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The Church of St Barnabas in Marino: the Baroque Building with Borromini's Façade
The Church of San Barnaba is located in the historic centre of Marino, a village in the Castelli Romani 360 metres above sea level. The present building dates from the 17th century, built between 1662 and 1680 at the behest of the Confraternity of San Barnaba, which had accumulated sufficient funds to finance a new church in place of the medieval chapel. The façade is attributed to Francesco Borromini, although the architect died in 1667. The project may have been completed by pupils from his workshop.
The Borrominesque Façade
The façade is concave, a characteristic typical of Borromini's language: it creates a sculptural movement that draws the gaze towards the central portal. The structure has two superimposed orders with pilasters, empty niches and a broken pediment. It is one of the last projects associated with the architect from Ticino, executed when he was working almost exclusively in Rome on ecclesiastical commissions. The travertine portal has carved floral decorations and the confraternity's coat of arms.
The Interior and Worship
The interior has a single nave with side chapels and a barrel vault decorated with 18th-century stucco work. The high altar houses a painting with the Martyrdom of St Barnabas by an unknown 17th-century artist. The church is open for worship, and hosts the celebrations of the still-active confraternity. From Piazza San Barnaba, you can go up to the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Rosario, which affords a fine view over Rome.
