# Church of the Gesù, Rome

> The Gesù is the mother church of the Jesuits, built in 1568–1580 and copied by Baroque churches worldwide. Inside are Baciccio's ceiling, where figures seem to tumble out of the frame, and the lavish altar of St Ignatius — every evening around 17:30 its painting slides down to reveal a silver statue. Entry is free; allow 30–40 minutes.

Web page: https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/church-of-the-gesu

- City: [Rome](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome), Italy
- YesGo score: 53/100 (Yes, go)
- Time on site: 30 min
- With kids: Fine with kids
- Entry: Free
- Opening hours: ≈ 7:00–12:30 and 16:00–19:45
- St Ignatius 'machine': Daily ≈ 17:30, about 10 minutes with music
- Rooms of St Ignatius: Next door, free, own hours
- Time needed: 30–40 minutes
- Location: Piazza del Gesù, 3 minutes from Piazza Venezia and Largo Argentina
- Coordinates: 41.89583, 12.47972
- Facts checked: 10.11.2026

## Key facts

- **1568–1580** — built to Giacomo Vignola's design (source: English Wikipedia)
- **Model** — della Porta's façade was copied by hundreds of Jesuit churches (source: English Wikipedia)
- **1672–1685** — Baciccio painted the Triumph of the Name of Jesus (source: English Wikipedia)
- **1696–1700** — Andrea Pozzo created the altar of St Ignatius (source: English Wikipedia)
- **Lapis lazuli** — the altar's globe is one of the world's largest pieces of lapis (source: English Wikipedia)

## The ceiling

Stand in the middle of the nave and look up at **Giovanni Battista Gaulli** — **Baciccio** — and his **Triumph of the Name of Jesus**, painted in **1672–1685**. The IHS monogram blazes at the centre, the blessed rise towards it, and figures at the edges **spill over the gilded frame**, some painted on stucco clouds that project from the vault.

The illusion works best from a spot directly beneath the centre, where the ceiling seems to open into heaven. A **mirror** on a stand in the nave lets you study it without craning your neck.

## St Ignatius altar and the 'Baroque machine'

In the left transept stands **Andrea Pozzo**'s **altar of St Ignatius** (1696–1700): columns sheathed in **lapis lazuli**, a sculpted Trinity and a globe of lapis above, and a painting of the saint in the central niche.

Every evening around **17:30**, to music and narration, that painting is **lowered by a mechanism** to reveal a glowing **silver statue of St Ignatius** — the famous **'macchina barocca'**. It lasts about ten minutes and is free; arrive early for a spot by the transept.

## About the church

The **Gesù** — the Church of the Most Holy Name of Jesus — is the **mother church of the Jesuit order**. **St Ignatius of Loyola** founded it, and it was built in **1568–1580** to **Giacomo Vignola**'s design, with a façade finished by **Giacomo della Porta**. Ignatius is buried here.

It became the **model for Baroque churches** around the world: a single wide nave without columns so everyone could see the altar and hear the sermon, side chapels, and a two-tier façade with scrolls — repeated by Jesuit churches from Vienna and Kraków to Latin America and Asia.

## What to see

- **Baciccio's ceiling** — the Triumph of the Name of Jesus, bursting its frame.
- **The mirror** in the nave — for easy ceiling viewing.
- **St Ignatius altar** — lapis, gold and the 17:30 'machine'.
- **Tomb of St Ignatius** — beneath the altar.
- **Chapel of St Francis Xavier** — right transept, with a relic of the saint's arm.
- **Rooms of St Ignatius** — next door, with Pozzo's illusionistic corridor.

> **Pozzo's trick corridor** To the right of the church, entered from Piazza del Gesù, you can climb to the rooms where St Ignatius lived. Andrea Pozzo painted the corridor outside so that from one spot it looks straight and endless, and from another the architecture visibly warps. Entry is free; hours are limited.

## How to get to the Gesù

1. Walk from [Piazza Venezia](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/piazza-venezia) — 3 minutes west.
2. From [Largo Argentina](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/largo-di-torre-argentina) — 3 minutes east.
3. Buses 40, 46, 62, 64 and 87 and tram 8 stop at Largo Argentina or Piazza Venezia.
4. From the [Pantheon](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/pantheon) — 7 minutes on foot.

## Is the Gesù worth visiting?

Yes — it's one of Rome's most spectacular Baroque interiors, and free. It's steps from Piazza Venezia on the way to the Pantheon, and pairs perfectly with [Sant'Ignazio](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/sant-ignazio), where Pozzo painted another famous illusion. Time your visit for about 17:15 to see the ceiling and then the evening 'machine'. The church closes for lunch; cover shoulders and knees.

## Before you go

Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser.

- [ ] Cover shoulders and knees
- [ ] Arrive by 17:15 for the 'Baroque machine'
- [ ] Use the mirror for the ceiling
- [ ] Climb to the Rooms of St Ignatius
- [ ] Walk on to Sant'Ignazio — 5 minutes

## Rome's churches: compare and choose

Churches and basilicas in Rome rated by YesGo.

- [Pantheon](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/pantheon) — YesGo score 82/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · ≈ €5
- [St Peter's Basilica](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/st-peters-basilica) — YesGo score 71/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · Free; dome ≈ €8–15
- [Sistine Chapel](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/sistine-chapel) — YesGo score 64/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Vatican Museums ticket ≈ €25
- [Archbasilica of St John Lateran](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/lateran-basilica) — YesGo score 64/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · Free; cloister ≈ €5
- [Santa Maria Maggiore](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/santa-maria-maggiore) — YesGo score 62/100 (Yes, go) · 40 min · Free
- [Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/st-paul-outside-the-walls) — YesGo score 57/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · Free
- [Church of the Gesù](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/church-of-the-gesu) — YesGo score 53/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free
- [Sant'Ignazio](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/sant-ignazio) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free
- [Santa Maria sopra Minerva](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/santa-maria-sopra-minerva) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free
- [Piazza del Popolo](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/piazza-del-popolo) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free
- [Santa Maria in Trastevere](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/santa-maria-in-trastevere) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free
- [Mouth of Truth](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/bocca-della-verita) — YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Donation ≈ €2
- [Catacombs of Rome](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/rome-catacombs) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ €10–12 with guide
- [San Pietro in Vincoli](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/san-pietro-in-vincoli) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free
- [San Luigi dei Francesi](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/san-luigi-dei-francesi) — YesGo score 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free
- [Santa Maria della Vittoria](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/santa-maria-della-vittoria) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free
- [San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/san-carlo-alle-quattro-fontane) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free
- [Tempietto](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/tempietto) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free
- [Santa Sabina](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/santa-sabina) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free
- [Trastevere](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/trastevere) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Free
- [Baths of Diocletian](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/baths-of-diocletian) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Basilica free; museum ≈ €10–12
- [Basilica of San Clemente](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/san-clemente) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Upper free; excavations ≈ €10–12

## Baroque centre in a morning

Largo Argentina, the Gesù next door, Sant'Ignazio's painted ceiling and the Pantheon.

1. [Largo di Torre Argentina](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/largo-di-torre-argentina) — YesGo score 53/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free from street; walkways ≈ €5
2. [Church of the Gesù](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/church-of-the-gesu) — YesGo score 53/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free
3. [Sant'Ignazio](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/sant-ignazio) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free
4. [Pantheon](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/pantheon) — YesGo score 82/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · ≈ €5

## Don't mix it up

The Gesù isn't Sant'Ignazio: both are Jesuit churches with illusionistic ceilings, but the Gesù is by Piazza Venezia while Sant'Ignazio, with Pozzo's fake dome, is near the Pantheon.

## Tips

- The St Ignatius 'machine' runs around 17:30.
- The nave mirror saves your neck.
- Free, but closed at lunchtime.
- Pozzo's corridor is in the rooms next door.

## Questions

### Is the Church of the Gesù free?

Yes.

### What time is the St Ignatius machine?

Daily at around 17:30; it lasts about ten minutes.

### What are the opening hours?

Roughly 7:00–12:30 and 16:00–19:45.

### Who painted the Gesù ceiling?

Giovanni Battista Gaulli, known as Baciccio, in 1672–1685.

### Where is the Gesù?

On Piazza del Gesù, 3 minutes from Piazza Venezia.

### Who is buried in the Gesù?

St Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits.

## How we checked

History, architects and decoration from English Wikipedia. Opening hours and the time of the 'Baroque machine' weren't confirmed at the time of checking — hence the 'checking' badge.

## Sources

- Chiesa del Gesù official website (Society of Jesus)
- English Wikipedia, Church of the Gesù

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