Santa Maria degli Angeli
​e dei Martiri

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Map of the Churches of Rome

Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri

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In 1561 Pope Pius IV (r. 1559-65) commissioned Michelangelo (1475-1564), by then in his eighties, to convert the ruins of the ancient Baths of Diocletian into the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri. It was to be the master's last architectural work.

The beautiful bronze doors (2005) are the work of the Polish sculptor Igor Mitoraj (1944-2014), who also carved the marble head of St John the Baptist, inside the church.  ​​

Transept

The cavernous body of the church is 90 m long, 27 m wide and 28 m high. The eight colossal monolithic columns, nearly 14 m high, are ancient Roman and made of granite; the rest of the columns in the church are made of brick and plaster and painted to look like granite! 

Embedded in the floor is a meridian, the work of Francesco Bianchini, which was inaugurated by Pope Clement XI (r. 1700-20) on October 6th, 1702. It served to regulate the clocks in Rome until 1846. ​

At the end of the left transept is the Chapel of St Bruno. The altarpiece is The Apparition of the Virgin Mary to St Bruno by the Roman painter Giovanni Odazzi (1663-1731). It was painted for the 1700 Jubilee and shows the Virgin Mary handing the Order's Rule to St Bruno.

Chapel of Blessed Niccolò Albergati

At the end of the left transept is the Chapel of Blessed Niccolo Albergati, which stands on the site of what was once the original entrance to the church. The altarpiece depicts A Miracle by Blessed Niccolò Albergati by Ercole Graziani (1688-1765). Flanking the altar are two statues by the German sculptor Friedrich Pettrich (1798-1872), which depict the angels of Peace and Justice.

Apse

​In the middle of the 18th century, Santa Maria degli Angeli was radically restructured by Luigi Vanvitelli (1700-73), the Neapolitan architect and engineer. Vanvitelli altered the orientation of the church, moving the entrance and turning the nave into a colossal transept. He also built the choir and apse on the north east side. 

Two Angels

The sanctuary is entered under a triumphal arch. Over the arch is an inscription: REGINAE ANGELORVM ET MARTYRVM (To the Queen of angels and martyrs). Two stucco angels sit atop the arch. 

The Virgin Mary on the Throne between Seven Angels

The altarpiece on the high altar depicts The Virgin Mary on the Throne between Seven Angels, artist unknown. Crowned by the Archangels Michael and Gabriel, Mary is portrayed with the Christ Child suckling at her breast. ​

Head of St John the Baptist by Igor Mitoraj

In the short space beyond the vestibule are two chapels, that of St Peter (left) and St Bruno. The former chapel is home to the marble head of St John the Baptist, which was donated by its sculptor Igor Mitoraj. 

St Bruno by Jean-Antoine Houdon

The statue of St Bruno (1766-67), the founder of the Carthusian Order, is by the French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon (1741-1828).  ​

Holy Water Stoup

The beautiful holy water stoup has been attributed to Giovanni Francesco de Rossi, a pupil of Bernini. 

St John the Baptist by Giuseppe Ducrot

Directly opposite the statue of St Bruno is a statue of St John the Baptist (2012) by the Roman sculptor Giuseppe Ducrot (b. 1966).  

Funerary Monument to Carlo Maratta

The circular vestibule, inside the entrance, stands on the site of the tepidarium. On the right is the funerary monument of the painter Carlo Maratta (1625-1713), which he designed himself. The bust (c. 1704) is by his brother Francesco Maratta.

Funerary Monument to Salvator Rosa

​On the left is the funerary monument of the Neapolitan painter and poet Salvator Rosa (1615-73). The bust is by Bernadino Fioriti. 

Great Cloister

In addition to the creation of the church, Pope Pius IV also had part of the ruins of the Baths of Diocletian converted into a Carthusian monastery. The design of its beautiful Chiostro Grande (Great Cloister) is ascribed to Michelangelo.  ​​

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