conversion of Saul is the greatest milestone of modern art, not so much because of its powerful realism, but rather because of its new revolutionary language and style. Caravaggio was truly the first to look at life with open eyes, free from the blinders of any secular cultural and intellectual a tradition that even Titian did not completely abandon."

The clergy rejected the painting twice. The archives of the Church of Santa Maria del Popolo contain a recording of a curious dialogue between the rector of the church and the artist:

- Why do you have a horse in the middle, and Saul, the future Apostle Paul, lies on the ground?

- That's how it should be.

- Does this mean that a horse should replace God for you?

- No, it is only illuminated by divine light.

The hero of the picture is not a lost man obsessed with the search for truth, but a superbly painted huge horse, occupying almost the entire surface of the canvas. The picture is devoid of any hint of reverence for the miracle that has happened - everything in it is extremely life-like and authentic.

The competition Cerasi planned never happened.
Any person entering the church will be attracted from afar by the richness of the marble frame of the chapel and the bright spot of the altar painting.
But, once in the chapel itself, his gaze will only for a moment stop at Carracci’s work, overloaded with characters and details, and all his attention will be riveted on the two side paintings.

Roman wits took their souls away, making fun of the rosy-cheeked Virgin Mary, bursting with health, on the Carracci board, who floats in the skies like a frog, entangled in fluttering bright robes. That is why two of the apostles patiently look down in anticipation of her landing, and the other nine turned their gaze upward to the Virgin floating among the clouds. The figure of one of them on the right is very interesting. The Apostle looks somewhere to the side and makes the “maina-vira” sign with his hands to someone - apparently, an angel standing at the winch outside the picture, who is supposed to raise and lower the flying Mary, surrounded by plump winged angels. But what is especially surprising is the bust-length image of a naked androgynous creature, attached to the left of the Virgin’s figure and resembling her Siamese twin.

In the center of the chapel - Caracci "Ascension of the Virgin Mary"(1601)

The consecration and opening of the Cerasi Chapel became a real sensation in Rome.
The solemn ceremony in the church was attended by nobility and high clergy. Despite the bright colorism in the spirit of the new Baroque style that was establishing itself in Rome, Carracci’s altar panel with its deliberate beauty could not stand any comparison with the two side canvases of Caravaggio, full of drama and life’s truth, which carried something new that world painting had not yet known. Both masters were present at the ceremony, but did not approach each other.

Photo: Church of Santa Maria del Giglio