Church of Santa Maria del Popolo

The Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo, located in Rome in Piazza del Popolo, is one of the most fascinating examples of Renaissance and Baroque architecture. The church stands on the site of an ancient chapel built in 1099 by Pope Paschal II, to thank the Virgin Mary for the liberation of the Holy Sepulchre during the First Crusade. According to tradition, the church was built to drive away evil spirits associated with the tomb of Emperor Nero, whose mausoleum was nearby. In 1227, Pope Gregory IX expanded the chapel, transferring the venerated image of Santa Maria del Popolo from the Lateran. The church underwent a major transformation between 1472 and 1477 under Pope Sixtus IV, with work carried out by Giovannino de’ Dolci, giving it a Renaissance appearance. The architect Baccio Pontelli is often associated with these works, although more recent sources suggest that the tradition attributed by Vasari is to be considered inaccurate. Since 1250, the church has been managed by the Augustinians, who have left a significant imprint on its architectural and artistic development. One of the most distinctive elements of the church is the late Gothic Lombard-style bell tower, with terracotta pinnacles and a cone-shaped spire. In the 15th and 16th centuries, the church underwent further transformations that gave it the Baroque character that we can admire today. The choir was redesigned by Donato Bramante at the beginning of the 16th century, and the Chigi Chapel was designed by Raphael. Gian Lorenzo Bernini, between 1655 and 1660, added Baroque elements, redesigning various parts of the church. Inside, the basilica has a three-nave plan with four chapels on each side and a large transept. The presbytery and choir are decorated with valuable works of art, including frescoes by Pinturicchio and stained glass windows by Guillaume de Marcillat. The main altar, commissioned by Cardinal Antonio Maria Sauli in 1627, houses the Byzantine Madonna del Popolo attributed to Filippo Rusuti. The transept is adorned with altars designed by Bernini, and the side chapels are enriched with masterpieces by artists such as Caravaggio, Annibale Carracci, and Gian Lorenzo Bernini himself. For example, the Cerasi Chapel houses Caravaggio’s Conversion of Saint Paul and Crucifixion of Saint Peter, while the altarpiece of the Assumption of the Virgin is by Annibale Carracci. The right nave includes the Nativity Chapel, with frescoes by Tiberio d’Assisi and Pinturicchio, and the Cybo Chapel, renovated by Carlo Fontana in the 17th century. The left nave features the Chigi Chapel, a masterpiece by Raphael, completed by Bernini with sculptures and paintings by great masters. The basilica also houses two pipe organs. The organ in the right transept, designed by Bernini and built by Giuseppe Testa, was rebuilt in 1814. The organ in the left transept, built by the Vegezzi-Bossi company in 1906, is an example of organ building from that period.