Church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva

The Basilica of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, located in the Pigna district of Rome, is a rare example of Gothic architecture in the city. Built starting from 1280 by the Dominican friars on a site that housed a Roman temple dedicated to Minerva, the church has undergone numerous renovations and restorations. The facade, completed in the 18th century, maintains a predominantly Romanesque style, while the Gothic interior, with three naves, is enriched by numerous side chapels with valuable works of art. The facade of the basilica, despite presenting a Romanesque style, is decorated with Renaissance elements added in the 18th century by Benedict XIII. The interior, characterized by Gothic architecture, is divided into three naves by powerful pillars and preserves a rich fresco decoration dating back to the nineteenth-century restoration works. Among the most significant works are the “Carafa Chapel” frescoed by Filippino Lippi and the statue of the “Christ Carrying the Cross” by Michelangelo. The basilica houses numerous tombs of illustrious figures, including that of Saint Catherine of Siena, whose remains are preserved under the main altar in a fifteenth-century sarcophagus. Other important burials include those of three popes: Leo X, Clement VII, and Benedict XIII, as well as Blessed Angelico, proclaimed the universal patron of artists in 1984. Inside the basilica, there are also various funerary monuments made or attributed to Gian Lorenzo Bernini, including the “Memorial to Maria Raggi.” The left nave houses the painting of the Savior attributed to Perugino. The church is closely linked to the history of the Inquisition: in the adjacent convent, the trial and abjuration of Galileo Galilei took place in 1633. The convent complex, which includes the Guidetti cloister and the Cistern cloister, has hosted important historical events and is currently home to the Parliamentary Library Pole and a community of Dominican friars.