Oratorio del Gonfalone, 16th-century oratory in Central Rome, Italy
The Oratorio del Gonfalone is a 16th-century chapel in Rome whose walls are covered with Mannerist frescoes depicting scenes from the Passion of Christ. These wall paintings were created between 1569 and 1576 and define the look of the entire interior.
Construction of this chapel took place between 1544 and 1547 on the site of the former Santa Lucia Vecchia church. The Brotherhood of the Gonfalone, which had existed since 1264, built the oratory to serve as a center for their religious activities.
This oratory served as a gathering place for a confraternity whose members assembled to pray and perform devotional rituals together. The space reflects how religious communities of the 16th century practiced their faith through shared ceremonies and spiritual life.
The oratory functions today as an active venue and is regularly used for concerts by the Roman Polyphonic Choir. Visitors should check opening times, as the chapel is not always publicly accessible and availability depends on scheduled performances and events.
Between 1581 and 1765, the confraternity devoted considerable resources to a remarkable mission: raising funds to free Italian citizens who had been enslaved in Muslim and Slavic territories. This effort was part of a broader European movement to actively combat slavery.
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