Overview
Beauty beyond collapse
On the eastern slopes of the Capitoline Hill, near the Roman Forum, stands one of the most picturesque places of worship in Rome. Less well known than other churches in the Italian capital, the Church of San Giuseppe dei Falegnami boasts an elegant façade and lavish interior, which remains under reconstruction after the roof collapsed in August 2018.
Through the pure-white, two-tiered façade with half-columns and a tympanum, you enter a room in which every inch is embellished with stucco, marble, statues and paintings. Don’t miss the chapels, two on each side, and the chapel of the Crucifix, in a space between the floor and the vault of the Mamertine Prison.
The highlight is the ceiling of the nave, made of gilded wood carved to a design by Montani, depicting the birth of Jesus surrounded by four angelic figures. The wooden statues were relocated to the coffered ceiling on Ash Wednesday, 2020.
Clivo Argentario, 1, 00186 Roma RM, Italia
