Santa Maria della Pace

A tiny church off Piazza Navona decorated by Raphael and Peruzzi with architecture by Bramante and Pietro Da Cortona

This church's curving baroque facade (1556–57) by Pietro da Cortona struggles mightily to belong to a much larger, grander structure—but is instead warped and shoehorned to fit into this pocket-sized piazza just off the northwest corner of Piazza Navona.

Da Cortona actually ingeniously made us of that restricted space, making it seem as if the church is bursting from within to fill the space, a hint at the artistic riches inside.

Closed for more than a decade for renovations, you can now get inside this Baccio Pontinelli–designed (1480–84) church to see the first chapel on the right frescoed by Raphael with Sibyls (1514), heavily influenced by Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling (which Raphael has snuck in to see even before they were unveiled). The chapel next to it was designed by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger.

Across the aisle is the Ponzetti Chapel, frescoed by Baldassare Peruzzi. Check out the bold purples, greens, skyblue, and burgundies of his Virgin and Child with Saints Brigida and Caterina (Cardinal Ferdinando Ponzetti joins the holy group, kneeling at their feet.)

[If you want to see these two artists take on more secular themes, Raphael and Peruzzi were also the primary frescoists of the amazing Villa Farnesina.]

In the central tribune are several more paintings, including more by Peruzzi and by Orazio Gentileschi.

The Chiostro del Bramante

The very first architecture project Bramante lined up in Rome—before going on to such plum tasks as redesigning St. Peter's—was to create a new cloister for the church (1500–04), a graceful two-story structure which now operates under separate management as a performance and exhibiton space.

As with everything Bramante did in true High Renaissance mode, he took his cue from the ancients and based his entire design on careful measurements of Roman ruins.

(Also handy: From a room off the cloisters, you can peek at the Raphael frescoes inside the seldom-open church.)

Tips & links

Share this page

Search ReidsItaly.com