Chiesa del Gesù

Rome’s most important Jesuit church, the Chiesa del Gesù is a much-copied example of Counter-Reformation architecture. It was built between 1551 and 1584 with money donated by Cardinal Alessandro Farnese. Although the façade by Giacomo della Porta is impressive, it is the awesome, interior that is the real attraction. Designed by Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola, a pupil of Michelangelo, it’s a shimmering ensemble of gold and marble. Of the art on display, the most astounding is the Trionfo del Nome di Gesù (Triumph of the Name of Jesus), the swirling, hypnotic vault fresco by Giovanni Battista Gaulli (aka Il Baciccia). Baciccia also painted the cupola frescoes and designed the stucco decoration. To the left of the main altar is the Cappella di Sant’Ignazio and the tomb of Ignatius Loyola, the Spanish soldier who founded the Jesuits in Rome in 1540. Crafted by Andrea del Pozzo, the tomb, which doubles as an altar, is an opulent marble-and-bronze affair with columns encrusted with lapis lazuli. On top, the terrestrial globe, representing the Trinity, is the largest solid piece of lapis lazuli in the world. On either side are a couple of sculptures whose titles vividly portray the Jesuit ethos: to the left, Fede che vince l’Idolatria (Faith defeats Idolatry); on the right, Religione che flagella l’Eresia (Religion Lashing Heresy). The Spanish saint lived in the church from 1544 until his death in 1556. His private rooms, which contain a masterful trompe l’oeil by Andrea del Pozzo, are just to the right of the main church.