Santa Maria degli Angeli, Rome Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei
Martiri, better known by its shorter name Santa Maria degli
Angeli, is a unique Renaissance church in Rome. Designed by
Michelangelo, it was built inside the Roman walls of the Baths
of Diocletian. It is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, to the
angels, and to the Christian slaves who died building the baths.
Like most churches in Rome, Santa Maria degli Angeli is filled
with art and monumental tombs and also has some holy relics. In
1541, a Sicilian priest, Fr. Antonio Lo Duca, had a vision of
angels in the ruins of the Baths of Diocletian. As a result,
Pope Pius IV (1559-1565) ordered that a church be built within
the Baths. The church was designed by Michelangelo, who began
work in 1563 but died a year later in 1564. His design was
completed by Jacopo Lo Duca, nephew of Fr. Antonio and pupil of
Michelangelo. The church was granted to the Carthusians, who
built a monastery next to it, possibly to a design by
Michelangelo. In 1749, major alterations we