Santa Maria della Pace

---

Map of the Churches of Rome

Santa Maria della Pace

---

The church of Santa Maria della Pace was built at the behest of Pope Sixtus IV (r. 1471-84). Its design has been ascribed, without much evidence, to the Florentine architect Bacio Pontelli (c. 1450-92). 

In 1656 the Baroque facade, with its semi-circular porch, was added by Pietro da Cortona (1596-1669), on the orders of Pope Alexander VII (r. 1655-67). The inscription is taken from the Psalms: SVSCIPIANT · MONTES · PACEM · POPVLO · ET · COLLES · IVSTITIAM (The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness. Psalms: 72:3 KJV). The quotation is a reference to the montini, a pyramid of six small hills, which form part of the coat of arms of the Chigi family, to which the pope belonged. The facade is crowned with two sets of montini, each surmounted by an eight-pointed star. 

Interior

The short nave is flanked by four chapels, two on either side (see below). 

Coat of Arms of Pope Sixtus IV Flanked by Statues of Justice and Prudence

The nave opens into an octagonal transept. The arch sports the coat of arms of Pope Alexander VI (r. 1655-67). The statues of Justice and Prudence are the work of the Roman sculptor Cosimo Fancelli (c. 1620-88).

Dome

The design of the beautiful cupola has been ascribed to the Florentine architect Antonio da Sangallo the Younger (1484-1546) with stuccoes by Pietro da Cortona (1596-1669). The hexagonal coffers sport the emblems of the Chigi and Della Rovere families.  

Our Lady of Peace

The venerated icon of Our Lady of Peace is enshrined in the high altar, which was installed by Carlo Maderno in 1614. 

Statues of Justice and Peace, High Altar

The altar is crowned with statues of Justice and Peace. An inscription proclaims: MATER DEI (Mother of God). 

On the triumphal arch piers are paintings of St Cecilia, St Catherine of Siena, St Clare and St Agnes, all the work of Lavinia Fontana, a female artist from Bologna (1552-1614), who died in Rome. She is commonly regarded as the first professional female painter. ​​​​

Chigi Chapel

In the nave, the first chapel to the right is the Cappella Chigi with its famous frescoes by Raphael (1483-1520). ​

Cesi Chapel

The Cappella Cesi (second chapel to the right) was designed by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger (1484-1556) for Angelo Cesi, a lawyer, who acquired the rights to the chapel in 1515. The ornate marble decoration is the work of Simone Mosca. The statues of St Peter and St Paul and the reliefs of the Prophets and Angels are the work of Vincenzo de' Rossi.  

Tomb of Angelo Cesi

Rossi also created the tombs of Angelo Cesi and his wife Francesca Carduli. The frescoes on the exterior of the chapel are by Giovanni Battista di Jacopo (1495-1540), better known as il Rosso Fiorentino (the Red Florentine). ​

Ponzetti Chapel

The frescoes in the Cappella Ponzetti (first chapel on the left) are by the Sienese painter and architect Baldassare Peruzzi (1481-1536). 

Altarpiece by Baldassare Peruzzi

The altarpiece depicts the donor Cardinal Ferdinando Ponzetti, the Virgin and Child, St Bridget of Sweden and St Catherine of Alexandria. ​

Busts of Beatrice and Lavinia Ponzetti

The two busts to the right of the altarpiece are of Beatrice and Lavinia Ponzetti, two of the cardinal's nieces, who died of the plague in 1505, aged six and eight. 

Cloister by Bramante

Adjacent to the church stands a beautiful cloister, the work of Bramante. 

---