Rome – The Church of Saint Ignatius of Loyola

The Church of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, or known as Sant’Ignazio Church, is a Jesuit Church that was built in the 1600s with a rich and fascinating history.

You can visit Rome many times and still never see everything you may want to see. It is a city packed with more history than you can think of and architecture from all through the ages. Every time you turn a corner in this ancient city you find a new treasure to explore.

front facade The Church of Saint Ignatius of Loyola

Of course everyone knows of the Colosseum and Trevi Fountain etc..  I was excited to see deeper into Rome and places I had never heard of too. A tip I shall never forget was The Church of Saint Ignatius of Loyola.

Seemingly hidden away, not too far Eastwards from the Pantheon this fantastic building has a huge front that tempts many a visitor inside.

BaldHiker Retreats

History

The original church was attached adjacent to The Roman College (Collegio Romano) and opened in 1551. A very humble looking building to start with.

Before long it began to become too small to cater for the 2000 plus students coming to study at the college. So the plan was to build a new church in 1626 especially after the canonization of Ignatius of Loyola. It was finally completed by 1650.

I sat on the steps leading up the entrance and just looked up in awe at the architecture. The church architect was Orazio Grassi. The facade is truly mesmerising.

looking up at The Church of Saint Ignatius of Loyola

However, even all that cannot prepare you for the immense sights inside and the painting work throughout from way on high on the ceiling to below.

Inside

With 3 chapels on either side the church is internally shaped like a Latin Cross. As soon as you enter you feel the huge grandeur of the place.

inside view of The Church of Saint Ignatius of Loyola

It was designed to look sumptuous and yes, it certainly does look sumptuous. Extremely high and ornament adorned ceilings. Gilding , statues and ornamented stone in every direction you look.

But the one thing that had me in awe was the painted ceiling.

3D Dome Illusion and The Painted Ceiling

Andrea Pozzo of the Jesuit order painted the nave ceiling aspects. In all it celebrates the work of Saint Ignatius and the Society of Jesus.

detailed ceiling painting

You stand in the middle of the church and look up. There you will look up and into what really looks like a dome interior.

the dome painting from below

In fact it is not a dome at all, it is an optical illusion. When the church was built there was not enough funds to build a dome.

The great dome (or so you think) that you see above you is actually a flat painting with 3D effect. A trompe l’oeil painting. If you are inside the building and you look at it from almost all angles, it really does look like it is a dome.

Exploring

Every inch of this building inside has such fine beauty and detail. You walk around and around to take closer looks at everything.

However then you turn round and see the rest of the place in so many different angles that mesmerised is not a strong enough word to describe the feeling I had.

painted walls of Saint Ignatius of Loyola

To the left and to the right of the main area there are side chapels that seem to transform you to a whole new great church of their own accord.

religious statue

A top tip is to not just stay in the centre of the building which is where many stop, stay and stare. Wander behind all the pillars and you will find many many treasures for the eyes.

another dome with art
art statues in the church
A Perfect Day in Rome - The Church of Saint Ignatius of Loyola

This church visit was a great tip thank you! Yes it was going to be a Perfect Day indeed. With many more tips like this in a wonderful city as Rome. Wonderful people to meet, tip top food to eat.

During this trip to Rome I have visited history and the tops of famous buildings like Il Vittoriano. Every visit brings new sights to see here.

And a whole lot more to explore.

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4 Comments

  1. Deb Adadjo says:

    Breath taking photos! I want to go just so I can see it myself!

  2. Gloria Grove says:

    Great pictures. Enjoyed seeing them and reading your descriptions.

  3. Great city and great pictures-:)

  4. Katherine Belarmino says:

    Lovely information and pictures about a lesser known attraction in Rome!

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