Church of Santa Maria in Via

The Church of Santa Maria in Via, located in the Trevi district of Rome, is an example of Baroque architecture with a history dating back to at least the 10th century. The name “in Via” may refer to its proximity to the ancient Via Flaminia, now Via del Corso, or it may be a deformation of “Vinea” (vineyard), as ancient documents attest. The church is first mentioned in 955. Its history is intertwined with a legend: in 1256, a servant of Cardinal Pietro Capocci accidentally dropped an image of the Madonna painted on a tile into a well. Miraculously, the water in the well began to overflow, bringing the tile back to the surface. This miraculous event led the cardinal to build a chapel around the miraculous well to house the sacred image, which became known as the “Lourdes of Rome.” The Chapel of the Well is still present in the church, and believers can drink the water from the well through a small tap. In 1491, under Pope Innocent VIII, the church was rebuilt and in 1513 it was entrusted to the Servite Fathers by Leo Medici. In 1551, Pope Julius III assigned it to his nephew Fulvio Giulio della Corgna, who was made a cardinal. The final reconstruction took place in 1594 according to the design of Giacomo della Porta, with the facade completed by Carlo Rainaldi. The facade, divided into two orders, is decorated with pilasters and cornices that give it a monumental appearance. The interior has a single nave with side chapels, characterized by elegant simplicity. The vault, frescoed by Gian Domenico Piastrini in 1723-24, depicts the first mass of Saint Philip Benizi, one of the most venerated saints of the Servites. Among the chapels, the first on the right contains the image of the Madonna on a tile, considered miraculous. The Aldobrandini Chapel, the third on the right, houses an Annunciation and two paintings by Cavalier d’Arpino, a renowned artist of Roman Baroque. On two choir lofts on either side of the main altar is a Tamburini pipe organ from 1930, with electronic transmission and 27 registers, enriching liturgical celebrations with its solemn music. The Church of Santa Maria in Via is also the national church for the Ecuadorian community in Rome, which uses it as a spiritual and cultural reference point. In 1897, due to the construction of the new Via del Tritone, the church underwent renovations on the north side, but managed to preserve much of its original structure. An interesting aspect of the church is the presence of the burial of Carlo Lambardi, an architect who was heavily involved in the restoration of the church. His burial site was recently rediscovered and documented, adding another piece to the rich history of this place of worship.