Rome rediscovers Sant’Ivo at La Sapienza, Borromini’s hidden gem

To see it up close, visitors must pass through the main entrance of the Palazzo della Sapienza on Corso del Rinascimento and cross the courtyard. Yet Sant’Ivo is one of the most recognisable silhouettes on the Roman skyline: observers need only look up above the rooftops of the historic centre to catch sight of its lantern and the spiral spire that twists its way towards the sky, like a lighthouse. After years of closure and a lengthy restoration, Francesco Borromini’s masterpiece is once again open to the public.

The history of the church is linked to that of the ancient Roman university. It was Borromini, appointed architect of the Fabbrica della Sapienza by Urban VIII, who designed the university church, which was consecrated by Alexander VII in 1660. The building surrounding it housed the University of Rome from the 15th century until 1935, when it became the headquarters of the State Archives. 

In recent years, Sant’Ivo has remained largely inaccessible due to the damage caused by the 2016 earthquake. The restoration work was funded by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), as part of the Caput Mundi investment programme, and the reopening was made possible by an agreement between the State Archives and the Diocese of Rome. 

The restoration has returned the interior to its original appearance: an almost pure white, playing on the contrasts of light and shadow, on the depth of the stucco work, and on a complex yet rigorous geometry that has been the subject of debate amongst scholars and architects for centuries. A space that is both grand and understated, which seems to expand with every step towards the centre of the dome.