Santa Maria degli Angeli, Rome, Italy, 1563

From the statue of David to St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel ceiling and the Palazzo dei Conservatori, Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti is perhaps the most well-known Italian in history. Through his works he was able to impose change in culture, in the art world, and in the course of history. It is evident that he exerted an unparalleled influence on the development of Western Art, therefore it is necessary to study his works of art, including one of his churches in Rome: Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri, better known by its shorter name – Santa Maria degli Angeli.

Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri 20th-century entrance.

Santa Maria degli Angeli is a unique Renaissance church located in Rome, Italy. Designed by Michelangelo and dedicated to the Virgin Mary, to the angels, and to the Christian slaves who perished while building these structures, the church was built within the Roman walls of the Baths of Diocletian.1 In fact, it is one of the three buildings left within these walls (other two being the Museo Nazionale and the Octagonal Hall or Aula Ottagona).   

Pope Pius IV, who reconvened and concluded the Council of Trent, entrusted Michelangelo, who at the time (1563) was working at St. Peter’s Basilica, to transform the Thermal Baths into a church.2 Still, Michelangelo placed special thought when designing the transept of the new church. The transept is so dominant, that the effect is essentially that of a transverse nave. He created a Greek cross design leaving unaltered several right-angle frames, the vestibule and the chancel. Consequently, there were three entrances: two on each side of the transept and one towards the exedra. Unfortunately, the following year, at the age of 88, Michelangelo passed away; but his works were immediately continued and completed by Jacopo Lo Duca.1

Plan of Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli illustrating dominating transept.

Today, when visiting this minor Basilica, one would automatically be dazed as the exterior has a unique surface for a church, since its outer walls consist in part of the brick of the Baths of Diocletian. However, due to the addition of the modern façade by Bazzani in the 20^th century, some may say the façade takes away from the simplicity of the church.

The interior is the true gem of this structure. Within the church, it is easier to appreciate the grandeur in which the Romans built, which can be seen in the size in which the imperial baths were built. The great vaulted transept also gives a striking display of the magnificent scale of Roman construction, being almost 300 feet long, and with the risen floors, over 90 feet high. With the many additions to the basilica throughout time, the basilica now has new bronze doors by Polish sculptor Igor Mitoraj as well as a statue of John the Baptist by him. There is also the 5-meter high bronze statue of Galileo Galilei Divine Man, designed by Tsung-Dao Lee, that was donated to the church in 2010.

Grandeur scale of the interior of the Santa Maria deli Angeli.

Moreover, an interesting addition to the church, that has awed many of those who visit, would be the meridian line.  At the beginning of the 18^th century, Pope Clement XI appointed the mathematician, astronomer, archaeologist, historian and philosopher, Francesco Bianchini, to build a meridian line that would function as a sort of sundial within the basilica. The line is laid down along the meridian that crosses through Rome, at latitude 15º.1 Through a small hole in the ceiling, light penetrates the church and casts its light on this line. The reason behind the meridian line, per the pope, was to produce a tool that would predict Easter precisely and check the accuracy of the Gregorian reformation of the calendar. He also wanted to give Rome a meridian line just as important as the one built in Bologna’s cathedral by Giovanni Domenico Cassini; which according to Alan Cook, was accomplished: “The disposition, the stability and the precision are much better than those of the famous meridian… in Bologna.”3

Angles depicting the entry of light and its location on the meridian line.

The meridian line located inside Santa Maria degli Angeli.

This church has been altered in many ways since its design. Almost every few years there have been multiple additions to the church, whether it be a sculpture, a painting, a chapel or even another resting body during burial ceremonies. After the wedding of the Prince of Naples, the status of Santa Maria degli Angeli ascended, and has since been the scene of religious ceremonies promoted by the Italian state.1 Then in 1920, the church was given the status minor basilica by Pope Benedict XV. Today, Santa Maria degli Angeli is served by diocesan clergy and functions as a parish church.1

                           

1 "Santa Maria Degli Angeli E Dei Martiri, Rome." Sacred Destinations. Sacred Destinations, n.d. Web.

2 "Santa Maria Degli Angeli Roma: Project of Michelangelo." Santa Maria Degli Angeli Roma. Santa Maria Degli Angeli Roma, n.d. Web.

3 Cook, Alan. "A Roman Tercentenary: Notes and Records of the Royal Society of London." A Roman Tercentenary 56 (2002): 273. Print.