The late 19th century Sant’Anselmo all’Aventino Church stands at the top of the Aventine Hill in Rome. The complex contains two cloisters and a vast garden with olive trees.
Sant’Anselmo all’Aventino Church Rome
What to know before your visit
Address: Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta, 5 – Roma. District: Rione Ripa. Phone: +39 06 57911. Opening times: From 09:00 till 18:00. Entrance: Free.
History and description
The Sant’Anselmo all’Aventino Church was founded in 1890 by the Benedictine Order. The ground it was constructed on had been acquired by the Knights of Rhodes in the 16th century. This order had built a bastion here, meant to protect the various churches on the Aventine Hill.
The architects were Ildebrando di Hemptine and Francesco Vespignani. Work started in 1893 and the church was inaugurated in 1900.
In those days there were hardly any buildings on the Aventine Hill yet, so from the church it was possible to see the entire countryside south of Rome.
A quadriportico leads to the entrance. The interior consists of three naves, separated by granite Ionic columns. The bronze statue of Sant’Anselmo in the quadriportico was made in 1966, by the Swiss artist Albert Wider.
The former crypt, which occupies the entire area underneath the church itself, is now being used as a library. It consists of five naves separated by 20 red marble columns.
The garden of the complex stretches all the way to the Via Marmorata.