Let’s Explore the Holy Santa Maria sopra Minerva, Assisi
Roman Temples | March 30, 2010Apparently a minor basilica but regarded among the key churches of the Roman Catholic Dominica, the Basilica of Saint Mary above Minerva is the only church in Gothic style in Rome. Located in the Piazza della Minerva, it is the home of the tombs of St. Catherine of Siena and the Dominican painter Fra Angelico (Blessed John).
Santa Maria sopra Minerva is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mother Mary and was built over a Roman Temple of Isis, the goddess of wisdom mistakenly said as Minerva. This is evident from some of sections of the Roman temple that still can be seen since the era of Augustus (63 B.C – 14 A.D). Now, you can understand why the church is so named.
The Church
Just in front of the church, I first saw one of the most peculiar edifices in the nation called the Pulcino della Minerva. With the elephant as the base for the Egyptian obelisk, the structure’s obelisk is the smallest Egyptian obelisk in Rome out of a total of 11 taken away from Sais to adorn the former Temple of Isis. This is basically due the obelisk’s religious significance that it is the home of the divine spirit. On its base, the Latin inscription says
“…a strong mind is a must for holding a solid knowledge”
The original front of the church was quite a Baroque style built by Carlo Maderno in the 16th century, said a visitor there. However, what I saw was actually the rebuilt one of the 19th century that exhibits its neo-medieval style. What was even more appealing on the facade is its marks of the 16th and 17th centuries that depict different floods of the Tiber rising to 65 feet.
Talking about its interior, the 13th century nave has very sharp Gothic arches and partial Baroque elements added later. The stained glass windows are also fantastic. Beyond its facade, the arched dome is adorned with outstanding red ribbing and blue ones with golden stars, which is actually not the original, but the efforts of the 19th century.
Cappella Carafa
Known as the Chapel of St. Thomas Aquinas, the Carafa chapel holds the tomb of Gian Pietro Carafe – the Pope Paul IV in 1555. Herein, I was amazed with its 15th century frescoes and the two Marian scenes, the Annunciation and the Assumption. What was further worth noticing was St Thomas awarding Cardinal Carafa to the Blessed Virgin above the altar and on the right wall is his Glory of St Thomas.
Cappella Capranica
Also known as the Chapel of the Rosary, the stucco ceiling is simply remarkable. It is here that you will see the works of Fra Angelico – Madonna and Child.
Michelangelo’s Cristo della Minerva
Also known as Christ the Redeemer or Christ Carrying the Cross, this is a sculpt of marble at the left of the prime altar. It was made by Michelangelo Buonarroti that was completed in 1521.
Cappella Aldobrandini
Herein, I saw the canvas showing the Institution of the Eucharist dated since 1594 and the memorial of the parents of Pope Clement VIII, Salvestro Aldobrandini and Luisa Dati. It was in this chapel that the first Blessed Sacrament Confraternity was approved by the Holy See.
The timings for visitors are weekdays: 7:15 am – 7 pm and weekends: 8:15 am -7 pm. Note that it is closed between 2 pm – 5:15 pm on Tuesdays and Fridays.
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The father of modern astronomy Galileo Galilei, after being tried for heresy in the adjoining monastery, abjured his scientific theses in the church on the 22nd of June 1633.
The basilica gets its name because, like many early Christian basilicas, it was built directly over (sopra) the foundations of a temple dedicated to the Egyptian goddess Isis, but erroneously assimilated to Minerva. Behind a self-effacing facade, its arched vaulting is painted with brilliant red ribbing, and blue with gilded stars, a 19th century restoration in the Gothic taste. The basilica is located on the small piazza Minerva close to the Pantheon, in the rione Pigna.
The present Cardinal Priest of the Titulus Sanctae Mariae supra Minervam has been Cormac Murphy-O’Connor since 2001.