Church of Santa Maria in Trivio

The Church of Santa Maria in Trivio, located in the Trevi district of Rome, is a jewel of Baroque architecture with a rich and fascinating history. Originally known as Santa Maria in Xenodochio, due to its proximity to a hospice for the sick and pilgrims founded by the Byzantine general Belisarius in 537, the church has undergone numerous transformations and changes of name over the centuries. In 1535, the church was a parish, but was suppressed in 1601, restored in 1669, and finally suppressed by Pope Leo XII in 1825. In 1571, it was entrusted to the order of the Crutched Friars, who rebuilt the church between 1573 and 1575 under the guidance of the architect Giacomo Del Duca. The facade is lively animated by pilasters, cornices, windows, plaques, and niches, creating a dynamic and welcoming effect. The interior of the church has a single nave, with an apse and eight side chapels, four on each side. The vault, frescoed by Antonio Gherardi between 1669 and 1670, is framed by golden stuccoes and depicts scenes from the life of Mary, including the Presentation at the Temple, the Assumption, and the Circumcision of Jesus. Other scenes include the Nativity of the Virgin, the Visitation of Elizabeth, the Flight into Egypt, Jesus among the doctors in the temple, the Adoration of the Magi, and the Holy Family. The side chapels are rich in works of art of great value. In the first chapel on the right, two plaques commemorate the granting of the church to the Camillians and the visit of John XXIII in 1963. The second chapel houses an altar dedicated to the Madonna of the Most Precious Blood, with a painting attributed to Pompeo Batoni, of which there is a photograph, while the original is preserved in the Congregation’s museum in Albano. In the third chapel is a crucifix from around 1350, of Venetian school, and in the lunette are depicted scenes of the Passion painted by Francesco Grimaldi. The fourth chapel features a painting depicting a Crucifixion with the Virgin, Saint John, and Mary Magdalene, a work by the same Grimaldi. Above the main altar, above the tabernacle, is a panel with the Madonna and Child from the 15th century, set in a golden radiance and topped by a crown donated by the Vatican Chapter in 1677. The chapels on the left side, as you move towards the exit, house further works of art: the Martyrdom of Saint Cleto by the Capuchin Cosimo Piazza in the first chapel; the urn with the remains of Saint Gaspare del Bufalo, founder of the Congregation to which the church belongs, in the second chapel; a painting depicting Saint Mary Magdalene communicated by the angel, a work by Luigi Scaramuccia, in the third chapel; and two commemorative plaques in the fourth chapel, recalling the consecration of the church in 1675 and the translation of the mortal remains of the venerable Don Giovanni Merlini. The ceiling of the sacristy is decorated with a fresco by Bartolomeo Morelli from 1674, depicting the Triumph of the Cross. This architectural and artistic detail adds further value to the church, which was recently restored in 1999, bringing to light the vibrant colors and richness of the details of the interior decorations.