Sala Santa Rita
The Assessorato alle Politiche Culturali of the Comune di Roma created a multipurpose place in the centre of the city, inaugurated in February, 2004 after it was restored, for the purpose of providing an important centre for cultural and institutional activities. The events which took place were often original or else selected on the basis of their potential in enhancing the characteristics of a location in the historical centre of the city.
The Dipartmento Politiche Culturali and the Sovraintendenza ai Beni Culturali of the Comune di Roma together with the Zètema Progetto Cultura are in charge of managing the location and the activities taking place there.
The elliptical structure of the building suggests a fascinating, intimate scenario, where projects have been carried out portraying various artistic genres: exhibitions, performances, meetings, readings, installations, concerts, recitals and projections.
Works of great masters have already been housed in this centre, such as Robert Capa, Arnaldo Pomodoro, Tommaso Le Pera, Roberto Capucci, Bartolomeo and Achille Pinelli, Antoine Jean Baptiste Thomas, Emanuele Luzzati, Altan, Pablo Echaurren, Federico Garolla, Maria Signorelli and some young artists and photographers such as Martux_M, Riccardo Venturi, Massimiliano Verdino, Lorenzo Vitturi, Emanuele Vagni, Piero Mottola, PierPaolo Verdecchi, Danele Vita accompanied by readings and performances by Ottavia Piccolo, Omero Antonutti, Daniela Giordano, Ascanio Celestini, Giampiero Bianchi, Ugo De Vita. The Sala also housed the 2004 and 2005 edition of the Festival delle Fotografie, with the shows "I Tulkus del Tibet" by Martine Franck and "Original Malawi".
Info Address: Via Montanara 8 (near Piazza Campitelli)
Hours: from Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tickets: Free entry
Info: 06 - 67105568 / 06 - 67106812
HistoryThe Church of Santa Rita da Cascia to be found near the stairs of the Aracoeli where there was the medieval church of S. Biagio de Mercato or "de Mercantello", is a church in the baroque style built on an octagonal design, located in front of the Teatro di Marcello.
It was built in 1653 on a project of the architect Carlo Fontana who based his plan from a diagonal rather than a front view. Under the auspices of Pope Alessandro VII Chigi (1655 -16667) the building was used as the seat of a confraternity called the "S. Spina della Corona di Nostro Signore Gesù Cristo" following which the name of Santa Rita da Cascia was added.
While the Vittoriano was being built in 1028, this small church was destroyed and it was only during 1937 – 1940 that it was rebuilt on the same site. When the church was rebuilt, it had an isolated appearance with its left side open, which was later reconstructed with architectonic pieces similar to the façade.
This maintained the original aspect through two orders of Corinthian pilasters supported by studs, portraying the Chigi arms, located at the corners in the place of more traditional vaults. Three closed arches can be seen in the lower section with arcs in line, the upper one with a pediment with arches of the same type, one in the middle and two on each corner.
The interior is based on an octagonal plane with a small atrium in front, flanked by two rectangular spaces. The round vaulted ceiling with lunettes include stuccoed cornices and the Corinthian pilasters near the walls finish off the surfaces. After being built again, the exterior of the religious complex was completely restored in 195estored in 1950.
In 1952, the building was given to the congregation of the Piccola Opera della Divina Provvidenza founded by Don Orione and finally in 1990 it became the property again of the Comune di Roma when it was used for exhibitions and cultural events until it was closed again in 2001 for restoring and consolidation works.
Restoration works Restoration worksFrom 1999 till the middle of 2003, the monumental complex of the ex Santa Rita Church was involved in maintenance works. These concerned the external elements, the hall on the ground floor and the spaces above. The external elements were cleaned thoroughly so that the colour of the travertine stone returned to its original colour. The damaged sections of the stuccoes were removed or reduced and replaced.
The stuccoed sections were consolidated, the parts in where the iron was uncovered were treated and all the damaged sections stuccoed. All the plastering of the facades was painted after the layers had been tested. The hall on the ground floor was declared unfit for use, because of parts of the cornice falling as well as parts of the vault plastering and the exquisite moulding.
The travertine stone, pseudo travertine and marble structures were restored for preservation purposes and the detached parts were first consolidated through the use of hydraulic mortar, inserting pins, re-assembling and reconstructing followed by the real and proper restoration for preserving purposes. The painting was then restored by ‘discialbo’ (removing patinas), consolidating and reconstructing stone and travertine sections.
This operation also involved stuccoes and other sixteenth century decorations that had survived the nineteenth century reconstruction.
The original architectonic structure was thus respected and re-created by dividing the spaces through the use of further plaster strips, capitals and cornices, moulded in travertine stone.
The vaults of the central section and the pronaos were brought back to their original colour.
Presentation Sala Santa RitaThe Assessorato alle Politiche Culturali of the Comune di Roma created a multipurpose place in the centre of the city, inaugurated in February, 2004 after it was restored, for the purpose of providing an important centre for cultural and institutional activities. The events which took place were often original or else selected on the basis of their potential in enhancing the characteristics of a location in the historical centre of the city.
The Dipartmento Politiche Culturali and the Sovraintendenza ai Beni Culturali of the Comune di Roma together with the Zètema Progetto Cultura are in charge of managing the location and the activities taking place there.
The elliptical structure of the building suggests a fascinating, intimate scenario, where projects have been carried out portraying various artistic genres: exhibitions, performances, meetings, readings, installations, concerts, recitals and projections.
Works of great masters have already been housed in this centre, such as Robert Capa, Arnaldo Pomodoro, Tommaso Le Pera, Roberto Capucci, Bartolomeo and Achille Pinelli, Antoine Jean Baptiste Thomas, Emanuele Luzzati, Altan, Pablo Echaurren, Federico Garolla, Maria Signorelli and some young artists and photographers such as Martux_M, Riccardo Venturi, Massimiliano Verdino, Lorenzo Vitturi, Emanuele Vagni, Piero Mottola, PierPaolo Verdecchi, Danele Vita accompanied by readings and performances by Ottavia Piccolo, Omero Antonutti, Daniela Giordano, Ascanio Celestini, Giampiero Bianchi, Ugo De Vita. The Sala also housed the 2004 and 2005 edition of the Festival delle Fotografie, with the shows "I Tulkus del Tibet" by Martine Franck and "Original Malawi".
