9Reviews2Q&A
Reviews
Traveler rating
- 1
- 5
- 3
- 0
- 0
Traveler type
Time of year
Language
Selected filters
- Filter
- English
+1
The church is located on the northern outskirts of the city, in the Parioli district. It was built between 1932 and 1933 on a project by the architect Clemente Busiri Vici and is dedicated to St. Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621), a Jesuit cardinal and theologian, canonized on 29 June 1930 by Pius XI. The church, resting on a raised platform accessible by a wide staircase, has a brick façade with two octagonal bell towers, preceded by a portico (narthex) supported by four pillars. On the top of the façade there is the coat of arms of Pope Pius XI and is opened in the center by a large octagonal window in travertine that frames a stained glass window depicting the Saint, by Alessandra Busiri Olsoufieff. At the intersection between the transept and the nave there is the dome with an octagonal drum surmounted by a lantern, also octagonal. In the dome's pendentives are depicted the four Evangelists. The interior of the church, with a Latin cross plan, has a single nave, covered with wooden trusses, with four chapels on each side. Each chapel is surmounted by an octagonal stained glass window, similar to that of the façade.They depict the Beatitudes of St. Robert Bellarmine and are again by Alessandra Busiri Olsoufieff. The apse has a valuable mosaic-style decoration made in 1934 by Renato Tomassi depicting St. Robert Bellarmine in glory. The two chapels in the transept are dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (left) and the Madonna with Child Jesus (right) . The church is considered one of the first attempts to simplify and innovate with lines, volumes, decoration and use of the materials, the "sacred Roman" architecture. This style has been defined as 'rationalism' as opposed to the classical and ornate style of Roman churches: the compositional elements are of a geometric matrix and are based on the octagon, a geometric figure with strong theological symbolism. Pope Francis (Argentinian Jorge Mario Bergoglio) was the cardinal priest of this church from 2001 to 2013. As simple and minimalistic as it may seem, the church is very intimate, has its own beauty and exudes a great sense of religious community. Recommended.…
Read more
Date of experience: November 2020
2 Helpful votes
Helpful