Church of San Girolamo della Carità
San Girolamo della Carità is a Roman Catholic church in the historic centre of Rome, situated in the Via di Monserrato near the Campo de' Fiori, built on a site traditionally associated with the house where Saint Philip Neri lived from 1551 until his death in 1595. The church retains two exceptional Baroque interior chapels — the Spada Chapel (1660) attributed to Francesco Borromini and the Antamoro Chapel (1710) by Filippo Juvara — alongside important early works by Domenichino.
At a glance
- Type
- Roman Catholic titular church
- Period
- Rebuilt 16th century on a medieval site; chapel additions 1660 and 1710
- Style
- Late Renaissance exterior; Baroque interior chapels
- Location
- Via di Monserrato 62a, Rome, Italy
- Coordinates
- 41.8954° N, 12.4702° E
Overview
San Girolamo della Carità is one of the smaller but historically significant churches in the Regione Parione of Rome, holding a dual importance as a monument to Saint Philip Neri — founder of the Oratorian Congregation — and as a treasury of Baroque decorative art. The church is administered by the Congregation of the Oratory and remains an active place of worship. Its two lateral chapels, designed by two of the most inventive architects of seventeenth- and early-eighteenth-century Rome, make it an essential stop for visitors interested in the development of Roman Baroque interior design.
History
The site has been associated with charitable confraternities since the medieval period; the name “della Carità” references a confraternity that operated here from at least the thirteenth century. The present church structure was largely rebuilt in the sixteenth century during the period when Philip Neri resided in the adjacent house, transforming the site into a centre of Counter-Reformation spirituality. After Philip Neri's canonisation in 1622, the church became a major devotional destination. The Spada Chapel was added around 1660 and is attributed — though with some debate — to Francesco Borromini, while the Antamoro Chapel was completed by the young Filippo Juvara in 1710, one of his earliest Roman commissions.
What you see
The Spada (or Bordini) Chapel is notable for its extraordinary use of polychrome marble and coloured stone inlay, with a dramatic composition of angels holding a marble curtain that appears to billow behind the altar — a virtuoso piece of Baroque illusionism. The Antamoro Chapel by Juvara features a striking combination of white and coloured marbles with bronze reliefs, showcasing the young architect's confident fusion of sculptural and architectural effects. The nave contains important paintings by Domenichino, including the Flagellation of St Andrew, among his earliest surviving Roman works.
Cultural significance
The church's association with Philip Neri gives it a central place in the story of the Counter-Reformation in Rome; the room where the saint lived and died, now a side oratory, has been a place of pilgrimage since his canonisation. The Spada Chapel and the Antamoro Chapel together constitute one of the most concentrated demonstrations of late Baroque decorative ambition in Rome, drawing architectural historians and conservators from around the world. The church has been a titular church assigned to a Cardinal since the medieval period, linking it to the highest levels of the Roman Catholic hierarchy.
Practical information
- Address
- Via di Monserrato 62a, 00186 Rome, Italy
- Opening hours
- Check official website or contact the Congregation of the Oratory for current visiting hours
- Admission
- Free; donations welcome
Getting there
The church is in the Parione rione of central Rome, a short walk from Campo de' Fiori. The nearest bus stops on Corso Vittorio Emanuele II (lines 40, 46, 62, 64) are approximately 200 metres away. Tram line 8 stops at Largo di Torre Argentina (10 minutes on foot). There is no metro station nearby; the church is best reached on foot from the historic centre. Piazza Navona is approximately 600 metres to the north.