San Marcello al Corso

Rome, Italy

San Marcello al Corso was built before 418, when Pope Boniface I was elected there. Pope Adrian I, in the 8th century, built a church on the same place, which is currently under the modern church. On 22 May 1519, a fire destroyed the church. The money collected for its rebuilding was used to bribe the landsknechts, who were pillaging the city during the Sack of Rome (1527).

The work was continued by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, who rebuilt the church, but a Tiber flood damaged it again in 1530. It was only in 1592–1597 that the church was completed with a facade by Carlo Fontana, commissioned by Monsignor Marcantonio Cataldi Boncompagni. The exterior travertine statues were sculpted by Francesco Cavallini, and the stucco bas-relief over the entrance, with depicts San Filippo Benizio, was created by Antonio Raggi.

Under the main altar, decorated with 12th century opus sectile, are the relics of several saints, which include those of Pope Marcellus as well as Digna and Emerita. The last chapel on the left is dedicated to St Philip Benizi. The late-Baroque decoration contains sculptures by Francesco Cavallini and reliefs by Ercole Ferrata and Antonio Raggi. The first chapel on the left has the double tomb of Cardinal Giovanni Michiel and his grandson Antonio Orso sculpted by Jacopo Sansovino.

The church is administered and owned by the Servite Order since 1369.

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Founded: 4th century AD
Category: Religious sites in Italy

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4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

David Phipps (11 months ago)
December 25, 2023. Beautiful quiet soft Christmas music a few tourists. Should be more light to admire the beauty of the paintings frescos and monuments
Raimond (13 months ago)
Impressive church in central of Rome, Trevi, with long and beautiful history. Roof is definitely something that you not going to see often. Very unusual and so beautiful.
Guillaume Soucy (14 months ago)
Magnificent church built on a very ancient Christian site. When Christianity was legalized by the Roman Empire, San Marcello was one of the only four places where Christians were baptized. Today, and since the XIV century, it is the Order of Servants of Mary (Servite Order or "Servi di Maria") who is responsible for the church. It has a spectacular interior decoration and, above all, it contains the famous crucifix of 525 years old which is said to be miraculous. During a great fire, everything had burned down, but the crucifix remained. During the bubonic plague, it is said that people were healed in the streets where the crucifix was taken in procession. It is also the crucifix that Pope Francis used on St-Peter's Square during a vigil at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy. So, simply seeing this crucifix is worth the detour.
Stefanos Noutsias (17 months ago)
The church of San Marcello al Corso is a Catholic church, located in the Trevi district, along via del Corso . It is the church of the cardinal title of San Marcello. The building has a single nave, with five chapels on each side. The counter-façade is completely occupied by a large Crucifixion, towards which the 14 scenes of "Stories of the Passion" converge, frescoed in the upper register by 1613. The concave façade, a late 17th century Baroque style work , is by Carlo Fontana ( 1681 - 1687 ). Inside are placed works, among others, by Gregorio Guglielmi (Miracles of Santa Giuliana Falconieri; 6 paintings on canvas, 1750–51), Francesco Salviati (Stories of the Virgin) in the Grifoni chapel, the third on the right; Perin del Vaga (the Four Evangelists) in the chapel of the Crucifix, the fourth on the right; Alessandro Algardi (busts of the Frangipane family) and Taddeo and Federico Zuccari (Conversion of Saint Paul), in the Frangipane chapel, the fourth on the left; Pier Claudio Pantieri (ceramic representing the Madonna del Fuoco, patron saint of Forlì : for this reason, on the anniversary - February 4 - the Romagna community present in Rome gathers in San Marcello), in the Chapel of San Pellegrino Laziosi , served in Forlì. To the left of the entrance is the monument erected by Sansovino for Cardinal Giovanni Michiel, who was poisoned in Castel Sant'Angelo. In the chapel of the Crucifix (the fourth on the right) is the funeral monument of Cardinal Consalvi and his brother, a neoclassical work by Rinaldo Rinaldi . The semi-precious stone ciborium placed on the altar is the work of Carlo Francesco Bizzaccheri (1691). Cardinals Fabrizio Paolucci and Camillo Merlini Paolucci are buried in the chapel of San Pellegrino Laziosi (the fifth on the right, closest to the apse), who had it decorated with works by Pietro Bracci (Fabrizio's tomb), Tommaso Righi (the tomb of Camillus), by Aureliano Milani and by Domenico Corvi (two paintings of Old Testament inspiration, The Sacrifice of Isaac and The Finding of Moses). The Church is run by the Servants of Mary. (Wikipedia, thank you!)
Jonas Nielsen (17 months ago)
Chiesa San Marcello al Corso, located in Rome, was built in the 16th century, specifically between 1592 and 1697. It was constructed during the Renaissance period and showcases a blend of architectural styles. The church has a rich history, undergoing renovations and restorations throughout the years. It stands as a significant religious and cultural landmark, contributing to Rome's architectural heritage
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