San Lorenzo in Damaso

Welcome to the magnificent and remarkably hidden sanctuary of San Lorenzo in Damaso. As you stand before the imposing facade of the Palazzo della Cancelleria along the bustling modern thoroughfare of Corso Vittorio Emanuele the…

Stepping out from the vestibule and into the central nave, the architectural majesty of San Lorenzo in Damaso truly unfolds before you. Look straight ahead toward the distant apse. …

Turning into the right nave, we arrive at the exquisite Chapel of Saint Nicholas of Bari. Prepare yourself for a sudden shift in aesthetic tone. …

Before we proceed further down the nave, we must pause to examine one of the absolute masterpieces hidden within this basilica. Tucked into the vestibule area, having been moved from its original location on a pillar in the left…

Continuing our walk down the right nave, we encounter a sequence of chapels that trace the shifting artistic tastes and political realities of the nineteenth century. In the first chapel, you will find the elegant funerary…

We have now reached the architectural and spiritual climax of San Lorenzo in Damaso: the semicircular apse and the monumental high altar. The space before you is a breathtaking synthesis of Renaissance structure and Baroque…

As we move away from the high altar and into the left side of the church, we arrive at the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, frequently referred to as the Ottoboni Chapel. This space is a glittering jewel box of eighteenth-century…

As our journey through San Lorenzo in Damaso comes to an end, take a final look down the long, sweeping nave. We have traversed centuries of history within these walls, from the ancient foundations laid by Pope Damasus in the…