Chiesa di San Gregorio Barbarigo

The church of San Gregorio Barbarigo was built between 1970 and 1972 by architect Giuseppe Vaccaro as the seat of the parish of the same name, erected on 28 January 1964 by decree of Cardinal Vicar Clemente Micara Qua celeritate. Since 1973 it has been the seat of the cardinal title of San Gregorio Barbarigo alle Tre Fontane.The church is dedicated to the Venetian saint Gregory Barbarigo (1625-1697), who was cardinal and bishop of Padua, where he worked tirelessly to implement the reform of the Council of Trent.The church of San Gregorio Barbarigo is located in via delle Montagne Rocciose, in the north-eastern area of ​​the Eur district. The building, in modern style, is not on the same level as the street, but is located on a large terrace supported by pilotis. The complex is made exclusively of prefabricated concrete panels and is dominated by the tall bell tower and the cross of the churchyard, both made of iron. The church building has a circular plan and is preceded by the churchyard, partly covered by a canopy supported by quadrangular pillars. Inside, natural light enters through the large skylight in the center of the ceiling, characterized by a red color, and by a series of stained glass windows located along the top of the side walls. Among these, the largest is located on the left side and depicts Saints Gregorio Barbarigo and John XXIII and Blessed Paul VI. The presbytery occupies the back part of the hall and is opposite the entrance. It houses the high altar in the center, the pulpit, the seat, the bronze crucifix, while to its right is the baptismal font. On the back wall there is a 15x5 m altarpiece, depicting Christ among angels, the Madonna, the Apostles and the saints John XXIII and Gregory Barbarigo and made by Piero Casentini in 2007-8 with graffito tempera, soft and sandblasted colors. The old baptistery, consisting of a circular body located to the left of the hall, has been used as the chapel of the Blessed Sacrament since 2005; with modern marble furnishings. Two other chapels are located to the right of the entrance, the first with a bronze crucifix and the second with a statue of the Madonna. In the ambulatory located to the right of the hall there are the fourteen bronze stations of the Via Crucis, which ends with a bas-relief with the risen Christ. To the left of the presbytery is the pipe organ, built in 1998 by the Fratelli Ruffatti organ-building company. The instrument, with entirely mechanical transmission, consists of a single body with a case divided into three sections characterized by the presence of horizontal trumpets; the organ has 14 registers. Beneath the church there is a crypt.