Tucked away at the end of a tiny alleyway, Vicolo dei Due Macelli, you will find the Teatro Due, which opened in 1985.

The Basilica di Sant’Andrea delle Fratte is at Via di Sant’Andrea delle Fratte, #1.  The church is also known by the name of Santuario della Madonna del Miracolo, or the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Miracle, because inside this church, on January 20th, 1842, the Virgin appeared to a Jewish, French lawyer, named Marie-Alphonse Ratisbonne.  After this experience, the lawyer converted to Catholicism.  The building, we see today, dates from 1653, when the 11th-century church was rebuilt to a design by Francesco Borromini.

This is a truly beautiful church, and in my opinion, a MUST-SEE, when in Rome.

The Cappella di San Francesco de Sales houses the funerary monument of Judith de Palezieux Falconnet, who died in 1856, at the age of 16.  The monument is the work of Harriet Goodhue Hosmer.  It is the first artwork, by an American artist, to ever be permanently installed in a Roman church.

A bust of Marie-Alphonse Ratisbonne can be found against the wall of the chapel, where he was visited by the Madonna.

The two large statues of angels, holding symbols of the Passion, are both the work of Gian Lorenzo Bernini, and were originally intended for the Ponte Sant’Angelo.  When the statues were finished, they were considered too beautiful to be placed outside, where they could be damaged by the elements.  In 1729, the heirs of Gian Lorenzo Bernini donated them to this church.

Near the side door of the church, there is a memorial to the French painter, Albert Bertin.

Do not miss the chance, to visit the lovely cloister!  Stepping into the space, one is immediately transported out of the busy city that surrounds you, into a calming and meditative environment.

The lunettes, in the cloister, are frescoed with stories from the life of San Francesco, which are the work of Marini, Francesco Cozza, and Filippo Gherardi.

 

Next up: We continue to explore, and then, head to Glass Hostaria, for a delicious dinner!

 

<em>Note: This blog is written in English, and the author takes no responsibility for the quality of any translation that may appear.  If you have enjoyed this post, please, check out our archives for more posts from Rome, as well as other Italian destinations.  Grazie!</em>