Begun in 1518 for the
future Clement VII, the church was completed at the end
of the same century by Domenico Fontana on the design by
Giacomo Della Porta. The building, national church of
the French, rises at the back of Piazza Navona, next to
the Senate House.
The ample far;ade in travertine stone is decorated with
figures of French Saints and of Charlemagne. The
interior with three naves was arranged during the course
of the 18th century. Besides the famous St. Matthew's
chapel, the church houses Domenichino's masterpiece; the
fresco of St. Cecilia in the second chapel ontheright(1616-17).
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In the Contarelli chapel, there
are the Stories of St. Matthew. From 1565, the chapel
belonged to the French ecclesiastic, Mathieu Cointrel, who
dedicated it to his patron saint with the intention of
starting the decorations; the work, however, began only
after his death, on the commission of the executor of his
will, Virgilio Crescenzi. In 1591, Cavalier d'Arpino was
given the commission of frescoing the chapel, but eight
years later still lacked the two side paintings which were
entrusted to Caravaggio. The painter completed them between
July 1599 and July 1600. On the left is the Vocation of St.
Matthew and on the right is the Martyrdom of St. Matthew.
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The realism of the
portrayal emphasises the harshness of the killing of the
saint. The artist interprets with originality, the trend of
the style of the Counter-reform, which insisted on the
celebration of martyred saints. After having renounced the
Sculptors' group of Jacob Cobaert {in the church of
theTrinita dei PellegriniL the clergyman of San Luigi
entrusted Caravaggio with the first version of the
altar-piece with St. Matthew and the Angel, of doubtful
date, wavering between 1593 and 1602. The work, quickly
rejected because of the reduced size and for reasons of
decorum, was acquired by the Marquis, Vincenzo Giustiniani (destroyed
in Berlin during the last conflict) and substituted by the
one which can now be seen on the altar, with the saint
turned towards the angel and leaning with his legs on the
stool precariously balanced on the steps. |
