Santa Maria della Vittoria, Baroque church near Repubblica Metro station in Rome, Italy
Santa Maria della Vittoria is a Carmelite church in the Baroque style near the Repubblica metro station in Rome. The interior has a single nave with three interconnected side chapels separated by Corinthian pilasters under a segmented vault, carrying gilded capitals.
The Carmelite Order founded the chapel in 1605 as a place honoring Saint Paul. After the Battle of White Mountain in 1620, in which Catholic forces prevailed, it received its current name.
The building takes its name from a military triumph, and Turkish battle flags still hang on the walls as reminders of that event. Visitors come mainly for the Cornaro Chapel, where Gian Lorenzo Bernini carved a marble group between 1647 and 1652 showing Teresa of Ávila in a moment of religious vision.
The doors are open daily from 8:30 to 12:00 and from 16:00 to 18:00, with free entry. Repubblica metro station is just a few minutes on foot.
Turkish flags from the 1683 Siege of Vienna still hang inside the church, which is about 115 feet (35 meters) long and 62 feet (19 meters) wide. They recall one of the decisive moments in European history, which the Carmelites also claimed as their own.
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