The Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo, in Rome’s Piazza del Popolo, is a great example of Renaissance and Baroque architecture. Built in 1099 by Pope Paschal II on the site of the Tomb of the Domizi, containing the ashes of Nero, the church has undergone significant renovations over the centuries. Artists such as Bramante, Raphael, Bernini and Pinturicchio have left their mark in this building. The façade is sober, but the interior is full of chapels decorated by families of the Roman nobility, such as the Cybo Chapel and the Cerasi Chapel, which is famous for Caravaggio's canvases depicting the Conversion of Saint Paul and the Crucifixion of Saint Peter. The Chigi Chapel, designed by Raphael and completed by Bernini, houses mosaics and sculptures of great value. The basilica is both a spiritual and artistic reference point, with works of different eras, all using sacred art to celebrate the Virgin Mary and the Saints.
The Renaissance history of Cyprus is deeply intertwined with the Basilica. Among its significant monuments is the distinguished wall tomb of the Cypriot Cardinal Ludovico Podocataro (Nicosia, 1429 – Rome, 1504), who served as secretary and physician to Pope Alexander VI, as well as an esteemed humanist and papal diplomat. This tomb, commissioned by his nephew Livio Podocataro, the Latin Archbishop of Nicosia, is located on the right wall of the transept and features a statue of the Cardinal in full pontifical attire. Another inscription dedicated to him can be found in the Chapel of Saint Lucia, where his cardinal title is also commemorated.
Cyprus - Basilica di Santa Maria del Popolo
