San Francisco d'Assisi a Monte Mario is a 17th century Baroque parish church on the Via Trionfale in the district of Della Vittoria. The postal address is Piazzetta di Monte Gaudio 8.
History
It was originally built between 1667 and 1676 to a design by Pietro Passalacqua. The patron was Bartolomeo Neri, a protonotary apostolic who had already built a chapel for his estate here in 1660. Obviously the original work failed, or he wanted something better. However, it remained a completely private chapel for almost eighty years and was only consecrated in 1728 by Pope Benedict XIII. It was also known as San'Onofrio al Borgo Clementino, the reference to an Egyptian hermit indicating just how remote the locality then was. A campanile was added in 1678, and an apse in the 18th century. It was made a parish church in 1703 and initially entrusted to the Hieronymite congregation based at Sant'Onofrio al Gianicolo, but they failed as a religious order and had to be suppressed. The church was eventually passed to the Piarist congregation in 1933, and is still in their possession.
Exterior
The plan is based on a short rectangular nave and a very slightly narrower presbyterium. Both of these are under the same pitched roof. The façade is tall for its width, rendered in pale greyish green with architectural details in white. It is approached by a flight of stairs. The corners are occupied by two gigantic Composite pilasters, the capitals not quite reaching a double horizontal string course which itself is slightly below the gable (which, hence, does not form a proper pediment). The doorcase, with the doorposts decorated by carvings, is surmounted by an arched floating canopy over a relief of a wreath, the canopy being raised slightly above the lintel. Above this is a large trapezoidal device in white, joining onto the wide frame of a large rectangular window. There is a round window in the gable.
The side walls are blank, and rendered in dull pink with one rectangular window high up on each side. The campanile is attached to the back of the church, is in travertine with one large arched sound-hole on each side and a low onion-shaped cap.
Interior
The decoration of the interior is by Pietro Baragiola, and the polychrome marble high altar is by Giuseppe Cacci.