Santa Maria della Quercia, Rome

Santa Maria della Quercia is a church in the Rione (district) of Regola in central Rome, Italy. It is located in front of the piazza to which it gives its name.

Facade.

History

A prior church, dedicated to San Niccolò was present at the site, and the church was called San Niccolò de Curte. In 1507, Pope Julius II allowed for the church to represent Viterbo, and the church was renamed after a sanctuary located at that town. In addition the quercia or oak was the emblem on the heraldic shield of the House of Della Rovere. In the piazza in front, an oak is traditionally planted. In 1532, the Pope Clement VII granted the church to the guild of the Butchers (Macellai), to whom it still belongs. Pope Benedict XIII in the early 18th century entrusted the reconstruction to Filippo Raguzzini, later completed by Domenico Gregorini by 1731.

Restorations were again pursued by Pope Pius IX in the 19th century, and other continued after the second world war. The church layout is in a Greek cross with a cupola and three chapels. In the main altar is a painting of the Madonna della Quercia di Viterbo. The ceiling has a painting of the Sacrifice of Isaac by Sebastiano Conca.

Sources

• Article translated from Italian Wikipedia
• M. Armellini, Le chiese di Roma dal secolo IV al XIX, Roma 1891
• C. Hulsen, Le chiese di Roma nel Medio Evo, Firenze 1927
• F. Titi, Descrizione delle Pitture, Sculture e Architetture esposte in Roma, Roma 1763

Bibliography

• C. Rendina, Le Chiese di Roma, Newton & Compton Editori, Milano 2000, p. 213
• M. Quercioli, Rione VII Regola, in AA.VV, I rioni di Roma, Newton & Compton Editori, Milano 2000, Vol. II, pp. 448-498
• G. Ciprini – F. Ciprini, La confraternita di S. Maria della Quercia de’ Macellari di Roma, Roma 2004
• Description of the church from the website of the Confraternity