Santa Maria dell'Orazione e Morte in Rome was first built in 1575 and completely rebuilt by Ferdinando Fuga in 1734 on an elliptical plan. The Arciconfraternita di Santa Maria dell'Orazione e Morte, a society founded in 1538 that buried abandoned corpses, built it. The text names no style but refers to Baroque elements, and it gives no dimensions or materials.
Laureled skulls stand over the entrance, and two facade plaques carry death imagery, one a winged skeleton with the inscription Hodie mihi, cras tibi. The main altar has a 1680 Crucifixion by Ciro Ferri, inspired by Guido Reni. A chamber is decorated with human bones, skulls and bone candelabras, and it is rarely open to visitors.
In 1940 the confraternity became a secular charity based at the church, mainly assisting people after bereavement. As of July 23, 2022 the church was closed for renovations. The article gives no hours.
Comments