Sant'Atanasio, Renaissance church in Campo Marzio district, Rome, Italy
Sant'Atanasio is a Renaissance church in Rome featuring a Latin cross layout with a single nave, side chapels, and twin bell towers topped with small domes on the facade. Its interior contains frescoes by Francesco Traballesi and Cavalier d'Arpino adorning the side chapels with artistic detail.
Pope Gregory XIII commissioned the church in 1580 to serve the Greek College, and architect Martino Longhi the Elder completed it in 1583. The foundation reflects Rome's effort to support Eastern Catholic communities during the Renaissance.
The church serves as a spiritual center for Eastern Catholic communities and conducts daily services in Greek, Arabic, Slavic, Albanian, Hungarian, and Romanian. Visitors can witness the living practice of multiple Eastern traditions gathered in one place.
The church is located on Via del Babuino near Spanish Steps and is easily accessible on foot. Visitors should keep in mind that services in various languages occur throughout the day, so checking opening times ahead of visit is helpful.
The church incorporates a rare trefoil floor plan with three apses, making it one of the few Roman structures directly influenced by Eastern architectural traditions. This unusual design reflects the intention to emphasize the connection between Rome and Eastern churches.
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