In Rome there several churches, and today I will talk about one that is full of history, works of art and curiosities. I am talking about the Basilica of Sant'Agostino in Campo Marzio (not far from Piazza Navona), built in the fifteenth century and renovated three centuries later. Its central position suggests a visit, not only because it is basically a few steps from the Pantheon but also from places of unexpected beauty such as the centuries-old Angelica Library. A local tour guide like me never misses an opportunity to visit this beautiful place of worship in Rome, even to escape from the chaos of the nerve centers of the Eternal City and, in any case, to get in touch with many, and different, works of art. Following you will have the reason why yoou should really visit the Basilica of Sant'Agostino in Campo Marzio.

First of all, according to the tradition, the church was the religious landmark of the courtesans, those noblewomen who loved to hang out in the courts, even those of the skullcaps, in search of wealth, lust and a comfortable life. It seems that right here they used to gather to pray, and perhaps it was from this aspect that Caravaggio took inspiration for his pictorial work, the Madonna dei Pellegrini, preserved here, in which we see the Virgin Mary dressed in common clothes. If you see her better she looks like one of the courtesans who came here on Sunday! Here we have a demonstration of Caravaggio's extraordinary ability to humanize saints and biblical characters, bringing them realistically closer to the dailylife and to ordinary people (sometimes causing scandal and uproar, as in this case). On the other hand we are not surprised if this red thread, which binds the courtesan to this church, is very strong here. This area, in fact, in the Rome of the sixteenth century, was the one chosen, also by law, by prostitutes to exercise their profession. It is thought that, out of a population of about 50,000 inhabitants, there were as many as 7,000 prostitutes at the time. And most apparently lived right here, in this area. A basilica, that one dedicated to Sant'Agostino, which also houses a beautiful sculptural work: the Madonna del Parto by Sansovino. It was sculpted during the fifteenth century and it is very loved by mothers expecting children, who use to venerate this sculpture. Legend says that this sculptural group is not a Madonna with the Child, but an effigy of Agrippina Minor with her son Nero (who, just to know, ordered to kill her). This work of art would therefore be an excellent example of the classic Roman-style recycling, a recycling that also involved entire masterpieces.

Moreover inside the Basilica of Sant'Agostino in Campo Marzio in Rome there is also a fresco by Raphael depicting the prophet Isaiah, which can be admired on a wall of a pillar of the left aisle. But we have even a project by Bernini, who designed the main altar of the Basilica of Sant ’Agostino in Campo Marzio. A set of famous names, of great artists who embellished this basilica, which houses an important relic for the Christianity: Santa Monica's corpse, the Sant'Agostino's mother. A building of enormous artistic interest and beyond, capable of showing us wonders of a glorious past for art, while giving us a glimpse of everyday life centuries ago. Every single masterpiece, such as the canvas by Caravaggio or the fresco by Raphael, invites us to dwell on a very interesting place of worship that at times escapes the untrained or attentive eye of tourists or locals, a church that deserves a lot.