San Martino ai Monti

Map of the Churches of Rome
Church of San Martino ai Monti, Rome
San Martino ai Monti
Of ancient foundation, San Martino ai Monti, is a minor basilica; it is also a titular and parish church belonging to the Carmelites. 
Pope St Silvester I, Bas-relief, Facade of St Martin, Facade of San Martino ai Monti, Rome
Pope St Silvester I
Bas-relief of St Martin, Facade of San Martino ai Monti, Rome
St Martin of Tours
The Basilica dei Santi Silvestro e Martino ai Monti, to give the church its full name, is actually jointly dedicated to St Martin of Tours (d. 397) and Pope St Sylvester I (d. 335), which explains the presence of the bas-reliefs of the two saints to either side of the entrance. ​
Interior of the church of San Martino ai Monti, Rome
Nave
The interior comprises a nave and two aisles. There is no transept and the sanctuary is reached by two flights of steps.

There are 12 antique columns on each side of the nave. The columns stand on high plinths, the result of the lowering of the floor in the 17th century. The frieze of the entablature above the colonnades is embellished with rows of instruments of torture and martyrdom on a gold background. 

On each side of the upper part of the nave are four statues, the work of the Roman sculptor Paolo Naldini (1619-91). Naldini also carved the statues of St Peter and St Paul on the counterfacade.  
Vault of Nave, San Martino ai Monti, Rome
Ceiling of Nave
The 17th century wooden ceiling of the nave was originally raised in the middle of the 16th century, which explains the presence of the coat of arms of  Pope Pius IV (r. 1559-66). 
Apse, San Martino ai Monti, Rome
Apse
The high altar has no altarpiece or canopy, but takes the form of a large tabernacle in the style of a circular temple with six columns and a cupola.
High altar, San Martino ai Monti, Rome
High Altar
The frescoes in the apse are by Antonio Cavallucci (1752-95).  The four Carmelite saints at window level are: St Andrew Corsini, St Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi, St Peter Thomas and St Teresa. The vault of the apse conch has frescoes of God the Father, the Madonna and Child, and St Peter and St Paul. The triumphal arch has paintings of Pope St Sylvester I and St Charles Borromeo (left) and St Martin and St Francis Xavier (right).
Chapel of Our Lady of Carmel, San Martino, Rome
Chapel of Our Lady of Carmel
The only real chapel in the church stands at the bottom of the left aisle. Dedicated to Our Lady of Carmel, it was founded in 1593 by Catherine de' Nobili and restored in 1793 by the architect Andrea De Dominicis. 

​The altarpiece is made up of a venerated icon of the Madonna and Child (1596), the work of Girolamo Massei (c. 1545-1620), which is inserted into a painting of The Souls in Purgatory by Cavallucci.