The Church of the Gesù

In the heart of Rome, near Piazza Venezia, the Church of the Gesù is the principal Jesuit church of Rome and its historic headquarters.

On this site stood a small church, given by Pope Paul III to the Jesuit order a few years after its foundation in 1540 by Ignatius of Loyola.

As the order grew in importance, it was decided to build a new church.

The architect was Vignola, who chose the Baroque style that would become the archetype of Counter-Reformation architecture. Construction of the Church of the Gesù was completed in 1584.

Getting there : The church is near Piazza Venezia; many bus lines (40, 46, 63, 70, 81, 83, 87…)

Address : Piazza del Gesù

Opening hours : every day from 7:00 to 12:30 and from 16:00 to 19:45. (For the visit to St Ignatius's rooms: 16:00 to 18:00 Monday to Saturday and 10:00 to 12:00 on Sundays and public holidays.

Ticket prices: free admission.

The façade of the Church of the Gesù mixes Classical and Baroque elements, with a dedication to Cardinal Alessandro Farnese (grandson of the Pope Paul III mentioned above), who commissioned the church.

The interior of the church became a model for Baroque churches. The plan is a Latin cross with a wide nave suited to preaching and a dome at the crossing of the transept. The decoration is particularly rich, opposing the ideas of the Reformation against which the Jesuits were fighting. Stucco, marble, gilded bronze and frescoes thus adorn the interior of the Church of the Gesù.

The most striking feature is the ceiling, decorated with a 17th-century trompe-l'œil fresco by Baciccia depicting the Triumph of the Name of Jesus.

In the divine light, the letters JHS, the monogram of Christ, appear.

The redeemed enter paradise while the damned fall into the void.

The decoration of the dome is also by Baciccia and represents the vision of heaven.

Two great altars stand in the transepts.

The first is particularly sumptuous, dedicated to St Ignatius, founder of the Jesuit order.

The altar, placed above the tomb of St Ignatius, is formed of lapis-lazuli columns framing a painting by Baciccia of him receiving a standard from the hand of Christ.

In reality this painting conceals a sumptuous silver statue of the saint, which is unveiled only on certain occasions. This statue is a copy; the original was melted down on the order of Pope Pius VI to pay war indemnities to Napoleon I.

The second altar is dedicated to St Francis Xavier.