Madonna del Rosario, Catholic church on Monte Mario, Rome, Italy
Madonna del Rosario is a church building in Rome featuring an elliptical interior with a central dome positioned above the high altar. Two side chapels flank the main space, and the structure shares the site with a Dominican convent located on Monte Mario.
Giovanni Vittorio de Rossi founded the church in 1628 on his vineyard property at the summit of Monte Mario. The location later became home to a functioning convent that has remained active over the centuries.
The church's name comes from the rosary, the prayer central to Dominican practice; Dominican friars serve the church and cloistered nuns have lived in the adjoining convent since 1931. A plaque on the facade records that Franz Liszt stayed in the convent between 1862 and 1866. The convent keeps the left hand of Saint Catherine of Siena, and the church preserves a self-portrait by the Dominican nun Anna Vittoria Dolara (1764–1827).
The church stands on Via Alberto Cadlolo at the top of Monte Mario, reached by the double flight of stairs added under Gregory XVI; the climb is the only way to the facade. The site is in the Trionfale area, well away from the historic centre, so allow time for the journey up the hill.
The convent houses the left hand of Saint Catherine of Siena, a religious relic that surprises many visitors unfamiliar with such treasures. On display is also a self-portrait by Dominican nun Anna Vittoria Dolara, offering a rare glimpse into the artistic life of a woman in religious orders from that era.
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