Chiesa del Divino Amore
Exterior of Chiesa del Divino Amore
English name:	Church of Divine Love
Dedication:	Cecilia and Blaise
Denomination:	Roman Catholic
Type:	Confraternity church
Built:	C. 1131, rebuilt 1729
Architect(s):	Filippo Raguzzini
Contact data
Address:	12 Vicolo del Divino Amore 00186 Roma
Phone:	06 67 94 612 06 68 73 640

Chiesa del Divino Amore is the church of the Confraternity of the Madonna of Divine Love. It is formally called Santi Cecilia and Biagio. Picture of the church at Wikimedia Commons.[1]

HistoryEdit

The first church here was built c. 1131 and was dedicated to St Cecilia. According to tradition, her father's house stood at this site. The church was later also dedicated to St Blaise.

In 1525, Pope Clement granted the church to the Confraternita dei Materassai, the Guild of Mattress-makers. It was the Guild that added the dedication to St Blaise, who was their patron. Pope Benedict XIII and the Guild had it rebuilt in 1729; the architect was Filippo Raguzzini.

It was then given to the Confraternity of the Madonna of Divine Love in 1801 or 1802 by Pope Pius VII. The confraternity had been founded in 1744, at the Santuario della Madonna del Divino Amore. It received its present name at that point.

It was restored in 1972. During the restoration, an ancient inscription was found, which says that the faithful gathered here to pray for the intercession of St Cecilia.

ExteriorEdit

The 12th century bell-tower was preserved when the church was rebuilt.

The façade is simple, with two stories crowned by a tympanon.

InteriorEdit

The interior is on a rectangular plan with a barrel vaulted ceiling. It is decorated with 19th century frescoes by Filippo Prosperi.

By the high altar is a painting of the Virgin and Child attributed to Vincenzo Camuccini.

The sacristy is decorated with a fresco of Sts Cecilia and Valerian Crowned by an Angel, painted in the middle of the 15th century.

LiturgyEdit

Feasts that are celebrated with great solemnity in the church are the Presentation of Our Lord on 2 February, St Blaise on 3 February, Sts Valerian and Tiburtius (Cecilia's husband and brother-in-law) on 14 April and St Cecilia on 22 November.