Routes:
Santa Maria Sopra Minerva Church
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"Around The Historic City Centre"
The church's strange name refers to the fact that this was a religious site long before a church occupied this space. This church, one of the few exponents of Gothic architecture in Rome, stands above the ruins of a temple dedicated to the goddess Minerva. The temple dated back to the 8th century but vanished beneath the foundations of the church in 1280. The church was restored in the 19th century, which significantly improved its appearance. If you look very closely at the facade, you will notice faint scars in the stone - traces of times when the Tiber's water rose and flooded the area. The church guards the remains of Catherine of Sienna, Italy's patron saint, and is adorned with excellent frescoes by Filippino Lippi and sculptures by a young Michelangelo.
A strange sculpture stands at the square's centre, immediately in front of the church's entrance. The statue was sculpted by Bernini and depicts a small elephant carrying an obelisk on his back.