The Annunziatella Church is located outside the current center of Rome. In the late Middle Ages it was considered one of the most important and interesting churches in the city, but unfortunately not much of that remains today.
Annunziatella Church Rome
Address, Opening Hours and Admission
The address of the Chiesa dell’Annunziatella is Vicolo dell’Annunziatella 97, 00142 Roma (tel. 065032566). Bus 764, 766. Entrance: Free. Opening hours: Unknown.
History Annunziatella Church Rome
The origins of the Annunziatella Church are not known, although it is not unlikely that it was connected to one of the many cemeteries located in the area. What is certain is that it existed as early as 1220.
What is also certain is that the church was held in high esteem. In a map made by Giacomo de Rossi in 1676, which listed the nine churches to be visited for their art treasures, relics and indulgences, the Abbazia delle Tre Fontane and the Annunziatella were mentioned in addition to the four papal basilicas and the three other churches on the seven-church itinerary.
The structure of the church, like the bell tower, dates back to the Middle Ages. The apse is the result of a thorough restoration that took place at the beginning of the 16th century or of the later reconstruction of the interior commissioned by Cardinal Barberini (1640).
A description of the church from 1698 speaks of a façade painted with frescoes, with in the center a banner (Gonfalone) held up by two angels and the coats of arms of Pope Paul V, of the Roman People and of Cardinal Pietro Aldobrandini. Next to the door, the Saints Peter and Paul were depicted, but unfortunately none of these can be seen now.
In 1911 the church was on the verge of collapse and was even used for a time as a sleeping place by farm workers. Later it was refurbished, although the paintings on the facade could not be saved. It is now painted all white.
What to see
The floor of the church near the apse is laid in a Cosmatesque style, while the rest is more modern and made with pieces of marble.
The apse is decorated with a three-part fresco, with an Annunciazione (“Annunciation of Our Lady”) in the center, and on the sides the “Madonna between the Souls of Purgatory” and the “Nativity.”
In the wall to the left of the altar is a cabinet, also decorated in Cosmatesque style, where sacred oils are kept.
A commemorative sign inside the church indicates that the church was consecrated in 1220.
A wooden crucifix from the 19th century.