Santa Maria degli Angeli

The interior of Santa Maria deglia Angeli. (Photo by Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

Rome's Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri is a church designed by Michelangelo to inhabit the remains of an ancient Roman bathhouse...you'd think it'd be more famous.

The entrance the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri, Rome, is a niche from the Terme di Diocleziano

The entrance to Santa Maria degli Angeli is just a giant brick niche from the Baths of Diocletian. (Photo by Geobia)

The fact that this church was designed by Michelangelo is about the best thing you can say about it.

He converted it from the Great Hall of the Baths of Diocletian, but the titular convent for some reason decided to have a later architect crank the orientation 90 degrees, turning what had been Michelangelo's nave into a weirdly long transept (the new nave was extended back by punching through the frigidarium of the ancient Baths).

The meridian sundial in the floor (1702) was used to set Rome's clocks for almost 150 years.

Many bits of the Terme di Diocleziano sruvive in the vesitbules and side rooms of the church Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri, Rome

Remains of the Baths of Diocletian accessible via the sacristy museum inside Rome's church of Santa Maria degli Angeli. (Photo by Lalupa)

Off the right side of the left transept is a small "museum" room with placards describing the baths' and church's history—and a side-door so you can pop out and take a peek at some other crumbling remains of the vast baths complex, open to the sky and flapping with pigeons. Cool.

The church opens off the grandiose Piazza della Repubblica.

Tips & links

Details

ADDRESS

Piazza della Repubblica/Via Cernaia 9
tel. +39-06-488-0812
www.santamariadegliangeliroma.it

OPEN

Daily 7am–6:30pm (Sunday to 7:30pm)

ADMISSION

Free
Roma Pass: No

TRANSPORT

Bus: 82, 85, 175, 590, 910, 60L, 64, 170, 40, 70, 116T, 170, H, N1, N5, N12, N8, N15, N18
Metro: Repubblica (A)
Hop-on/hop-off: Terminal B

How long does Santa Maria degli Angeli take?

Planning your day: It only takes around 15–30 minutes to wander around the church itself (make sure you pop into side chapels and such, as there are lots of bits of the ancient complex it inhabits hiding everywhere).

Throw in the other parts of the Baths complex—the Baths of Diocletian themselves and the Aula Ottagona—and maybe you're looking an an hour to 90 minutes total.

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Mass

You can attend services at Santa Maria degli Angeli Monday to Saturday at 8am, 12:30pm, and 6pm; Sundays at 8am, 9am (winter only), 10:30am, noon (with organ and choral support), 6pm (organ only), and 7pm (in Spanish).

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