Santa Margherita, Mannerist church in L'Aquila, Italy

Santa Margherita is a church in L'Aquila combining Baroque decoration with Mannerist structural design. The interior divides into a main nave with six side chapels that showcase different artistic approaches.

The church was first built by the inhabitants of Forcella castle after L'Aquila's 13th-century founding. In 1597 the Jesuits bought it and, from 1636, rebuilt it to Agatio Stoia's design, adding the adjacent college. The order closed via Forcella in 1634 to link church and college. Damaged in the 2009 earthquake, it has been under restoration since 2015.

The church is also called del Gesù or dei Gesuiti, names recalling its transfer to the Society of Jesus, which acquired it in 1597 and rebuilt it. The adjacent college was the first and most important Jesuit college in Abruzzo. The interior has a single barrel-vaulted nave and six side chapels, three per side, separated by paired Corinthian pilasters.

When visiting, be aware of ongoing restoration conditions that may affect access. The structure shows its construction timeline through its weathered exterior surfaces.

The rough facade preserves the 1625 design: six projections in the stone base reveal a planned two-order front with five bays below. The upper order and pediment were never built, and the apse area also remained incomplete.