San Giacomo alla Lungara

Why is Bernini’s masterpiece hidden away in San Giacomo alla Lungara? This seemingly simple question leads us to one of Rome’s most overlooked treasures. San Giacomo alla Lungara, tucked away in Trastevere, boasts a history as rich and layered as the city itself. Though its origins date back to the 9th century, the church underwent a dramatic transformation in the 17th century. This dramatic makeover was thanks to the Convertite, an order of Augustinian nuns who had dedicated their lives to helping former prostitutes. Their patron, Cardinal Francesco Barberini, commissioned Luigi Arrigucci to rebuild the church. This resulted in the single-nave structure we see today, a far cry from its original three-aisled design. However, the church’s most captivating artwork lies somewhat hidden. Above a doorway, you’ll find Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s hauntingly beautiful funerary monument to Ippolito Merenda. A winged skeleton, frozen in time, clutches a crumpled sheet with an epitaph. This sheet, held by the skeleton’s teeth and bony fingers, is no ordinary inscription. It is Bernini’s genius at work, a testament to his ability to transform the mundane into the extraordinary. San Giacomo alla Lungara stands as a testament to the ebb and flow of time, a silent witness to centuries of stories, whispered within its hallowed halls.