The Dominican church of Santi Domenico e Sisto was begun in 1569 at the behest of Pope Pius V (r. 1566-72), who was a member of the order. Construction took almost a century. The striking Baroque facade is the work of Vincenzo della Greca (1592-1661). The two lower statues (St Thomas Aquinas & St Peter of Verona) are by Carlo Maderno (1556-1629), while the two upper statues (St Dominic & St Pope Sixtus II) are by Marcantonio Canini (1622-69). The double staircase (1654) was designed by Orazio Torriani (1602-57). The church contains a beautiful sculpture of Christ and Mary Magdalene, Noli mi Tangere, the work of Antonio Raggi (1624-86), Raggi was a pupil of the great Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680), who designed the sculpture as well as the Cappella Alealeona (first chapel on the right) of which it is part. Santi Domenico e Sisto is the University Church of the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, also known as the Angelicum in honour of its patron, who was also known as Doctor Angelicus. Comments are closed.
|
My name is David Lown and I am an art historian from Cambridge, England. Since 2001 I have lived in Italy, where I run private walking tours of Rome.
Search Walks in Rome:
Archives
October 2023
|