Sant'Ignazio Church

Sant'Ignazio is a Catholic Jesuit church in the Campo Marzio district that opens onto a rectangular piazza. The interior follows a Latin cross plan with three side chapels on each flank connected by passageways.

Cardinal Ludovico Ludovisi commissioned the structure in 1626 to replace the Annunziata church, which had grown too small for the Roman College students. Construction stretched across several decades, with Andrea Pozzo later adding the ceiling frescoes.

The building takes its name from Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, whose presence appears in symbols and images throughout the interior. Visitors today experience the space as an active place of worship where local worshippers gather for prayer.

The building opens daily from morning until evening, with volunteers from the Pietre Vive program offering guided visits. A small mirror on the floor helps visitors view the ceiling comfortably without tilting their heads back.

Instead of a real dome, Andrea Pozzo painted a flat canvas measuring 13 meters across in 1685, which appears three-dimensional when viewed from below. Francesco Manno created a replacement version in 1823 after the original canvas suffered damage.

Location: Rome

Inception: 2010

Founders: Ludovico Ludovisi

Architects: Orazio Grassi

Creator: Andrea Pozzo

Architectural style: baroque architecture, Baroque

Length: 81.5 m

Width: 43 m

Address: Piazza S. Ignazio, 00186 Roma RM, Italy

Opening Hours: Monday-Sunday 09:00-23:30

Phone: +39066794406

Website: http://chiese.gesuiti.it/chiesa-di-santignazio

GPS coordinates: 41.89925,12.48007

Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:22