Saint Ignatius Church

While a lot of people would go see the Sistine Chapel when visiting Rome, fewer travelers venture out to this grand church at the Piazza di San Ignacio near the Pantheon, which features an almost equally beautiful painted ceiling done by Andrea Pozzo, a Jesuit Brother. Here, you’d admire the grand dome not knowing that it is just a painting that makes it look like a real, three-dimensional one (shown in the middle of the photo above). Simply amazing! As someone familiar with the teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola, it was even more special and meaningful to unexpectedly drop in on this particular church celebrating the life of St. Ignatius through the paintings on the frescoes. We were also able to catch a children’s choir practicing in one of the side chapels, filling the church with enchanting Christmas melodies. If you’re in Rome, do drop by this church. Although not as widely known, it is a very beautiful church that many travelers also discover along the way, and you don’t even have to pay to go in.

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Andrea Pozzo's Optical Illusion

While a lot of people would go see the Sistine Chapel when visiting Rome, fewer travelers venture out to this grand church at the Piazza di San Ignacio near the Pantheon, which features an almost equally beautiful painted ceiling done by Andrea Pozzo, a Jesuit Brother. Here, you’d admire the grand dome not knowing that it is just a painting that makes it look like a real, three-dimensional one (shown in the middle of the photo above). Simply amazing! As someone familiar with the teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola, it was even more special and meaningful to unexpectedly drop in on this particular church celebrating the life of St. Ignatius through the paintings on the frescoes. We were also able to catch a children’s choir practicing in one of the side chapels, filling the church with enchanting Christmas melodies. If you’re in Rome, do drop by this church. Although not as widely known, it is a very beautiful church that many travelers also discover along the way, and you don’t even have to pay to go in.

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