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San Filippo Neri in Borgo was a small 18th century oratory, now demolished, which stood opposite the entrance to San Giacomo a Scossacavalli in Piazza Scossacavalli in the Borgo. This now lies under the Via della Conciliazione.

The dedication was to St Philip Neri.

History[]

The oratory was in the Palazzo dei Convertenti, which occupied the west side of the piazza. This was late 15th century, and was allegedly originally built for the Spinola family by Donato Bramante. It was known as the Palazzo Caprini when Raphael lived there just before his death in 1520.

in 1685 it was donated to the Church, and turned into a hostel for converted heretics. Hence the name Convertenti, meaning "converts". The chapel was formed out of part of the entrance halls off the piazza, and fitted out in the 18th century.

The palazzo was demolished in 1938 in order to make way for the Via della Conciliazione. The present palazzo of the same name on that road is an architectural fraud, replicating the old frontage on the Borgo Nuovo.

Location[]

The western edge of the pedestrian crossing outside the present Palazzo marks the line of the façade of the old one. The site of the oratory is in the middle of the road.

Appearance[]

Armellini wrote of it as an "extremely beautiful modern oratory" (il bellissimo oratorio moderno). There was a little square nave, a separate presbyterium with a triumphal arch and a tiny side chapel or aedicule off the latter on the left hand side.

The façade of the palazzo facing the piazza sported a pair of very large, identical round-headed entrance portals in rusticated blocks. The entrance to the chapel was the left-hand one.

External links[]

Nolli map (look for 1250)

De Alvariis photo on Flickr

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