Santa Maria in Aquiro

Santa Maria in Aquiro
Facade
Map
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41°53′59.87″N 12°28′41.09″E / 41.8999639°N 12.4780806°E / 41.8999639; 12.4780806
LocationVia della Guglia 69B, Rome
CountryItaly
DenominationRoman Catholic
History
DedicationMary, mother of Jesus
Architecture
Architectural typeChurch
StyleBaroque
Groundbreakingbefore 8th century
Completed1588 (reconstruction)

Santa Maria in Aquiro is a church in Rome, Italy. It is dedicated in honor of Mary, mother of Jesus, and is located on Piazza Capranica.

The church is ancient—it was restored by Pope Gregory III in the 8th century, and thus must have existed before then. One theory is that it was the titulus Equitii, though San Martino ai Monti is a more likely candidate. It is also referred to as Santa Maria della Visitazione, notably by Pope Urban VI in 1389. The origins of the name are nebulous; most attribute it to a corruption of the term a Cyro, perhaps referring in early days to a neighborhood resident named Cyrus or deriving from Cyrus. According to another theory Acyro refers to a corruption of the Latin word circus, a stadium for horse racing; the Circus Flaminius was located in the vicinity.[1] In 1540 Pope Paul III granted the church to the Confraternity of Orphans, and it was restored in 1588.

  1. ^ Lombardi, Ferruccio (1993). Roma: chiese, conventi, chiostri: progetto per un inventario, 313–1925. Edilstampa.[page needed]