A feast for the eyes just a few steps from the Pantheon, Santa Maria Sopra Minerva features notable stained glass windows and Michelangelo’s famed statue of Christ the Redeemer. Completed in 1370, this is the city’s only surviving example of original Gothic church building. Behind a restrained Renaissance facade, the interior features arched vaulting, painted blue with gilded stars and trimmed with brilliant red ribbing in a 19th-century Neo-Gothic restoration. The site is a resting place of several popes from the Medici line, and includes the tomb of Fra Angelico, a renowned Renaissance painter. In front of the church, you can see one of the most curious monuments in the city, a statue by sculptor Gianlorenzo Bernini of an elephant supporting an Egyptian obelisk. This is the shortest of the 11 obelisks still in existence in Rome. Put Santa Maria Sopra Minerva into our Rome road trip planning website to see other points of interest to visit during your vacation in Rome.
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Santa Maria Sopra Minerva reviews
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It was so worth running to the Basilica di Sopra Maria Minerva under pouring rain. It is still under reconstruction, but finally it is possible to get inside using the rear entrance on Via Beato...
It was so worth running to the Basilica di Sopra Maria Minerva under pouring rain. It is still under reconstruction, but finally it is possible to get inside using the rear entrance on Via Beato... more »
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The church has limited hours, perhaps because it's being renovated, and I had difficulty finding the entrance by walking around the streets leading to the back of the church. It was in the evening...
The church has limited hours, perhaps because it's being renovated, and I had difficulty finding the entrance by walking around the streets leading to the back of the church. It was in the evening... more »
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Such a beautiful interior, especially the ceilings. Was under significant renovations when we visited but the beauty is still apparent
Such a beautiful interior, especially the ceilings. Was under significant renovations when we visited but the beauty is still apparent more »
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Most of the church is closed from what appears to be extensive water damage. You must go all the way around to a back entrance. Early Michelangelo statue directly as you enter and is VERY close up. Ceiling is magnificent - blue is very Russian in appearance as are some of the gold icons. Astoundingly gorgeous ceiling
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Between this church and St Peters, you can't go wrong spending your time here. This is the only Gothic cathedral in Rome, so it's worth seeing if you're into gothic architecture. It doesn't look like much from the outside but it is incredible inside
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Very beautiful church, the only one preserved from the gothic outbreak in Rome.
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Attended the 6 pm Mass service, the interior are amazing and the statute of lord Jesus Christ by Michael Angelo
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Beautiful church with a Michelangelo statue. The vestibule is also very pretty. The church is currently under repair. You need to circle it (a lot) before finding the backdoor entrance.
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