Church of Sant'Ignazio di Loyola (St. Ignatius)

8a Via del Caravita Roma

Baroque style church belonging to the Jesuits featuring an ornate ceiling, tombs of Jesuit saints, and a false dome.

Designed by Orazio Grassi at the behest of Pope Gregory XV, the present-day church was consecrated in 1722. Its founding is connected to the Collegio Romano, founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola in 1551, which required a large church for the spiritual welfare of its student population. The Collegio Romano later formed the Pontifical Gregorian University in 1873, a prestigious Pontifical university in Rome.

Andrea Pozzo, an Italian Jesuit brother, painter, and architect, created the false dome, frescoes on the vaulted ceiling, and artwork in the presytery. He completed these designs in 1685. The ceiling displays an optical illusion of infinite space and St. Ignatius of Loyola rising to heaven, supported by other Jesuit saints performing the work of evangelization in the corners of the painting below him.

Pilgrims may visit the tombs of three saints from the Society of Jesus: St. Aloysius Gonzaga, St. Robert Bellarmine, and St. John Berchmans. The church also frequently hosts classical and sacred music concerts throughout the year.