The Church of Sant’Antonio dei Portoghesi in Rome is also called Sant’Antonio in Campo Marzio. It is the national church of the Portuguese community in Rome.
Sant’Antonio dei Portoghesi Church Rome
Address, opening hours and admission
The address of the Chiesa di Sant’Antonio dei Portoghesi is Via dei Portoghesi, 2 (district: Campo Marzio). Tel.: 39 06 68802496. Admission is free. Opening hours: Monday till friday from 08.30 AM till 01.00 PM and from 03.00 until 06.00 PM; Saturdays from 08.30 AM till noon and from ;03.00 till 06.00 PM and Sundays from 09.00 AM till noon.
Special events
Every Sunday at 5 PM mass is celebrated in Portuguese.
In 2008 the enormous Mascioni organ, with its 4 keyboards and 47 registers was placed inside the church. Especially on Saturdays and Sundays this organ is used for classical concerts.
History and description
Before the church existed, there was a kind of inn for Portuguese travelers in the same location. The church itself was founded in 1445, by Cardinal Antonio Martanez de Chaves.
The baroque façade was designed in the 17th century, by Martino Longhi il Giovane. The dome was designed by Carlo Rainaldi and the apse was done by the German architect Cristoforo Schor.
The interior is characterized by elaborate decorations, with the use of various kinds and colors of marble. The overall impression is almost one of chaos, which is enhanced by the small size of the church. The vivacious use of ornaments is thought to have been required by the Portuguese who financed its construction.
In 1742 Nicola Salvi, together with his friend Vanvitelli, designed a number of gold and marble pieces for the chapel of San Giovanni Battista and had them placed in the church. After Pope Benedict XIV had blessed the chapel, these were shipped to Lisbon.
Works of Art
In the 1st chapel on the left a table by Antoniazzo Romano can be seen. It has a golden background and is titled “Madonna with Child between the Saints Antonio da Padova and Francis”.
Antonio Concioli painted Adoration of the Magi and Birth and Rest during the Flight to Egypt (both 1782).
The Alessandro De Souza Monument, in the 1st chapel on the right, is by Antonio Canova and was made in 1808. De Souza was the Danish ambassador to Rome.
The transept was decorated by Luigi Vanvitelli and, after Vanvitelli was taken up with the construction of the Regno di Caserta, finished by Carlo Murena.
The Main Altar is by Cristoforo Schor.
The coat of arms on the facade is that of the Casa di Braganza, a dynasty that ruled Portugal between 1640 and 1833 and Brasil between 1822 and 1889.
Tourist Attractions near Sant’Antonio dei Portoghesi
The facade of the building across the road from the church of Sant’Antonio dei Portoghesi (the present seat of the Avvocatura Generale dello Stato, formerly a convent of the Agostinian Order) was also designed by Vanvitelli.
To the right of the church stands the Palazzo Scapucci with the 15th century Torre dei Frangipane, aka the Torre della Scimmia (Tower of the Monkey).