Santa Lucia in Selci, Baroque church in Monti district, Rome, Italy
Santa Lucia in Selci is a Baroque church with a rectangular ground plan, a single nave, and shallow side chapels arranged along the walls. The barrel vault ceiling features religious paintings and creates a focused interior space.
The original structure was established between 498 and 514 under Pope Symmachus and served as a diaconia for distributing grain during the decline of the Roman Empire. A major reconstruction by Carlo Maderno in 1604 transformed the building substantially.
The church displays paintings by Giovanni Lanfranco showing the Martyrdom of Saint Lucy and works by Andrea Camassei featuring a Vision of Saint Augustine. These artworks shape the interior space and tell stories of the saints to whom this place is dedicated.
The church is located at Via in Selci 82 in Rome and remains under the care of Augustinian nuns who maintain the connected monastery since 1568. Visitors should approach the space respectfully as it functions as an active religious setting closely tied to monastic life.
Maderno deliberately chose not to build a full facade in 1604 because the church was designed to integrate seamlessly into the monastery complex. This unusual architectural solution remains visible today and gives the place a restrained, inward-looking appearance.
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