The Basilica of St. Ambrose and St. Charles (Basilica Santi Ambrogio e Carlo al Corso) is one of the minor basilicas of Rome, located not far from Santa Maria del Popolo, on Via del Corso. It is dedicated to St. Ambrose of Milan (340-397), one of the four Fathers of the Western Church, and to St. Charles Borromeo (1538-1584), bishop, archbishop and cardinal of Milan. Its construction began in 1612, on a tenth-century building.
The facade is much simpler than the one that was originally planned, due to lack of funds. Like the stucco decoration of the vault (1669), the dome, by Pietro da Cortona, is the third largest in Rome. The interior, very bright, includes stucco, faux marble and frescoes. It is one of the best examples of theatrical pageantry of the late Roman Baroque. The magnificent altar of the right transept, by Paolo Posi, contains a mosaic copy of the Immaculate Conception of Santa Maria del Popolo, by Carlo Maratta.
The visit to the Basilica of St. Ambrose and St. Charles was made on April 26, 2010.
Click on the picture to enlarge it and discover its caption.
