Chiesa di Santa Maria della Pace & Chiostro del Bramante

Centro Storico


Tucked away in the back streets behind Piazza Navona, this small baroque church boasts a columned semicircular facade by Pietro da Cortona and a celebrated Raphael fresco, Sibille (Sibyls; c 1515) – look up to the right as you enter.

The adjoining Chiostro del Bramante (Bramante Cloister), originally part of the same monastery complex, is a masterpiece of High Renaissance architectural styling that's now used to stage art exhibitions and cultural events.

The cloister, which you can visit freely by popping up to the 1st-floor cafe, was the first work Bramante undertook in Rome after arriving from Milan in 1499. Its sober, geometric lines and perfectly proportioned spaces provide a marked counterpoint to the church’s undulating facade, beautifully encapsulating the Renaissance aesthetic that Bramante did so much to promote.