Chiesa dei Santi Luca e Martina

Chiesa dei Santi Luca e Martina

Chiesa dei Santi Luca e Martina
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A church that never stops to amaze you..
Jun 2020
Interesting church in the heart of the Imperial Forum. In addition to the architectural beauty of the church itself, you have an extra bonus: in fact when you leave the church you have an extraordinary and unimaginable glance on the Forum of Caesar. Built in the sixth century by pope Honorius I above the remains of the ancient "Secretarium Senatus", most likely a criminal court of the Late Empire, in the Forum of Caesar, it was restored in 1256 and at the end of the 16th century it was granted by pope Sixtus V to the Academy of Drawing or Academy of San Luca. The reconstruction, designed by Ottaviano Mascherino and Pietro da Cortona, is to be considered one of the architectural masterpieces of the Roman Baroque. The works began after 1626, when cardinal Francesco Barberini, nephew of Pope Urban VIII, became protector of the Academy and lasted from 1635 to 1664. The church has a Greek cross plan with an apse and a dome in the Baroque style by the architect Pietro da Cortona. This baroque church was initially dedicated to St. Martina and only later to both St. Luke the Evangelist and St. Martina. On the main altar, there is the painting by Antiveduto Grammatica, a copy of the famous painting by Raphael where you can admire St. Luke while he paints the Madonna. The church is located in one of the most beautiful points of Rome, all around there are churches and buildings of great value. The Church of SS. Luke and Martina is intimately linked to the Academy of San Luca, a centuries-old artistic reality of which the Italian painter Federico Zuccari was a very important exponent. It was precisely Zuccari who wrote the foundations of the statute of the Accademy in Rome, of which he became "Principe" (Head) in 1593. In this artistic reality,an institution of intellectual and artistic profile was created: its purpose was to elevate the role and the status of the artist, from a simple craftsman to something much more important. Finally, the Church of Santi Luca e Martina is intimately linked to Pietro da Cortona, an artist and important exponent of the Roman Baroque, who was allowed to create, in the underground crypt of the church, a funerary complex for himself and his family. Pietro da Cortona as "Head" of the Academy in 1634 paved the way for the construction of a new church dedicated to St. Luke. Initially Pietro da Cortona had just in mind to build his own underground funerary chapel, but the discovery of the body of St. Martina led Pope Urban VIII to finance the construction of a new grand church dedicated to both saints (the lower one is dedicated to St. Martina and the upper one to St. Luke). It is one of the symbols of the 17th century Roman Baroque. A church that never stops to amaze you..
ChiefGuru
By ChiefGuru
Church of St. Luke and Martina at Roman Forum
Jun 2019
The Church of St. Luke and Martina is located in the Northeast quadrant of the Roman Forum beside the Forum of Caesar (to the East). Church of St. Luke and Martina is central to the Curia Lulia (Senate House), Lapis Niger, Arch of Septimus Severus, Church of St. Joseph of the Carpenters, Mamertine Prison and the Forum of Caesar. All of these other adjacent historical landmarks should also be viewed. The area of the Roman Forum has significance to the ancient city dating to the 7th century B.C. At that time, this area was referred to as the Comitium - the original open-air public meeting space of Ancient Rome, and had major religious and prophetic significance. The now site of the church was occupied by a series of other buildings beginning in the late 700s B.C. Eventually, the original church on the site was dedicated to St Martina, commissioned by Pope Honorius I in 625. The church of St. Martina was restored by Pope Alexander IV in 1256. In 1588, the church was given, by Pope Sixtus IV, to the Accademia di San Luca (originally Compagna dei Pittori - guild of painters). They rededicated the church to St. Luke and St. Martina in 1589. Reconstruction of the church started in 1635 and continued with modifications to the interior and exterior, including the dome. Little alteration has occurred since ~1740. The exterior layout of the church has been compared to a Greek cross, with a central dome over a crossing with four arms. The façade is travertine limestone, but the main body of the building is brick. Currently, the side walls are exposed and look dirty, but before the 20th century they were completely concealed by adjacent buildings and not meant to be seen. The base of hemispherical dome is also of travertine limestone. Overall, this church has a quite interesting historical and architectural appeal.

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Top ways to experience nearby attractions

The area
Address
Neighborhood: Campitelli
How to get there
  • Fori Imperiali-Colosseo • 8 min walk
  • Colosseo • 8 min walk
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.

4.0
43 reviews
Excellent
15
Very good
19
Average
9
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0
Terrible
0

dapper777
Monaco32,368 contributions
Jun 2020 • Friends
Interesting church in the heart of the Imperial Forum. In addition to the architectural beauty of the church itself, you have an extra bonus: in fact when you leave the church you have an extraordinary and unimaginable glance on the Forum of Caesar.
Built in the sixth century by pope Honorius I above the remains of the ancient "Secretarium Senatus", most likely a criminal court of the Late Empire, in the Forum of Caesar, it was restored in 1256 and at the end of the 16th century it was granted by pope Sixtus V to the Academy of Drawing or Academy of San Luca.
The reconstruction, designed by Ottaviano Mascherino and Pietro da Cortona, is to be considered one of the architectural masterpieces of the Roman Baroque.
The works began after 1626, when cardinal Francesco Barberini, nephew of Pope Urban VIII, became protector of the Academy and lasted from 1635 to 1664.
The church has a Greek cross plan with an apse and a dome in the Baroque style by the architect Pietro da Cortona.
This baroque church was initially dedicated to St. Martina and only later to both St. Luke the Evangelist and St. Martina.
On the main altar, there is the painting by Antiveduto Grammatica, a copy of the famous painting by Raphael where you can admire St. Luke while he paints the Madonna.
The church is located in one of the most beautiful points of Rome, all around there are churches and buildings of great value.
The Church of SS. Luke and Martina is intimately linked to the Academy of San Luca, a centuries-old artistic reality of which the Italian painter Federico Zuccari was a very important exponent.
It was precisely Zuccari who wrote the foundations of the statute of the Accademy in Rome, of which he became "Principe" (Head) in 1593.
In this artistic reality,an institution of intellectual and artistic profile was created: its purpose was to elevate the role and the status of the artist, from a simple craftsman to something much more important.
Finally, the Church of Santi Luca e Martina is intimately linked to Pietro da Cortona, an artist and important exponent of the Roman Baroque, who was allowed to create, in the underground crypt of the church, a funerary complex for himself and his family.
Pietro da Cortona as "Head" of the Academy in 1634 paved the way for the construction of a new church dedicated to St. Luke.
Initially Pietro da Cortona had just in mind to build his own underground funerary chapel, but the discovery of the body of St. Martina led Pope Urban VIII to finance the construction of a new grand church dedicated to both saints (the lower one is dedicated to St. Martina and the upper one to St. Luke).
It is one of the symbols of the 17th century Roman Baroque.
A church that never stops to amaze you..
Written April 16, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

JT_Turner3
Phoenix, Arizona5,127 contributions
Jun 2015 • Couples
This church is at the western end of the Roman Forum and is right next to the Senate House (Curia Julia). The original church was a plain rectangle and subsequent dedications from the Vatican allowed for grander additions and reworks. For instance, the cupola was added in the 1600's. The inside is moderately decorated with relief carvings, some marble and frescos.
Written April 5, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

kimibar
California296 contributions
Jun 2015 • Friends
Standing alone after Mussolini's construction of the Via dei Fori Imperiali in 1932, this church was the special project of the Barberini artist Pietro da Cortona, on behalf of Rome's guild of artists, the Academy of St. Luke (who had lost their original St. Luke near S. Maria Maggiore). The remains of the medieval martyr Santa Martina were found during the remodeling. There is an upper church and a lower church--where most of the monuments are. (The lower church remains dedicated to S.ta Martina and has been administered by the conservatory of Santa Eufemia since Da Cortona's time.) The upper church is relatively plain and light-marble-colored, which shows off its beautiful symmertrical proportions and sense of the building being one big shrine, a place where space is perfect, with an encompassing sense of being safe. It's an astonishing combination of simple weight-bearing elements bursting with strength but under the serene control of the space that they create. The interior decoration was completed ca. 1679.
Heard a concert (unamplified) in here which also revealed exceptional acoustics--no watery echoes swirling in the drum, but a clear resonance with a relatively short decay.
Written July 18, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

ChiefGuru
Decatur, IN3,414 contributions
Jun 2019
The Church of St. Luke and Martina is located in the Northeast quadrant of the Roman Forum beside the Forum of Caesar (to the East). Church of St. Luke and Martina is central to the Curia Lulia (Senate House), Lapis Niger, Arch of Septimus Severus, Church of St. Joseph of the Carpenters, Mamertine Prison and the Forum of Caesar. All of these other adjacent historical landmarks should also be viewed. The area of the Roman Forum has significance to the ancient city dating to the 7th century B.C. At that time, this area was referred to as the Comitium - the original open-air public meeting space of Ancient Rome, and had major religious and prophetic significance. The now site of the church was occupied by a series of other buildings beginning in the late 700s B.C. Eventually, the original church on the site was dedicated to St Martina, commissioned by Pope Honorius I in 625. The church of St. Martina was restored by Pope Alexander IV in 1256. In 1588, the church was given, by Pope Sixtus IV, to the Accademia di San Luca (originally Compagna dei Pittori - guild of painters). They rededicated the church to St. Luke and St. Martina in 1589. Reconstruction of the church started in 1635 and continued with modifications to the interior and exterior, including the dome. Little alteration has occurred since ~1740. The exterior layout of the church has been compared to a Greek cross, with a central dome over a crossing with four arms. The façade is travertine limestone, but the main body of the building is brick. Currently, the side walls are exposed and look dirty, but before the 20th century they were completely concealed by adjacent buildings and not meant to be seen. The base of hemispherical dome is also of travertine limestone. Overall, this church has a quite interesting historical and architectural appeal.
Written September 1, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

MijnlieverdFH
North Holland Province, The Netherlands4,206 contributions
Aug 2016 • Couples
The church seen close to the Arco Septimus Severo at the vicinity of the Roman Forum. A very nice church yet not very popular among tourists. It has an outstanding Dome can be easily seen even from the entrance of the Via Sacra.
Written June 23, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

SoCalOregonian
Murrieta, CA9,961 contributions
Apr 2017 • Couples
Located between the Roman Forum and the Forum of Caesar, it towers above the Curia it sits next to. Built in 625, the façade of the church is wonderful and the view from the Piazza over the forum is fantastic.
Written June 1, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

TheShis
Tel Aviv, Israel38,439 contributions
Apr 2016 • Couples
We only got about a minute of glimpse at this church, as it was closing time, but its location in the Roman Forum is hard to beat.
The façade of the church is lovely, and from the little we've seen - its interior is just as lovely.
Give the church 5-10 minutes while exploring the Forum.
Written January 22, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Chiesa dei Santi Luca e Martina (Rome) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

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