Santa Maria sopra Minerva: the Gothic church and Bernini's elephant

Updated on October 5, 2026

Santa Maria sopra Minerva, in piazza della Minerva, is 100 m from the Pantheon and is considered the only large Gothic-inspired church in central Rome. Built from the end of the 13th century by the Dominicans on the ruins of a temple of Minerva, it has a blue starry vault, Michelangelo's Risen Christ, frescoes by Filippino Lippi and the tombs of St Catherine of Siena and Fra Angelico. In the square, Bernini's little elephant carrying an Egyptian obelisk is one of the most photographed statues in the city. Entry is free. Allow 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Highlights

The Gothic nave

The pointed arches and rib vaults, rare in Rome, contrast with the neighbouring baroque churches. The blue vault scattered with golden stars dates from a 19th-century restoration; it gave the church its present, very colourful look.

The elephant and the obelisk

In the square, a marble elephant, designed by Bernini and carved by his pupil Ercole Ferrata, carries a small Egyptian obelisk found in the convent. Unveiled in 1667 under Pope Alexander VII, it is nicknamed "the Minerva's chick" (il pulcino della Minerva) by the Romans. The elephant symbolises wisdom and strength, which must carry knowledge.

Decorative details

Rose windows, vaults and tombs of popes and cardinals cover the walls and chapels: the church served as a burial place for several Medici popes and many notable figures.

Michelangelo's Risen Christ

To the left of the altar, the marble statue commissioned in 1514 and finished around 1521 shows the nude Christ holding the cross. The bronze drapery covering him was added later for modesty. Michelangelo carved it in Florence; the work was finished in Rome by other hands.

The Carafa Chapel

At the end of the right transept, it is decorated with frescoes by Filippino Lippi painted in the late 15th century: the Annunciation and the Assumption, with St Thomas Aquinas. Pope Paul IV Carafa is buried there.

The tombs

Under the high altar lie the relics of St Catherine of Siena, patron saint of Italy and Rome, whose head is kept in Siena. Fra Angelico, who died in Rome in 1455 in the adjoining Dominican convent, is buried in the church, near the choir.

Practical info

Tips

Entry to the church is free; beware of touts offering paid "guided tours" at the door. Modest dress is expected (shoulders and knees covered) and visits are suspended during some services. A coin for the chapel lights is sometimes useful. Make a detour via Piazza Navona and the Pantheon, 5 minutes on foot, or the church of Sant'Ignazio.

How to get there

Piazza della Minerva 42, 00186 Rome, behind the Pantheon. No metro nearby: buses 40, 46, 62, 64 and 70 (stops at largo di Torre Argentina or corso Vittorio Emanuele II), tram 8 (largo di Torre Argentina), 5 to 10 minutes on foot.