Santa Maria del Popolo, Minor basilica in Campo Marzio, Rome, Italy
Santa Maria del Popolo is a three-nave basilica built in a Latin cross layout, located near Piazza del Popolo in the Campo Marzio district of central Rome. The side aisles lead to several chapels decorated by leading artists of their time, including works by Pinturicchio, Caravaggio, Raphael, and Bernini.
A chapel was built here in 1099 under Pope Paschal II on a site traditionally believed to hold the burial of Emperor Nero. In the 15th century, Pope Sixtus IV ordered the rebuilding and expansion of the church in Renaissance style, and later popes added more chapels and artworks over the following centuries.
The name refers to the nearby ancient city gate, Porta del Popolo, and means "Holy Mary of the People", reflecting its role as a welcoming church for pilgrims entering the city. Visitors today find a working parish where morning mass takes place alongside quiet moments for contemplation between the chapels.
The basilica sits directly on Piazza del Popolo and is easily reached via the metro station of the same name. Visitors should plan for early morning hours to view the chapels quietly, as groups tend to arrive in the afternoon.
The Chigi Chapel contains a dome mosaic designed by Raphael showing God as the creator of the planets, a rare depiction of cosmological ideas in a church dome. Bernini later added two pyramid-shaped tombs and sculptures, making the chapel a layered blend of Renaissance and Baroque art.
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