Santa Maria dei Sette Dolori is a convent church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin as Our Lady of Sorrows. It is in Trastevere, at the top end of the lower part of the Via Garibaldi as it climbs from the Porta Settimiana (the house number is 27). This section of the road used to be called the Via delle Fornaci, and the church is hidden away in a courtyard next to the junction with the Via dei Panieri. Pictures of the church on Wikimedia Commons. [1].
History
The church was begun in 1643 by Francesco Borromini as part of a project to found an Augustinian nunnery by Camilla-Virginia Savelli Farnese, Duchess of Latera. She specified that the nuns were to be claustral oblates, so that they could include widows as well as virgins. Back then, a nun who took solemn vows had to be a virgin. Oblates did not make vows, but promised instead on entering; however, this community had a strict rule and lived in seclusion. Unfortunately, after twelve years the Duchess lost her patrimony in the vicissitudes suffered by the Farnese family, the money ran out and the church was never finished. The foundress, as a widow herself, lived in poverty in a small room next to the church which is now the sacristy.
The convent lost its rental income when its property was expropriated during the Napoleonic period, and as a result it sold most of its artworks. During the Roman Republic of 1849 the convent buildings were confiscated and used as a military hospital, and they were seriously damaged in a bombardment when Rome was conquered by the Kingdom of Italy in 1870. Unlike most other monasteries in Rome subsequently, this one was not confiscated by the government in 1873. The law allowed confiscation of all monasteries occupied by monks and nuns who had taken life vows, but the sisters here successfully argued that they did not take such vows and were allowed to stay in possession.
In the late 20th century, the nunnery suffered a lack of vocations and leased most of their convent to form a hotel, the Hotel Donna Camilla Savelli. This presents itself (possibly correctly) as the best hotel in Trastevere. The community was down to five in 2006, but has now apparently dispersed. In 2007 there was a restoration of the fabric. The Diocese presently lists the church as being in the care of the Suore Oblate del Santo Bambino Gesù.
Exterior
The entrance gateway has a Baroque doorframe supporting a segmental pediment over a short dedicatory inscription. The ironwork in the gates themselves repays attention, and may have been designed by Borromini himself.
The entrance façade of the church was not completed, and as a result is in unadorned brick. One has to imagine the stucco and marble decorations that Borromini would have intended. The geometrical plan is that of a coved arc inserted into a flat plane, and according to architectural historians Borromini took the idea from the Villa of Hadrian at Tivoli. The façade has six gigantic Doric pilasters rising to the roofline, the outer pair of which contain the coved curve only in the lower half. The upper half of the façade has this curve confined to the inner pair of pilasters, with the walls between the inner and outer pilasters sweeping back.
The only stonework in the façade is the entrance doorcase. This has a large Baroque trapezoidal transom window, over which is an arc cornice with a head of Our Lady. This cornice is supported by two stylized lilies, symbols of the Farnese.
Interior
This relatively unknown church, not mentioned in any of the most common guidebooks, has a beautiful interior. The entrance façade does not actually attach to the church, but to an octagonal entrance atrium containing an altar dedicated to the Assumption of Our Lady. It has a pretty Baroque statue of her, being lifted by putti. The church itself has its entrance on the left side of the octagon. It is a long, narrow rectangular space with rounded corners. Tall, regularly spaced Corinthian columns in yellow marble carry an entablature which masterfully follow the lines of the semicircular arches over the little square apse and the two side chapels. The latter have a plan based on a semi-ellipse bisected on the major axis. The frieze of the entablature is in green marble, and the barrel-vaulted ceiling is coffered in squares arranged in a diaper pattern. Much of the decoration is not Borromini, but is of the later 17th century.
The one artistic work of note is St Augustine and the Mystery of the Trinity, an early work by Carlo Maratta which is in the left hand chapel. The right hand one is dedicated to the Annunciation, with a copy of a 15th century Florentine altarpiece. The altarpiece of the main altar shows the Crucifixion, and the artist is given as Cicognani. The rose-marble sarcophagus of the foundress bears a miniature portrait of her, giving the impression of a very strong-willed lady.
There is a crypt by Borromini, which is apparently being used as a wine-cellar.
Special note on access
At the end of the 20th century, the church was only open for Mass at 7:00. The present opening arrangements are unclear, and are liable to change. Hopefully this will not become one of Rome's disused churches.