The Chiesa di San Carlo ai Catinari is a baroque church in Rome. It is also known under the name SS. Biagi e Carlo ai Catinari. Inside the church, masterpieces by several famous painters can be admired. The church is located in the Piazza Benedetto Cairoli, which has a small garden with a fountain and a statue.
A brief history of the church of San Carlo ai Catinari in Rome
The Chiesa di San Carlo ai Catinari owes the “catinari” bit to the many shops of basin makers that used to exist in the area. The church was founded in 1620, when the Milanese community in Rome wanted to honor their recently canonized fellow citizen Carlo Borromeo.
Construction had already begun in 1612, under the architect Rosato Rosati, on behalf of the Barnabite Order (alos known as the Clerics Regular of St. Paul).
The façade of travertine marble dates from 1638 and was designed by the Roman architect G.B. Soria.
Unfortunately, the dome, which was designed by Rosati, has been damaged many times over the centuries, both by human (shots fired by Garibaldi’s troops from the Janiculum hill) and non-human (it was struck by lightning no less than three times) hands.
Between 1857 and 1861, the church was restored by Vespignani.
What to see
Facade
The facade consists of two parts, the upper one protruding a little. There are eight pilasters with Corinthian capitals. The coat of arms of Cardinal G.B. Leni, who financed a restoration in 1627, is visible above the entrance. The inscription separating the bottom an upper halves also refers to the cardinal. A plaque with a fairly weathered fresco has the motto Humiltas (“humility”). The coat of arms of Leni can also be seen on the tympanum.
Dome
The dome rests on a tall drum with 12 windows between two pilasters. The roof is also divided into 12 parts, each one with a blind opening with a tympanum above it. The upper part of the dome itself also has 12 small windows. It is topped by a globe with relics and finally the cross. Domenichino painted the Cardinal Virtues, “Wisdom”, “Righteousness”, “Courage” and “Self-control” on the four pendentives (1627-1630).
Interior
The original floor plan was in the form of a Greek cross. Between 1638 and 1646, this was changed due to the construction of the apse. Most of the paintings and frescoes in the church narrate events from the life of San Carlo Borromeo, who was venerated for his assistance to victims of the plague.
Apse
The plaster models for the statues of Peter and Paul that are located in St. Peter’s Square are visible in the apse.
Pietro di Cortona painted “San Carlo Borromeo in a Procession with the Holy Nail during the Plague in Milan” (1650), above the main altar. The main altar itself is by Martino Longhi il Giovane, although maybe designed by Girolamo Rainaldi. Incidentally, the skull of Santa Fedronia can also be seen at this main altar. It was brought to the church when the old San Paolo church had to be razed to the ground to make way for the Palazzo Chigi.
The apse itself is decorated with Lanfranco’s last work, the “Glory of San Carlo” (1646), while Guido Reni was responsible for “San Carlo Borromeo in Prayer”, Andrea Commodi for the “San Carlo Borromeo” (1620) and Giovanni Domenico Cerrini for the “Miracle of San Biagio” in the choir behind the apse.
Sacristy
The sculptor Algardi made the bronze crucifix in the sacristy, while Cavalier d’Arpino painted “Christ Mocked” (1598).
A portrait of San Carlo Borromeo by Guido Reni, originally in the medaillon on the facade, was moved to the sacristy to protect it from the weather.
Right wall
“The Annunciation of the Lord” (1624) in the 1st chapel on the right was the work of Giovanni Lanfranco. The wooden “Madonna of the Sorrows” (1865) in this chapel was the work of sculptors from Naples.
Giacinto Brandi painted “The Martyrdom of San Biagio” (1680), in the 2nd chapel on the right. The design was probably by Carlo Rainaldi.
Antonio Gherardi painted “Santa Cecilia with Angels” (1692-1700) in the chapel dedicated to the saint (3rd one on the right). The chapel also contains the elaborate tomb of Rosa Giovannetti (1896-1929), a local cello player who dedicated a big part of her life to helping the poor and is in the process of being beatified.
Left wall
The 3rd chapel on the left was designed by Paolo Marucelli (around 1635). The chapel contains art by Giovanni Francesco Romanelli (“Persion Martyrs”, 1641) and Giacinto Gimignani (frescoes depicting “Stories of the Holy Martyrs” in the lunettes, also painted in 1641).
“The Death of Sant’Anna” (1649), in the 2nd chapel on the left, is by Andrea Sacchi.
Francesco Romanelli painted “The Persian Martyrs”.
Facade (interior)
The frescoes on the inside of the facade were painted between 1641 and 1642, by Mattia (“Charity of San Carlo Borromeo”) and Gregorio Preti (“Mission of the Saint against Heresy”).
Ancient Rome
The church was constructed on top of an archaeological complex dating back to the 1st century AD. It consists of several rooms, two of which were united to form a nymphaeum. The walls and vaults were decorated with pumice and mosaics depicting plant motifs, traces of which are still visible.
Piazza Benedetto Cairoli
The Piazza Benedetto Cairoli is located at the border of the Regola and Sant’Eustachio neighborhoods. It is named for a patriot and politician who fought on the side of Garibaldi for the Unification of Italy. The statue in the square is not of Cairoli, but of another politician, called Federico Seismit-Doda. The fountain dates back to 1888, and was made using a tub taken from the Roman Forum.
What to know before you go
Address: Piazza Benedetto Cairoli 117 – Rome. Phone: +39 06 6880 9901. Opening times: From 07:30 till 12:00 and from 16:00 till 19:00. Admission: Free. (At the time of writing, June 2025, the church was closed for restoration.)
Piazza Benedetto Cairoli, 117 – Roma
Sources
- The Rome Guide – Step by Step Through History’s Greatest City, Mauro Lucentini (2012).
- Roma, Touring Club Italiano (2004).
- The photos were made by myself, except Lanfranco’s “Glory of San Carlo Borromeo”, which is in the public domain.