Santa Maria della Concezione dei Sacconi Turchini was a small 17th century oratory in Via della Madonna dei Monti, near Santa Maria dei Monti. This is in the rione Monti.
It was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary under her title of the Immaculate Conception.
History[]
The oratory was built in the mid 17th century as the extern chapel of the convent of the Farnesiane nuns whose covent was adjacent. These nuns were strictly enclosed.
By 1748, however, it was the headquarters of the Confraternita di Santa Maria della Neve, which was a pious confraternity associated with Santa Maria Maggiore. This later moved to Santa Maria dei Foglianti, and then to Santa Maria della Neve al Colosseo.
Before the oratory's demolition in 1884 to make way for the Via Cavour, it was occupied by the Confraternita dei Sacconi Turchini. This lay association was attached to the nearby church of San Francesco da Paola, and took its name and dress of "Turquoise Mantles" from the colour of a cloth which two stucco angels held over the tabernacle in that church.
Layout and appearance[]
The Nolli map of 1748 shows a tiny oratory on a simple rectangular plan, as part of a larger building on the south side of the street to the west of Santa Maria dei Monti. It was just to the west of the entrance of the alleyway leading to the convent church of Santa Maria della Concezione delle Farnesiane, with which it should not be confused.
A painting of 1834 by Achille Pinelli preserves the appearance of the façade, which was inserted into a larger domestic building. The simple rectangular composition featured a pair of Ionic pilasters with swagged capitals, supporting inverted posts but no proper entablature. The moldings on the posts were extended to run across the top of the façade.
The Baroque doorway was crowned by a tablet with sweeping sides. This showed two curlicues facing each other, with a stylised symbol of the three mountains (familiar as the heraldic symbol of the Albani family) at the bottom and a bust at the top. Above the tablet was a rectangular window (almost square) with a broad frame in relief.
Special note of caution[]
The painting by Pinelli mentioned above is merely entitled Processione di Sacconi. The oratory in the background is not identified, and the picture features on Wikimedia Commons as being that of the Sacconi Rossi, Santa Maria Addolorata dei Sacconi Rossi. This seems incorrect, as a comparison with the photo on that oratory's Wiki page shows. The confraternity members in the painting are wearing turquoise cinctures, hence the suggestion that the oratory is the one under consideration. However, confirmation of this is sought.