Santa Barbara dei Librai - Roma, Italy - Baroque Architecture on Waymarking.com

Giuseppe Vasi dates the consecration of the church by 1306, although it is probable that a church existed at the site since the 10-11th century. Inscriptions inside claim that the church was established by Giovanni di Crescenzio de Roizo and his wife Rogata, who was a senator of Rome in the second century. In 1600, it was granted to the confraternity of the Bookmakers (bookbinders, publishers, and scribes) or Librari, who titled the church after St Thomas Acquinas and St John of God as patrons.

During the papacy of Innocent XI, the church was restored. In 1634, after a fire, the confraternity of book makers bought out adjacent properties. The existing building must have been found unsatisfactory, because the church was rebuilt in 1680 in the Baroque style. The statue of St Barbara over the door was sculpted by Ambrogio Parisi, and the angel painted on a wall is attributed to Guido Reni. The church has paintings by Luigi Garzi; a fresco of St Saba by Giovanni Battista Brughi, pupil of Baciccio, in the chapel of Specchi; and frescoes by Francesco Ragusa and Domenico Monacelli.

The church is constrained by higher buildings on all sides except the front, so that the exterior fabric is invisible. The plan is on a Latin cross, with a tiny nave flanked by a pair of side chapels, a transept with a chapel at each end and a rectangular apse.

The church was used by the confraternity till 1878, but fell into abandon and was deconsecrated. In 1982, it was restored.

The adjacent oratory is sited in the ruins of the Theater of Pompey.

Among the works of art inside the church are:

•Tryptich of Madonna and child with John the Baptist and Archangel Michael (1453) by Leonardo da Roma.
•Crucifixion by Garzi

Sources: Wikipedia (visit link) and (visit link)

Style: Baroque Type of building (structure): Large religious building (church, monastery, synagogue...) Date of origin:: Probably 10-11th century, consecrated in 1306 Architect(s): Giuseppe Passeri, Bonoli Address: Largo dei Librari, 85, 00186 Roma, Italy Web site of the object (if exists): Not listed

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Date Logged Log   07/04/2023 GURUGU visited it