Chiesa dei Santi Luca e Martina In Rome, Italy

stevieleigh (62)in #travel • 3 years ago (edited)

Around one of Rome's most famous set of ruins, the Roman Forum sits a church I never encountered during my last trip to Rome, Chiesa dei Santi Luca e Martina.

Santi Luca e Martina
All photos are mine.

Originally, the church was dedicated to Saint Martina who was killed in 228 AD while Emporer Alexander Severus was in power. Pope Honorius commissioned the project and construction of the church began in 625. The church was first restored in 1256. The Accedemia di San Luca(the academy of sculptors, painters and architects) was founded in 1577. The church was given to the academy and rededicated to Saint Martina and Saint Luca.

The Forum Of Caeser circa the church

Pietro da Cortona was elected as president of the academy in 1634 and he began restoration immediately. Buried remains were found as soon as the restoration of the crypt began and were assigned to Saint Martina. The discovery of the remains was a big deal as it led to an influx of funds for the church. In November of 1634, Pope Urban VIII and his nephew Cardinal Francesco Barberini visited the church. Barberini had been a protector of the church since 1626 and he donated 6,000 scudi (the currency at the time) towards a new building. Construction began in 1635 but was interrupted some years later as both Cortona and Barberini spent many years away from the project. Parts of the church were still incomplete by the time of Cortona's death in 1669.

Ruins within the Roman Forum

Although I've been to Rome and explored around the Roman Forum twice, this was the first time I stumbled upon this building. I discovered a few new things during my second trip to Rome and it was pretty cool to find this gem.

The Arch of Septimus Severus circa the church