Santa Maria in Publicolis, Baroque church building in Rome, Italy.
Santa Maria in Publicolis is a Baroque church in the historic center of Rome, near Campo de' Fiori, with a travertine facade that alternates curved and triangular pediments and features richly carved stone ornaments. The interior is a single nave with side altars, painted ceilings, and stucco-decorated walls.
The church was designed in the second half of the 17th century by Giovan Antonio de Rossi, an architect who shaped many palaces and religious buildings across Rome. It was built on the site of an older medieval chapel that had already been connected to the Publicola family.
The name "in Publicolis" comes from the Publicola family, a noble Roman family that held patronage over the church during the medieval period. Walking around the building today, you can still sense how tightly woven together the church and its surrounding streets feel.
The entrance is on Via dei Falegnami, a quiet side street easily reached on foot from Campo de' Fiori or the Jewish Ghetto. The church tends to receive fewer visitors than the major basilicas, which makes a weekday visit more relaxed.
The architect Giovan Antonio de Rossi is buried inside the church itself, which is uncommon for a church builder in Rome. His tomb is inside the building, making it one of those rare cases where a creator and his work share the same space.
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