Monday, March 06, 2006

Santa Maria Sopra Minerva

The cold didn't stop us from getting gelato from that awesome gelatteria around the corner from the Pantheon ... and then a few steps to the Dominican church of S. Maria Sopra Minerva ...

[The church has a website, in Italian only, which has virtual tours. More info also here.]




This is the Carafa chapel, dedicated to St. Thomas Aquinas, with some amazing frescoes by Filippino Lipi, including this one of the Annunciation, with St. Thomas presenting the Cardinal to the Blessed Virgin. The colors are so beautiful! Another interesting one depicts St. Thomas confounding heretics.



The remains of that great Dominican Saint (and Doctor of the Church), Catherine of Siena lie under the high altar. (Her head, I believe, is in Siena.)



And there is a lesser known Michelangelo here, this powerful statute of the Redeemer.



Here's a view down the nave.

Opposite the church are the famous Gamarelli tailors - sartors to the Popes. Well, maybe.


We braved the wind outside, tracing our steps back to Piazza del Popolo to duck quickly into the Church of S. Maria del Popolo ... Posted by Picasa

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