Sant'Antonio dei Portoghesi

where: Via dei Portoghesi, 2
open: 8:30-13:00 &15:00-18:00

A short walk from Piazza Navona is Saint Anthony of the Portuguese and it's worthy a look inside for the lovely Baroque interior decorated with with marbles, gilded stuccoes and frescoes.

Many of the artworks in the church are by Baroque painter Giacinto Calandrucci. At the high altar is his Virgin handing the Holy Child to Saint Anthony dating from 1707, and the Baptism of Christ in the chapel of Saint John the Baptist.

Artists in Sant'Antonio dei Portoghesi

Giacinto Calandrucci

Nicolas Lorain

Antoniazzo Romano

Giovanni Odazzi

Michelangelo Cerruti

Marcello Venusti

Giacomo Zoboli

San Vitale

where: Via Nazionale, 194
getting there: metro - Linea A Repubblica, bus #40 or #64
open: daily 7:45-19:00

Walking along Via Nazionale we almost missed the church of San Vitale as it stands below street level and  down a steep flight of stairs that were built in 1853. 

The ancient church of  Santi Vitale e Compagni Martiri in Fovea was first consecrated in the 5th century and dedicated to the martyred saints Vitalis and his wife Valeria who died in the 2nd century.

The church has been restored many times with the final rebuilding commissioned by Pope Sixtus IV around 1475.

The church has a single nave and around the walls are frescoes with scenes of the martyrdom of the saints by Tarquinio Ligustri from 1603.

In the sanctuary apse is the Ascent to Calvary by Andrea Commodi and frescoes by Agostino Ciampelli of the Torture of Saint Vitalis.
The trompe l'oeil columns around the walls date from the early 17th century.

Santa Maria dell'Anima

Giacinto Gimignani

where: Via di Santa Maria dell'Anima, 66
open: 9:00-12:45 & 15:00-19:00

Sitting quietly amongst the busy restaurants in the narrow street behind Piazza Navona is Santa Maria dell'Amina.
A church was first founded here in 1350, connected to a hospice caring for Dutch and German pilgrims.

The present church was commissioned for the Holy Year of 1500 and dedicated to the Virgin Mary and souls and completely redecorated in the Baroque style in the 17th century after the Tiber River flooded and damaged the church.

At the high altar is the altarpiece of the Holy Family and Saints (c.1522) by Giulo Romano, former student of Raphael.

An interesting copy of the Pietà (the original by Michelangelo is in Saint Peter's Basilica) is by Lorenzetto and dates to 1532.
The church also holds the burial monument to German Pope Hadrian VI by Baldassare Peruzzi.

Giulio Romano

Artists in Santa Maria dell'Anima

 Baldassare Peruzzi

Francesco Salviati

Giulio Romano

Sermonetta

Giacinto Gimignani

Lorenzetto

Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza

 

where: Corso del Rinascimento

open: Mass 11:00 Sundays

The Baroque church of Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza was designed and built between 1642 and 1660 by architect Francesco Borromini.
It is connected to the 14th century courtyard of the Palace of the University of Rome and dedicated to Saint Yves, the patron saint of lawyers.
The entrance is through the courtyard from Corso dei Rinascimento.

The inside of the church is curved and painted white with stucco heralds of the symbols of the popes who contributed to the funds for the building of the church. In fact all over the interior and exterior are motifs of the papal families — the dragon of Gregory XIII (Buoncampagni), the lion, pears, three mountains and star of Sixtus V (Montalto), dragon and eagle of Paul V (Borghese), bees of Urban VIII (Barberini), the dove, olive branch, and three fleur-de-lys of Innocent X (Pamphilj), and the six mountains, star and acorn of Alexander VII (Chigi).

There are few paintings inside the church, although a gigantic altarpiece portraying St Yves by Pietro da Cortona is still in situ.

view from Via del Teatro Valle

Santa Maria in Via Lata

where: Via del Corso, 306
getting there: next-door to the Doria Pamphilj Gallery on Via del Corso
open: evenings 17:00-22:00
information: the crypt underneath the church can be visited by appointment

Santa Maria in Via Lata is a Baroque church on the Via del Corso built on the site of a previous church first built over a 1st century Roman house where Saints Peter, Paul and the Evangelists John and Luke supposedly stayed during their time in Rome.
In the 17th century the Baroque facade was added by Pietro da Cortona and the interior of the church renovated.
The high altar is attributed to Gianlorenzo Bernini.
Altarpieces in the church are by Baroque artists Giovanni Odazzi,Giovanni Domenico Piastrini, Pier Leone Ghezzi, Giuseppe Ghezzi and Giacinto Brandi.

San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane

where: Via del Quirinale, 23
getting there: nearest metro stop Linea A/Repubblica
hours: Monday to Saturday 10:00-13:00, Sunday 12:00-13:00 

San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane is a church near the four late-Renaissance fountains at the crossing of  Via della Quattro Fontane and Via del Quirinale.
The Baroque church was designed by Francesco Borromini in 1634 was and one of his first solo commissions funded by Cardinal Francesco Barberini who lived in the nearby palace.

The church, visited by people mainly interested in the architecture by Borromini, also has some interesting altarpieces.
In the small first chapel of the Crucifixion, on the right of the entrance, are three painting by Giuseppe Milanese from 1653.
The next chapel on the right holds a canvas dating from 1847 by the Florentine female artist, Amalia de Angelis.
The main altarpiece is from the 17th century by French painter Pierre Mignard, it shows Saint Charles Borromeo and Saints.
At the left altar is the Ecstasy of Saint John the Baptist by Prospero Mallerini from 1819.

main altar Pierre Mignard

Two notable paintings that were once in the sacristy are the giant canvases of Saint Ursula, and the Holy Family with Saints Agnes and Catherine of Alexandria that hang in the corridor leading to the cloisters.
To find these enter through the doorway at the right of the main altar and head towards the signs leading to the crypt.
The paintings, by Giovanni Domenico Cerrini, are beautiful and it is a shame that they seem so hidden away.

Giovanni Domenico Cerrini

Giovanni Domenico Cerrini

crypt

Artists in San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane

Giovanni Domenico Cerrini

Pierre Mignard

Amalia de Angelis

Giuseppe Milanese

Orazio Borgianni

Giovanni Francesco Romanelli

Prospero Mallerini

Santi Ildefonso e Tommaso da Villanova

where: Via Sistina, 11

open: 7:30-12:00 and 19:00-
getting there: metro - linea A/Barberini

Not far from the Piazza Barberini on Via Sistina is the 17th century church of Santi Ildefonso e Tommaso da Villanova.  It was dedicated to two Spanish saints – Ildefonso of Toledo and Thomas of Villanova.

The facade, a latter addition, was designed by Francesco Ferrari in 1725.
The inside is decorated in with stucco work of white flowers and garlands.

main altar