Santa Maria della Vittoria in Rome

Church Santa Maria della Vittoria Rome
Photo: Mauro Orlando – Flickr

A 17th century baroque church with Bernini’s Ecstasy of Saint Teresa

Built between 1608 and 1620, the Church of  Santa Maria della Vittoria is an example of the richest Baroque decoration.

Head to the Cornaro Chapel in the far left corner to see Gian Lorenzo Bernini‘s masterpiece, the recently restored “Ecstasy of Saint Teresa“, one of the most famous Baroque sculptures. It depicts in white marble the climactic moment in which a swooning nun, pierced by the arrow of God’s love, achieves spiritual union with Christ. Sculpted members of the Cornaro family overlook the dramatic and highly sensual scene from theater-like boxes. Needless to say, this provocative sculpture has sparked controversy for centuries.

The church has seen a surge in tourism thanks to the widespread popularity of author Dan Brown’s novel Angels and Demons, which features the building.

estasi-di-santa-teresa-santa-maria-della-vittoria-rome

Address

Via XX Settembre, 17 (Repubblica)

Opening times

7am-12pm, 3:30pm-7pm

Sign up to our newsletter for the latest news, events, and insights from Rome

By subscribing you agree with our privacy policy.

Tags from the story
, , ,
Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *