New Pictures of Santissima Trinità dei Pellegrini in Rome

We recently reported that the façade of FSSP’s church in Rome, Santissima Trinità dei Pellegrini, had been beautifully restored to its original color.

As a follow up, here are some pictures of the interior; the staff have been hard at work on slowly improving the decorations, and the results are very lovely indeed. Here we see the high altar on Pentecost Sunday, decorated with a red antependium and several reliquaries. 

Another very nice and relatively recent addition to the church is this baptismal font at the back, which is kept covered when not in use. Note the finial on top carved as an image of the Holy Trinity. 

This is a copy of a picture which is kept at the Roman Oratory, which shows St Philip caught in a candid pose while he was washing the feet of pilgrims in the great pilgrim hospice formerly attached to the church, which he founded, along with its confraternity. As explained by a caption in Italian at the bottom, one of his penitents sketched the Saint while he was working, and made the original painting from his sketch; when Philip saw it, he laughed and said, “You have secretly stolen me!” This picture was formerly in the sacristy, but has now been happily moved out into the nave where it can be seen by all. 

A banner church’s primary patron, the Holy Trinity, is hung from the “coretto - little choir loft” on the left side of the sanctuary...

and of its secondary patron, St Philip Neri, on the right.

The side altar of the Virgin Mary in the left transept is kept decorated with flowers through the month of May, and Marian devotions are said daily.

The opposite altar is dedicated to St Matthew the Evangelist.

The first side altar of the left side, dedicated to St Gregory the Great. The medallion on the left with an image of St Raphael the Archangel is one of several that were formerly in the sacristy, which have been happily moved to the various side chapels where they can be seen.

A statue of Our Lady of Fatima, very nicely decorated for May.  

The chapel of the Radici family, with an altarpiece of the Madonna and Child with Ss Augustine and Francis, by the Cavaliere d’Arpino, one of Caravaggio’s first Roman employers.  

The last chapel of the left side.

A medallion of the Sacred Heart at the head of the left side.

The chapel of the Cross at the back of the right side, originally intended to be used primarily for Requiem Masses. Since the FSSP took charge of the church, an image of Our Lady of Sorrows has been added to the altar, and some black candlesticks.

The middle altar, dedicated to St Philip.

The first altar on the right side is dedicated to St John Baptist de’ Rossi (1698-1764), whose feast day is today. In his final year, he lived at this church, and was buried there when he died. His relics were kept in this altar until 1965, when they were transferred to a depressingly ugly new church dedicated to him in one of Rome’s residential neighborhoods.

The Madonna dei Soccorsi at the head of the right side.