Church of Il Gesu, Rome: history, description, photo

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

One of the most famous churches in Rome is located on a small square of the same name in the very center of the city.

The temple, whose name translates from Italian as "church of the holy name of Jesus", is a Jesuit cathedral church in Rome. Ignatius Loyola, the founder of this order, is buried in it.

Temples of Rome

There are many churches in Rome, and it is usually not possible to visit them at one time. However, the fact that most of them are free to enter makes getting around the city more fun.

Each temple has its rich centuries-old history, full of amazing events. And this unique church, which will be discussed in this article, is located in Rome at a short distance from Piazza Venezia, located north of the Capitoline Hill.

Founder of the Order

In 1539, Ignatius Loyola and his comrades wondered: "What's next?". They decided to form an official society - a new monastic order. Pope Paul III in the same year was presented with a blueprint for the futureThe Charter, in which, in addition to the three usual vows of obedience, another one was added: a vow of direct obedience to the Holy Father. In September 1540, the charter of the Society of Jesus (new order) was approved.

During Lent 1541, Loyola was elected as the first superior general of the new order.

Church Overview

The Cathedral Church of the Jesuit Order was adopted as a canon for Jesuit churches throughout Europe (on the territory of modern Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine and Belarus), as well as in Latin America. The rather ascetic facade and a small amount of architectural decorations of the temple fully correspond to the strict canons of the order. By its appearance, the church does not stand out among other city temples. In addition, if you do not know that this building is one of the most popular churches in Rome, then you can not even pay attention to it. The temple is located on the territory of Piazza del Gesu.

The Church of Il Gesu in Rome is a titular diakonia, which received the title of church in June 1988 (cardinal priest - Spaniard Eduardo Martinez Somalo). The temple was built in 1568-1584 in the Mannerist style, close to the Baroque aesthetics. The project was created by the architect Vignola and his student Giacomo della Porta (Michelangelo is also a mentor). The original draft was prepared by Michelangelo himself, but the cardinal rejected it.

It is worth noting the chapel of St. Mary degli Astalia, standing to the left of the main altar. It contains a 14th-century icon of St. Mary dela Strada.

Features of the facade and interior

The architecture of all Rome is expressed in temples and cathedrals. The interior of the Church of Il Gesu is quite solemn: powerful pilasters and columns, as well as frescoes (among them a ceiling painted by Giovanni Battista Gauli) adorn the building.

Thanks to an optical illusion, the figures depicted under the dome appear to be solid and voluminous, although they are made on the same plane. One of the features of the Church of Il Gesu in Rome in terms of art is the original fresco on the ceiling, which was mentioned above. An illusion is created that the figures, hovering under the ceiling, cast a shadow on it, although they are written in a plane.

Author-architect of the Church of Il Gesu in Rome - Rainaldi. The appearance of the building is quite simple, in contrast to its interior, decorated with marble, paintings and stucco. It has one nave (by Giacinto Bracci) and chapels on three sides.

The church contains 4 tombs of the Bolognetti family. Presbyteries are decorated with columns, marble, statues and stucco. On both sides of the entrance are an organ and 2 del Corno family tombs.

Construction history

In 1615, the Jesuits acquired a piece of land, which was located between the current street. Via del Babuino and Via del Corso. The villa of Cardinal Flavio Orsini was located on this site even earlier. The church building itself was built in 1670, and all the time before that, the Augustinians were raising money for its construction.

ChurchIl Gesu in Rome is the first to be built by representatives of the Jesuit order. Its founder - Ignatius de Loyol - one of the most famous figures of the Reformation. As noted above, the project for the future temple was created by Michelangelo, who initially offered to develop a construction project for free. However, there was no shortage of finances (the sponsor of the construction was the follower of the Jesuit order, the Duke of Gandia), so the work of the architect was paid. But in the end, the plans were not realized. Partly in connection with this, Loyola did not wait for the opening of the first church of his order. He died in 1556, and the temple was consecrated only in 1584. After his death, the construction of the church was carried out without interruption under the leadership of Giacomo da Vignola, one of the most talented architects of the late Renaissance. However, Vignola also died before the construction was completed, and his original idea did not come true.

The final work had to be completed by the Italian architect Giacomo della Porta, the author of the facade of the temple, which has survived to this day.

Tours

The great city of Rome boasts many attractions of world significance. Some of them are not so easy to see. But there are places that are quite accessible for self-examination, and you can do it completely free of charge. These include the temples and cathedrals of Rome.

Guides of excursion agencies conduct individual excursions in any language to the historical places of the city, including temples, for a fee. Fromthe story of experienced guides, you can learn a lot about the Jesuit order: the internal structure, history, main ideas and principles. Thanks to the guides, you can learn information from deeper sources. Having visited the Cathedral of Il Gesu, considered one of the most beautiful in Rome, you can see how the spirit of the Jesuits is captured in all the architecture and frescoes. The amazing work of Andrea Pozzo (Jesuit artist), who ingeniously plays with space to create optical illusions, boggles the imagination of absolutely all visitors to the church.