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Santa Teresa a Monserrato was an 18th century convent church located at what is now Via di Monserrato 25, in the rione Regola.

The dedication was to St Teresa of Avila, and also apparently to the Blessed Virgin Mary under her title of Our Lady of Montserrat.

History[]

This tiny church was established after the Discalced Carmelites moved the administration of their order to the Palazzo Ricci (then called Rocci) from their former Generalate (headquarters) convent of Santa Teresa e San Giovanni della Croce. This occurred in 1759.

It should be noted that this church and the former Generalate church have been seriously confused in some sources.

Brief notices in 19th century guidebooks mention that this was one of the smallest churches in the city. However, it seems to have been regarded as a full church and not as a chapel or oratory.

The Generalate moved again in 1860, to Santa Teresa dello Scalone and finally to Santa Teresa d'Avila in 1902. The little church was deconsecrated after 1870 and before 1891, when Armellini described it as "demolished". It is not clear whether the present building contains any of the original fabric.

Appearance[]

Apparently the church was a simple rectangular space with one altar, on which was a statue of Our Lady of Montserrat, and had no architectural identity of its own but was part of the convent building.

A watercolour by Achille Pinelli of 1835 survives, and shows a very ornate late Baroque doorcase. The stone frame itself has a Baroque outline more familiar in windows, and above this was an elliptical tondo containing a fresco of St John of the Cross in prayer. This was decorated with curlicues, sprays and swags and was crowned by an inwardly curved and molded gable.

External links[]

"De Alvariis" gallery on Flickr

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