Church of Sant' Antonio dei Portoghesi

The church, also called Sant’Antonio in Campo Marzio, is located within the district of the same name, and is the place of worship of the Portuguese community in Rome. It was founded in 1445 at the behest of Cardinal Antonio Martinez de Chaves on the site of a hospice for pilgrims from this region of Europe.

The building was rebuilt by the Portuguese in 1638 entrusting the work to Martino Longhi the Younger who was replaced in 1674 by Carlo Rainaldi who built the dome. The baroque façade, by Martino Longhi, has two orders. On the lower floor we find three portals: the central one is surmounted by a triangular tympanum that encloses a winged marble angel surrounded by festoons. The upper level is dominated by a large window and the coat of arms of the Braganza, an ancient Portuguese family who helped the church financially; two figures of seated angels complete the façade.

The interior, which has a Latin cross plan, is rich in polychrome marble. On the sides there are six chapels with sculptures and paintings including a table with images of the Madonna and Sant'Antonio, the work of Antoniazzo Romano (1435-1509) and the paintings of Antonio Concioli Adoration of the Magi, Nativity and Rest during the escape in Egypt (both from 1782) and the Monument De Souza by Antonio Canova (from 1808). The transept was decorated by Luigi Vanvitelli.

Photo: Courtesy of Church of Sant' Antonio dei Portoghesi official site