Francesco Borromini designed the church, which the article calls a masterpiece of Roman Baroque. The Barberini family patronized it, and Borromini placed a bee, their emblem, in the lantern roof. Work began in 1642, and the church was completed and consecrated in 1660.
The plan resembles a star, which would have been read as the Star of Solomon, a symbol of wisdom. The rotunda combines a triangle with its corners cut off and semicircles between its sides. It measures 89 by 85 feet (27 by 26 m). The concave facade fits into Giacomo della Porta's arcaded courtyard. The lantern is a novel spiral topped by a cross, and light enters through its perforations and an oculus in the dome.
The article gives no materials or restoration history. It stands at 40 Corso del Rinascimento, where the courtyard complex houses the State Archives of Rome.
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