Visiting the recently restored Church of Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome was an absolute delight. After years of extensive restoration work, the church now stands as a brilliant testament to both its historical significance and the craftsmanship of its renovation. Located in the bustling Piazza del Popolo, Santa Maria del Popolo has long been a significant landmark, but the recent improvements have truly revived its grandeur. The restoration work has meticulously preserved the church’s remarkable Baroque features, while also revealing stunning details that were previously obscured by time and wear. The frescoed ceilings, now vibrantly restored, are simply breathtaking, with their vivid colours and intricate designs offering a sense of divine transcendence. The rich marble floors and statues around the church seem to shine anew, and the overall space feels lighter and more welcoming than before. One of the highlights of the church is its remarkable collection of art, including works by Caravaggio. The two paintings, "The Conversion of Saint Paul" and "The Crucifixion of Saint Peter," are now displayed in their full glory, with the restoration ensuring that their colours and details have been preserved for future generations to admire. The restored lighting also enhances these masterpieces, allowing visitors to fully appreciate the depth of Caravaggio’s talent and the spiritual atmosphere the church exudes. It tends to get crowded so try to go in off peak hours to better appreciate it. The restored Santa Maria del Popolo feels like a peaceful retreat in the heart of Rome, offering a serene escape from the bustling city streets. The attention to detail in the restoration is evident in every corner, and the overall effect is one of harmony, beauty, and reverence. If you’re visiting Rome, I highly recommend taking the time to explore this rejuvenated gem; it’s a true celebration of art, history, and faith.

The Church of Santa Maria del Popolo is one of Rome's cultural treasures. Its exterior is very sober, but its interior is where its richness lies. Filled with various works of art located in several chapels. Recently cleaned and restored Of note are works by Bernini, Rafael and of course Caravaggio. Caravaggio's works are in the Cerasi Chapel, to the left of the Altar. They are the Conversion of Paul and the Crucifixion of Peter. If you want to see the works in all their splendor you have to pay 2 euros (or wait for someone else to pay). ).hehehe. Also worth mentioning is the Chigi Chapel designed by Rafael.

Beautiful church located next to the Porta del Popolo, on the Piazza del Popolo of the same name, from which the church takes its name. The church originated from a single chapel, built by Pope Pasquale II at the end of the 11th century; between the 14th and 16th centuries the church saw the creation of a fascinating mixture of Renaissance and Baroque styles, thanks to the intervention of eminences of the artistic scene of the time, such as Bramante (who designed the choir of the 16th century), Carlo Maderno (author of the Cerasi chapel), Raphael (who designed the Chigi chapel, frescoing its vault), and Gian Lorenzo Bernini (who restored the church around the middle of the 17th century, giving it its Baroque imprint). The church has three naves, with four chapels on each side, and a large transept; in the choir there are two splendid works by Sansovino, while the vault was frescoed by Pinturicchio. The already named Cerasi Chapel, one of the most important inside the religious building, houses two of the most important works by Michelangelo Merisi, called Caravaggio, the “Conversion of St. Paul” and the “Crucifixion of St. Peter”, paintings full of great power and charm; between the two masterpieces, the altarpiece represents the Assumption of the Virgin by Annibale Carracci. It is at least unusual to be able to take advantage of the opportunity to see together, for free, with ease, and above all avoiding the crowd of museums, masterpieces of such absolute magnitude, which create in anyone who loves a minimum of art a deep emotion. The interior of the church also houses several funeral monuments of great personalities of the time, as well as numerous other works of art by perhaps lesser-known but highly skilled authors.

Renaissance built church from the late 15th century that sits at the Piazza del Popolo which represented the main entrance to the city for pilgrims from the north. Inside art by Caravaggio, Raphael and Bernini is featured. Usually open from 830am-12pm and 4-7pm but beware that the church often has unannounced closings as it did on the Saturday morning that I visited

Surprisingly there are 3 churches all called Santa Maria in Piazza del Popolo. Confusion is inevitable. Even a few of the photos attached to reviews below show the wrong church. The easiest way to spot it is to stand in the middle of the piazza, walk towards the large gateway, and the white facade of the church will be on your right. The other difficulty in visiting this church is that it’s closed for a big chunk of time in the middle of the day. On weekdays, it closes between 12 - 4pm (weekends are a little different). I should’ve checked before visiting but didn’t. As a result I missed out which is really disappointing because everything you want to see here is on the inside. The facade is rather plain. Certainly its not exceptional. However inside are paintings by Raphael and Carravaggio and works by the Baroque genius, Bernini, who was so in demand that he received commissions from 8 different popes. Note: The website says that it’s currently temporarily closed to all visitors and is undergoing restoration work. It will re-open November 2024. Perhaps the hours may change after this date but its definitely worth checking before visiting.