Santa Maria dell'Anima
From Churches of Rome Wiki
Santa Maria dell' Anima Our Lady of the Souls
Via dell'Anima (front) / 20 Piazza Santa Maria della Pace (side entrance)
Church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin as patroness of the souls of the departed in purgatory. The German national church. History
The church was founded by a Dutch couple after the Holy Year of 1350. It was built as a German national church, which included all of the German-speaking states of the Holy Roman Empire. A chapel belonging to a hospice for pilgrims from Germany and the Low Countries stood on the site before it was built.
The church was rebuilt for the Holy Year of 1500 by Pope Alexander VI (1492-1503). The architect may have been Andrea Sansovino.
It was restored in 1843. Exterior
The church has a minaret-like spire covered in coloured tiles, reminiscent of the patterned slate roof of German-speaking areas.
The façade is often, but probably erroneousely, attributed to Giuliano da Sangallo.
Recently, scholars have attributed the three doors to Sansovino, while earlier studies have attributed them to Peruzzi. The windows may be the work of Bramante. Interior
The church is built as a Hallenkirche, a type common in northern Europe. A hall church is built to be as wide as possible, with a lofty roof held by rows of columns. Churches of this type often doubled as municipal assemblies. Each side has four apses with chapels, which is unusual for a hall church.
The church was named after the sculptural group Madonna and Two Souls, which has recently been attributed to Andrea Sansovino.
By the entrance are the tombs of Cardinal Andreas of Austria on the left side and Willem Cardinal van Enchenvoirt (died 1534) on the right side. Cardinal Van Enchenvoirt was Baldassare Peruzzi's patron, and commissioned the tomb of Pope Adrian VI (see below), the Chapel of St Barbara and the high altar.
Above the high altar is a damaged canvas of the Holy Family and Saints by Giulio Romano, painted in 1522.
There are tombs on either side of the sanctuary. Pope Adrian VI (1522-1523), who was born in Utrecht, is buried on the left side, in a tomb by either Baldassare Peruzzi or Michelangelo Senese, commissioned by Cardinal can Enchenvoirt.
In the last chapel on the right is Lorenzetti's copy of Michelangelo's Pietà. It is not an exact copy, as the artist has made a few changes such as the position of Christ's head. It was made in 1530.
The Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament has a 16th century crucifix. There is also a reproduction of the Madonna of Altötting, given by Pope Pius XII.
Salviati's painting Taking Down from the Cross is in the fourth chapel on the left.
The Miracle of St Benno and the Keys of Meissen Cathedral, painted in 1618 by Carlo Saraceni, illustrates an event from German Church history. Special notes
The church is normally closed, but it is possible to visit it. Go through the alley, and ask for permission to enter the church at the entrance to the college behind the church.
