The former convent church of Santa Caterina a Magnanapoli was built in the 17th century and is dedicated to St Catherine of Siena.
Construction of the church began in 1608 to a design by Carlo Maderno (1556-1629), but was stopped in 1613. Soon after the work started again, in 1628, Maderno died and Giovanni Battista Soria (1581-1651) was commissioned to complete the church. Santa Caterina a Magnanapoli was consecrated in 1640.
Nave
The richly-decorated interior is made up of a single nave with three chapels on either side.
The Apotheosis of St Catherine by Luigi Garzi
The fresco in the vault of the nave depicts The Apotheosis of St Catherine (1713), the work of the painter Luigi Garzi (1638-1721).
The Ecstasy of St Catherine of Siena by Melchiorre Cafa
The altarpiece in the sanctuary depicts The Ecstasy of St Catherine by the Maltese sculptor Melchiorre Cafa (1636-67), who died at the age of only 31 in an accident at St Peter's Basilica.