The church was
founded on the site of a small chapel built by Pasquale
11 at the expense of the Roman people, the reason for
the later name. Completely re-built halfway through the
15th century by an unknown architect, the church was
fitted out with a splendid choir made by Donato Bramante
at the beginning of the 1500's. The simple far;ade in
travertine stone, erected on the wishes on Sextus IV
della Rovere, was installed by Gianlorenzo Bernini. The
three nave interior has side chapels which hold some
exceptional works, among which are the funeral monuments
by Andrea Sansovino, the frescoes by Pinturicchio and
the precious fire-glazed stain-glass windows, the only
ones in Rome, by Guillaume de Marcillat.
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he Cerasi chapel is to the left
of the high altar. Here we can find two of the main artists
of the time together: the altar-piece is by Annibale
Carracci, with the Assumption, while the two side paintings
portraying the Conversion of St. Paul and the Crucifixion of
St. Peter are by Caravaggio. In the Conversion, dominated by
the figure of the
horse, Saul is on the ground taken at the moment when the
divine light blinded him on the road to Damascus. In the
Martyrdom of St. Peter the executioners are raising the
cross on to which the apostle is already nailed.
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The two canvasses currently on
site are the second versions painted by the same artist
after the first paintings on panel (one, The Conversion of
St. Paul is in the Odescalchi collection) were rejected by
Tiberio Cerasi, client of the decoration. |
