San Lorenzo in Miranda, Baroque church in Roman Forum, Italy
San Lorenzo in Miranda is a Baroque church built within the ancient Temple of Antoninus and Faustina, with ten original Roman columns preserved in its structure. The interior features a single nave with three chapels on each side, decorated with paintings by Pietro da Cortona and Domenichino.
The Senate dedicated the temple to Emperor Antoninus Pius and his wife Faustina in 141 AD. During medieval times, the structure was converted into a church and gradually adapted with Baroque additions.
The Guild of Pharmacists and Herbalists received this church from Pope Martin V in 1429 and made it a center for pharmaceutical knowledge and practice.
The church sits within the Roman Forum and is accessed directly from the main area among the ancient ruins. The visit is brief given the compact layout, but allow time to study the paintings and examine how the ancient temple columns are integrated into the Baroque structure.
The Museum of Pharmaceutical Art within the complex displays ancient pharmacy tools and traditional medicinal vessels from different periods. This collection documents how medicine and healing knowledge were practiced and preserved at this location across centuries.
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