Chiesa di Sant’Ignazio di Loyola dates to about 1650. The outside is unabashedly Baroque. The church was originally built as the chapel of the Roman College, but the college moved and expanded in 1584. Chiesa di Sant’Ignazio di Loyola keeps watch over the quintessential Roman piazza, with its cobblestones, apartments and outdoor cafés.
The church is famous for its false dome, painted on the flat ceiling in such a way as to appear three-dimensional. It’s a finely-decorated interior, and well worth stepping inside.
We had a running joke when we were in Rome: all directions started with, “You know, it’s next to that piazza with the church.” The joke being there are over 900 churches in Rome, and they all seem to preside over similar piazzas. We passed through many, but in my mind’s eye I always picture this one – the Piazza di Sant’Ignacio – when I think of “that piazza with the church.”
On our last night in Rome, I decided I should walk back to Piazza di Sant’Ignacio and shoot a panorama. In retrospect, I wish I would have waited until after dinner and shot it at dusk. Still, I captured “that piazza with the church” pretty accurately: a couple embracing, many people waiting on the steps of the church, an outdoor café, the amazing color of the surrounding buildings….
Although I had a famous person with me, she managed to avoid being immortalized in this shot.
Warning/Guarantee/Disclaimer: This is a big, multi-resolution panorama. It may take a while to load. For amazing detail, try viewing it full-screen.
