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..

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.