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Santa Maria della Vittoria, Rome

Baroque façade of Santa Maria della Vittoria with columns and a pediment on a city street corner
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

The essentials in 10 seconds

Entry
Free
Opening hours
≈ 9:00–12:00 and 15:30–18:00
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Time on site
A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes.
20 min
With kids
Fine with kids
Highlight
Bernini's Ecstasy of Saint Teresa, Cornaro Chapel
Lighting
Coin-operated
Time needed
20 minutes
Location
Via XX Settembre 17; Metro A Repubblica, 5 minutes
Coordinates
41.90466, 12.49434YesGo MapGoogleApple

Key facts

1608–1620Carlo Maderno built the church
SourceEnglish Wikipedia
1647–1652Bernini created the Cornaro Chapel and the Ecstasy of Saint Teresa
SourceEnglish Wikipedia
CornaroCardinal Federico Cornaro commissioned the chapel for his family
SourceEnglish Wikipedia
Theatre boxesmarble Cornaro family members watch from either side
SourceEnglish Wikipedia
Teresa of Ávilathe 16th-century Spanish mystic who described the vision
SourceEnglish Wikipedia

The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa

In the left transept is the Cornaro Chapel, created by Gian Lorenzo Bernini in 1647–1652 for Cardinal Federico Cornaro. At its heart is the marble group of Saint Teresa of Ávila swooning on a cloud while a smiling angel holds a golden arrow above her — the vision Teresa herself described, of an angel piercing her heart with divine love.

Gilded rays pour down over the figures, and real light falls from a hidden window above, so the marble seems to glow. Drapery, clouds and the saint's face look as if the stone had turned soft. Many consider it the summit of Baroque sculpture.

A chapel built like a theatre

The surprise is on either side: Bernini carved eight members of the Cornaro family — cardinals and a doge of Venice — seated in marble theatre boxes, chatting and watching the miracle. You, in the nave, become the audience and the chapel the stage. Bernini, who also staged plays, fused sculpture, architecture, painting and light into a single performance.

The church

Carlo Maderno built the church in 1608–1620; Giovanni Battista Soria finished the façade in 1626. Inside is a small but lavish Baroque interior of coloured marble, gilding and ceiling frescoes. Its name, 'of the Victory', comes from a venerated icon of the Madonna brought here in the 1620s; the icon was later lost, but the name stuck.

Who was Saint Teresa?

Teresa of Ávila (1515–1582) was a Spanish Carmelite nun, reformer of her order and author of mystical writings describing her visions. She was canonised in 1622 and in 1970 became the first woman named a Doctor of the Church. The church belongs to the Carmelites, hence the dedication. Bernini followed her own account almost word for word: an angel with a golden, fire-tipped spear piercing her heart, leaving her with a sweetness she could not describe.

Piazza San Bernardo

Opposite the church stands the Moses Fountain, built by Domenico Fontana in 1585–1588 for Pope Sixtus V as the showpiece of the Acqua Felice aqueduct. Two more churches face the square — round San Bernardo alle Terme, set in a tower of the Baths of Diocletian, and Santa Susanna.

What to see

  • Ecstasy of Saint Teresa — left transept, Cornaro Chapel.
  • The Cornaro 'boxes' — either side of the sculpture.
  • Chapel floor — inlaid marble skeletons, reminders of mortality.
  • Ceiling frescoes — the triumph of the Virgin.
  • Moses Fountain — across the road on Piazza San Bernardo.

How to get there

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on footdestinationStreet view

Where are you starting from?

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On foot

More tips

  1. Metro line A to Repubblica, then 5 minutes along Via Vittorio Emanuele Orlando.
  2. From Termini, 10 minutes on foot via Piazza della Repubblica.
  3. From the Baths of Diocletian, 5 minutes.
  4. From Palazzo Barberini, 7 minutes up Via Barberini.

Is it worth visiting?

Yes, for anyone who loves Bernini or sculpture: one of the masterpieces of the Baroque, free and seldom busy. Twenty minutes does it. It's five minutes from Piazza della Repubblica and Termini, near the Baths of Diocletian and Palazzo Massimo.

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Santa Maria della Vittoriayou are here4620 minFree—
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Baroque around Repubblica

Palazzo Barberini, Borromini's San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, Bernini at Santa Maria della Vittoria and the Baths of Diocletian.

  1. Palazzo Barberini2 h · ≈ €15
  2. 3 min walk from the previous stopSan Carlo alle Quattro Fontane20 min · Free
  3. 8 min walk from the previous stopSanta Maria della Vittoriayou are here20 min · Free
  4. 7 min walk from the previous stopBaths of Diocletian1 h · Basilica free; museum ≈ €10–12

4 places · about 3 h 58 min with walks · 18 min on foot in total

Go · my route

Nearby and on the way

Baths of Diocletian

Rome, Italy

1 h · Basilica free; museum ≈ €10–12 · 7 min walk

Palazzo Barberini

Rome, Italy

2 h · ≈ €15 · 7 min walk

Palazzo Massimo

Rome, Italy

2 h · ≈ €10–12 combined ticket · 8 min walk

How to do it right

  • A coin lights the sculpture.
  • The Cornaro boxes are the surprise.
  • Closed at lunchtime.
  • Repubblica metro is 5 minutes away.

Questions

Where is the Ecstasy of Saint Teresa?

In the Cornaro Chapel of Santa Maria della Vittoria, Via XX Settembre 17.

Is it free?

Yes; the lighting costs a coin.

When was it made?

Bernini worked on the chapel in 1647–1652.

What are the opening hours?

Usually 9:00–12:00 and 15:30–18:00.

How do I get there?

Metro A to Repubblica, 5 minutes' walk.

How long do you need?

About 20 minutes.

Have you been? Was it worth your time?

1 — no, 5 — absolutely

Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.

Sources and fact-check

  • English Wikipedia, Santa Maria della Vittoria, Rome and Ecstasy of Saint Teresa
YesGo editorial team · facts checked 10.11.2026 ·
How we checkedHistory of the church, the chapel and the sculpture from English Wikipedia. Opening hours weren't confirmed with an official source — hence the 'checking' badge.

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