San Giovanni della Malva in Trastevere, Catholic church in Trastevere district, Rome, Italy.
San Giovanni della Malva is a Catholic church in the Trastevere district featuring a three-part facade topped by a triangular pediment. Above the entrance you see a stone carving of the Virgin Mary flanked by two saints, while inside the building is laid out in a Greek Cross pattern with a hemispherical dome at its center.
The church was first documented in 1123 through a papal bull issued by Pope Callixtus II, confirming a building already stood at this location. The structure you see today was rebuilt in 1851 after the medieval church had deteriorated beyond repair.
The church serves as the national parish for Rome's Albanian Catholic community, representing a bridge between Italian and Albanian traditions. You can sense this cultural presence through the community that gathers there.
The church is located on Piazza di San Giovanni della Malva in the Trastevere neighborhood and is easily reached on foot. You can attend services or visit the interior during opening hours to see the Greek Cross layout and dome.
The name San Giovanni della Malva may come from mallow plants that once grew in the area, or it could derive from the medieval term Mica Aurea meaning golden sand. This dual origin reveals layers of history embedded in Trastevere's old street names.
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