San Giovanni Decollato, 16th-century church building in Ripa district, Rome, Italy.
San Giovanni Decollato is a 16th-century church in Rome with a brick facade bearing the inscription 'Per misericordia' and a nave lined with ornate side altars. The building includes a cloister with seven marble-covered floor hatches that once served a grim purpose.
Construction began in 1504 on the site of the earlier Santa Maria de fovea, commissioned by the Archconfraternity of the Beheaded John the Baptist from Florence. The organization dedicated itself to caring for those condemned to execution and providing them with proper burial.
The interior displays frescoes by Francesco Salviati and Jacopino del Conte showing scenes from Saint John the Baptist's life in Mannerist style. These works shape how visitors experience the space as they move through the chapel.
The church is normally accessible during Saturday Mass and yearly on June 24 for the feast day, when a small museum with historical objects opens to visitors. Be aware that regular visiting hours are limited, so planning ahead is helpful for accessing the interior.
The cloister contains seven marble-covered floor hatches through which the bodies of the executed were lowered into mass graves. These openings remain visible today as physical reminders of the chapel's unusual historical purpose.
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