European Ribbon

📖  Introduction

Over the years, many of Rome’s old churches have undergone extensive renovations, resulting in modern appearances that often diverge from their original designs. Opinions remain divided on whether these changes were beneficial. Nonetheless, countless artists sought to leave a lasting mark, regardless of the phase of work they encountered.

The Church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva stands out from the rest. It’s the only Gothic church in Rome that has preserved its original form. Yet, this too raises the question: what truly defines the ‘original,’ when even this church was built on the site of an older temple? Roman puzzles can be endlessly fascinating, don’t you think?

A Misleading Name That Endured Through the Centuries

The name of the Basilica of Santa Maria sopra Minerva refers to the Roman goddess Minerva, a symbol of wisdom and justice. Minerva was also a goddess of war—though not of brute force, but of strategic warfare. The Romans associated her with the Greek goddess Athena rather than the warrior Mars. Minerva held a key place in ancient Rome, forming the Capitoline Triad with Jupiter, king of the gods, and Juno, his wife. Temples dedicated to these deities were prominent across Rome and Italy.

Initially, it was believed that a temple dedicated to Minerva once stood where today’s Basilica is located. Over time, her name was mistakenly transferred to the later Christian church. However, further research revealed that the earlier structure was actually dedicated to the Egyptian goddess Isis. Built around 50 BCE by Gnaeus Pompeius, it likely burned down during Rome’s Great Fire in the 1st century CE. The ruins stood until the 8th century when Pope Zacharias Christianized the site.

A new chapter for the church began in 1275, when it was taken over by the Dominicans, who established a monastery nearby. Together, the buildings formed a complex known as the ‘Island of Wisdom.‘ Around 1280, the Dominicans began constructing the current church, inspired by Florence’s Santa Maria Novella. Construction lasted until 1453, with the facade completed only in 1725.

Conclave and the Roman Inquisition

The Church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva holds a significant place in Rome’s history. In 1431, after the death of Pope Martin V from the powerful Colonna family, Rome was in turmoil, with riots erupting throughout the city. The square in front of Minerva, easily defensible due to its layout, became the gathering point for the conclave. Cardinals, secluded in the church’s sacristy, elected a new pope, Gabriel Condulmaro, who took the name Eugene IV. Another conclave, held amid Rome’s continued unrest, also took place at Minerva in 1447.

In 1566, Pope Pius V, the first titular cardinal associated with Minerva, elevated the church to the status of a minor basilica.

On September 14, 1628, by papal decree, the monastery at Minerva became the headquarters of the Congregation of the Holy Office. Established by Pope Paul III in 1542 to curb the spread of Lutheranism in Italy, the Inquisition had no direct connection to the earlier medieval or Spanish Inquisitions instituted by Ferdinand and Isabella. Its role was to investigate cases of suspected heresy, and if warranted, conduct trials and issue verdicts.

It was in one of the Dominican monastery’s chambers that, on June 22, 1633, Galileo was forced to renounce his scientific theories. For violating the ban on promoting heliocentric theory, he was sentenced to three years of house arrest.

A Dowry from the Pope

Every year, on March 25th, the Feast of the Annunciation, a special ceremony was held at Santa Maria sopra Minerva Basilica to provide dowries for “old maids“—orphaned girls raised in church institutions. The Pope himself participated in the ceremony, during which the young women, draped in white sheets, would kiss the papal slipper. In return, the Pope gifted them small pouches filled with coins.

The Church Interior

Santa Maria sopra Minerva is one of Rome’s most beloved churches, enriched over the centuries with artistic treasures from the city’s residents. Inside, visitors can admire the stunning Carafa Chapel, adorned with frescoes by Filippo Lippi, commissioned in the late 15th century by Cardinal Oliviero Carafa to honor St. Thomas Aquinas.

The church also houses Michelangelo’s Christ the Redeemer (1521), a remarkable sculpture that the artist abandoned after discovering a black vein in the white marble. The piece was later completed, with added features like the right hand, part of the face, and the back. The black vein that so frustrated Michelangelo remains visible on Christ’s left cheek.

Two Medici popes, Leo X and Clement VII, rest here, as does St. Catherine of Siena, the patron saint of Europe and a Doctor of the Church, who was canonized in 1461. Under the main altar lies her tomb, decorated with a life-sized sculpture of the saint, her head gently resting on a pillow.

Nearby, at the last pillar, is the tomb of Maria Raggi, crafted by a young Gian Lorenzo Bernini in black and yellow marble. Maria joined the Dominican order after her husband’s death, and Bernini’s work on her memorial innovatively captures the delicacy of fabric in marble, a hallmark of his genius.

The church’s interior is graced by a blue, arched ceiling dotted with golden stars, reminiscent of the Sistine Chapel’s appearance before Michelangelo painted his famous frescoes.

Santa Maria sopra Minerva is truly a gallery of art, featuring works by masters like Bernini, Michelangelo, and Lippi, as well as Antoniozzo Romano, Maderno, and even the ancient Barocci and Melozzo da Forli.

Piazza della Minerva

In 1665, an Egyptian obelisk was discovered in the monastery garden, originally part of the Temple of Isis. This 5.5-meter (18-foot) monolith was carved for Pharaoh Apries in the 6th century BCE. It bears hieroglyphs honoring the gods Atum and Neith, the latter equivalent to Minerva in the Greco-Roman pantheon. Pope Alexander VII ordered its installation on the square in front of the church. Gian Lorenzo Bernini designed a base shaped like an elephant, which his student Ercole Ferrata sculpted. Though unveiled in 1667, the sculpture didn’t quite win over the locals, who jokingly referred to it as the “Piglet of Minerva”.

Across from the church stands the Grand Hotel della Minerva, where notable guests like Adam Mickiewicz, Henryk Sienkiewicz, and Ignacy Kraszewski once stayed.