Basso della Rovere Chapel, Renaissance chapel in Santa Maria del Popolo, Rome, Italy.
Basso della Rovere Chapel is a hexagonal space within Santa Maria del Popolo featuring a ribbed vault ceiling and white marble entrance balustrade. Porphyry columns support a gilded cornice around the walls, while inside stand several artworks including a marble Pietà and a funeral monument.
Bishop Girolamo Basso della Rovere commissioned the chapel's decoration between 1484 and 1492, following Pope Sixtus IV's reconstruction of the basilica. This project reflected the artistic ambitions of the period and shaped one of the church's finest interiors.
The frescoes depict scenes from the Virgin Mary's life and the stories of saints like Augustine, Francis, and Anthony of Padua. These painted walls shape how the chapel feels and tell religious narratives to those who enter.
The chapel sits within the church Santa Maria del Popolo and can be accessed through the main entrance of the building. It is worth spending time here to observe the details of the artworks and painted walls throughout the space.
The lower sections feature illusionistic monochrome reliefs depicting painted books shown in perspective. These are complemented by decorative maiolica floor tiles from Deruta that create a refined patterned surface.
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