Church of San Bernardo alle Terme

In the heart of the Castro Pretorio district, the church of San Bernardo alle Terme stands within an ancient tower of the Baths of Diocletian, converted in 1598 at the behest of Countess Caterina Sforza di Santa Fiora. Dedicated to Saint Bernard of Clairvaux and entrusted to the Foglianti monks, the church still retains a strong spiritual dimension today, linked to prayer and contemplation.

The circular structure, devoid of windows and lit solely by the impluvium above, is reminiscent of a famous church in Rome, so much so that it has been dubbed the ‘little Pantheon’. The whiteness of the walls enhances the light and the eight monumental Mannerist statues by Camillo Mariani, depicting saints from the Christian tradition.

The interior houses important examples of Roman Baroque art: the chapels of St Robert and St Bernard contain altarpieces by Giovanni Odazzi, influenced by Baciccia’s theatrical style, whilst the chapel of St Francis houses a statue of the saint in ecstasy by Jacopo Antonio Fancelli, a pupil of Bernini.

Among the funerary monuments, those dedicated to the neoclassical sculptor Carlo Finelli and to Jean-Baptiste de la Barrière, reformer of the Cistercian Order, stand out as a powerful testament to faith, art and redemption.