Rome & Lazio - Italy - page 192

(Via XX Settembre 17; 7am-noon & 3.30-7pm; Repubblica) This modest church is an un-
likely setting for an extraordinary work of art - Bernini's Santa Teresa trafitta dall'amore
di Dio (Ecstasy of St Teresa).
This sexually charged sculpture depicts Teresa, engulfed in the folds of a flowing cloak,
floating in ecstasy on a cloud while a teasing angel pierces her repeatedly with a golden
arrow.
Watching the whole scene from two side balconies are a number of figures, including
Cardinal Federico Cornaro, for whom the chapel was built. It's a stunning work, bathed in
soft natural light filtering through a concealed window. Go in the afternoon for the best ef-
fect.

Basilica di Santa

Maria Maggiore
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BASILICA

(Piazza Santa Maria Maggiore; basilica free, museum €3, loggia €2; 7am-7pm, museum & loggia
9.30am-6.30pm; Piazza Santa Maria Maggiore) One of Rome's four patriarchal basilicas, this
monumental church stands on the summit of the Esquiline Hill, on the spot where snow is
said to have miraculously fallen in the summer of AD 358. In its earliest form it dates to
the 5th century but it has been much altered over the centuries.
Outside, the exterior is decorated with glimmering 13th-century mosaics, protected by
Ferdinand Fuga's 1741 baroque facade. Rising behind is a 14th-century Romanesque bel-
fry , which, at 75m, is the highest in Rome.
The vast interior retains its original 5th-century structure despite the basilica's many
overhauls. Particularly spectacular are the 5th-century mosaics in the triumphal arch and
nave, depicting Old Testament scenes. The central image in the apse, signed by Jacopo
Torriti, dates from the 13th century and represents the coronation of the Virgin Mary.
Beneath your feet, the nave floor is a fine example of 12th-century Cosmati paving.
The baldachin (ceremonial canopy) over the high altar seethes with gilt cherubs; the al-
tar itself is said to contain the relics of St Matthew and other martyrs. A plaque to the right
of the altar marks the spot where Gian Lorenzo Bernini and his father Pietro are buried.
Steps lead down to the confessio , where a statue of Pope Pius IX kneels before a reliquary
containing a fragment of Jesus' manger.
The sumptuously decorated Cappella Sistina , last on the right, was built by Domenico
Fontana in the 16th century and contains the tombs of Popes Sixtus V and Pius V.