The San Marcello al Corso Church is located along Rome‘s main shopping street, Via del Corso. Its main attractions are frescoes and paintings by important artists such as Jacopo Sansovino, Francesco Salviati, the Zuccari brothers and Antonio Algardi.
Continue reading “San Marcello al Corso Church Rome”Category: Tourist Attractions
Sant’Andrea degli Scozzesi Church Rome
The Sant’Andrea degli Scozzesi Church is located in the Via delle Quattro Fontane in the Trevi district of Rome. It is not open to tourists and can only be visited while mass is being held.
Continue reading “Sant’Andrea degli Scozzesi Church Rome”Santa Maria del Rosario in Prati Church Rome
The Santa Maria del Rosario in Prati is a church in the Prati district of Rome. Built in the early 20th century, it should not be confused with the much more interesting Santa Maria del Rosario Church on Via Trionfale.
Continue reading “Santa Maria del Rosario in Prati Church Rome”Sacro Cuore di Gesù in Prati Church Rome
The Sacro Cuore di Gesù in Prati Church in Rome is also called the Sacro Cuore del Suffragio Church. The church has an impressive Gothic façade that is even more striking because it is wedged between modern buildings. Next to the sacristy is a small museum where relics of souls from purgatory are on display.
Sacro Cuore di Gesù in Prati Church Rome
ADDRESS, OPENING HOURS AND ENTRANCE FEE
Address: Lungotevere Prati, 12, Rome. District: Rione Prati. Telephone: +39 0668806517. Opening Hours: From 07.30 to 11.00 and from 16.30 to 19.30. Entrance fee: Free of charge. (NB: During the Corona crisis times may vary).
History
The Sacro Cuore in Suffragio delle Anime del Purgatorio Church was built between 1894 and 1917. The architect was Giuseppe Gualandi. The founder was the French priest Victor Jouet.
In 1897, a chapel dedicated to the Virgin of Rosario almost completely burned down. On one of the pillars that were still standing, people thought they could see the face of a man. This was thought to belong to one of the souls in purgatory. Jouet then started to collect similar relics. His collection is displayed in a museum next to the sacristy.
Description
Although the church has a white marble-like colour, it is made entirely of reinforced concrete. The style of the building is neo-Gothic.
Façade
The facade is characterised by its many pointed spires. This has earned the church its nickname of “Little Cathedral of Milan”. The central part is much higher than the rest of the church. Both the sides of this central part and the sides of the entire church end in pointed spires. Between thesespires are a number of aediculas with statues of saints.
The octagonal bell tower likewise ends in a spire. Under the spire is a loggia decorated with a cross between four irises.
In front of the entrance gate is a protiro (a protective portico). Its columns are made of red marble from Verona. The relief in the lunette shows the “Holy Souls from Purgatory”. The statue in the tympanum depicts “Our Lord of the Sacred Heart”.
The two smaller gates are also preceded by protiros. The relief above the left gate depicts “The Resurrection of Christ”. Above the right gate, the “Descent from the Cross” can be seen.
There are 19 sculptures sculptures on the façade, which wera all made by Orsoni and personally selected by Pope Pius X.
Interior
The interior consists of three naves separated by huge pointed arches. The floor is also made of Veronese marble and has a herringbone pattern.
What to see
The main altar was designed by Gualandi. It is made of marble and gilded bronze. On the altar there is a bronze tabernacle. The altar cloth consists of three parts. The Lord in the middle is flanked by the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph.
Museum od the Souls of Purgatory
Next to the sacristy is a “Museum of the Souls of Purgatory“. After a fire on September 15, 1897, the Virgin of Rosario Chapel was reduced to ashes. On a pillar, an imprint of a man’s head could be seen. It was thought that this imprint was that of a soul from purgatory. There is a photograph of this in the museum.
The French priest Victor Jouet considered the imprint to be a sign from God. He travelled far and wide to find similar relics or documents referring to similar events elsewhere.
His finds can be seen in the museum. There are especially many handprints burnt into garments and wooden panels. Most of these were discovered in Italy and France.
Sacro Cuore di Gesù in Prati Church, Rome
Piazza Cavour Rome
The Piazza Cavour is the largest and most impressive square in the Prati district of Rome. One of the long sides of the square is taken up entirely by the Palazzo della Giustizia.
Continue reading “Piazza Cavour Rome”Carabinieri Museum Rome
The Carabinieri Museum is housed in a building on the Piazza del Risorgimento in Rome. As well as being a museum, the palace also serves as the seat of the archives of the military unit of the carabinieri.
Continue reading “Carabinieri Museum Rome”Museum of the Souls of Purgatory Rome
A small but extremely unique museum in Rome is the Museum of the Souls in Purgatory (Museo delle Anime del Purgatorio). It is located in a room next to the neo-Gothic Sacro Cuore del Suffragio Church. The collection consists of objects that show the marks deceased people seeking contact with their next of kin supposedly left on items of cloth or other objects.
Continue reading “Museum of the Souls of Purgatory Rome”House of the Knights of Rhodes Rome
The House of the Knights of Rhodes, in the Forum of Augustus in the Monti district of Rome, currently houses the antiquarium of the Forum. It can only be visited with a guided tour.
Continue reading “House of the Knights of Rhodes Rome”Capitolium Rome
In Roman antiquity the Capitolium was considered the centre of Rome. It was the site where the city’s three main temples were located. Unfortunately hardly anything is left of the temples of Jupiter, Juno Monets and Minerva.
Continue reading “Capitolium Rome”Santi Marcellino and Pietro Church Rome
The Santi Marcellino and Pietro Church in Rome is a small church on the corner of the Via Labicana and the Via Merulana, at a couple of minutes’ walking distance from the Colosseum. The first version of the church, which now is several metres below the present street level, was constructed in the 4th century.
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