The San Silvestro al Quirinale Church is located in the Trevi district of Rome. Inside the church are works of art by famous artists such as Domenichino and Cavalier d’Arpino.
San Silvestro al Quirinale Church Rome
Adres, Openingstijden en Toegangsprijs
The address of the Chiesa di San Silvestro al Quirinale is Via 24 Maggio, 10 – Rome (tel. +39 0645421813 or 0645425215). Bus: 40, 60, 64, 70, 170, H, N7, N8, N9, N15, N18. Opening hours: From 10 a.m. to noon (Sunday to 1 p.m.). Entrance fee: Free of charge.
History and description
This church was built between the 9th and 11th centuries on the site of a former temple dedicated to the God Semo Sanco. The temple had been constructed by the Tarquini (the last three Etruscan kings of Rome).
In 1507, the church was given to the Dominicans. Starting in 1524, these began not only to expand the church, but also to add a monastery. In 1584 the work was completed.
For a time the conclaves did not take place in the Sistine Chapel as they do today, but in the Palazzo del Quirinale. The cardinals used to walk in a procession from the San Silvestro al Quirinale Church, to the palace, where they were enclosed until a new pope had been elected. The last time this happened was in 1584, during the election of Pope Pius IX.
When the Via XXIV Maggio was constructed, the church had to be reduced in size and the facade rebuilt.
The facade consists of two levels. Above the central entrance (which, however, is closed) is, among other things, a large oculus. The actual entrance is the much smaller door on the left.
The interior consists of a single nave. The wooden ceiling dates from the 16th century.
What to see
The most famous chapel is the Bandini Chapel at the end of the left transept.