Della Rovere Chapel, Renaissance chapel in Santa Maria del Popolo, Italy
Della Rovere Chapel is a chapel within the basilica Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome, featuring hexagonal architecture and an ornate ribbed vault overhead. The interior displays frescoes depicting religious scenes and conversations among saints across its walls.
The chapel came about following the church's reconstruction under Pope Sixtus IV, when Cardinal Domenico della Rovere took control of it in 1477. The cardinal then commissioned the artist Pinturicchio to decorate the interior.
The chapel displays Renaissance artistry through painted Corinthian pilasters, decorative grotesque details, and marble monuments that visitors encounter as they enter. These artistic elements blend with the sacred space, creating an environment where craftsmanship and devotion come together.
The space is located inside the large basilica Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome's northern area, easy to find when visiting the main church. Visitors should know that the chapel is an interior space accessible during the basilica's regular opening hours.
The altarpiece shows the Adoration of the Child with Saint Jerome and bears Pinturicchio's signature. Five additional wall paintings were later added to the space, depicting moments from Saint Jerome's life.
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