Santa Maria in Montesanto, Minor basilica at Piazza del Popolo, Rome, Italy
Santa Maria in Montesanto is a basilica in Rome between Via del Corso and Via del Babuino at Piazza del Popolo. The dome rests on a twelve-sided drum and forms a symmetrical pair with the neighboring church at the entrance to the old town.
Cardinal Girolamo Gastaldi began construction in 1662 under Pope Alexander VII with architect Carlo Rainaldi. Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Carlo Fontana continued the work and completed it in 1679.
The building has been known as the Church of Artists since 1953 and celebrates a Sunday mass for representatives from the arts and culture. This tradition connects the site with the creative life of the city and regularly draws painters, musicians and writers.
The church is open Monday through Friday between 17:30 and 19:30 and on Sundays from 11:30 to 13:30 for masses and visits. The entrance is located directly on the busy piazza and is easy to reach on foot.
Above the main altar hangs a depiction of Mary from the 15th century that legend says was painted by an eleven-year-old girl. The image is considered miraculous and draws many believers who pray before it.
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