The Church of the Nativity of Jesus, which is located near Piazza Navona, overlooks Piazza Pasquino, within the Parione district. The small building was founded in 1692 and entrusted to the Archconfraternity of the Company of the Nativity (called of the Agonizing because the followers prayed for the dying and those sentenced to death), when Pope Innocent XII (1691-1700) granted the aforementioned confraternity the license to build and open its oratory. The church was restored several times; the last restoration dates back to 1862, when it was rebuilt and assumed its current appearance. Today is the national church of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Four pilasters divide the hut-shaped façade into three vertical orders; in the center is the neo-Renaissance portal, with meticulously decorated jambs and the evangelical inscription in Latin: Gloria in excelsis Deo. Laterally, two niches with a shell vault and two oculi constitute a further element of decoration. The architrave reads: Deo Iesu Infanti sacrum. The interior has a single nave, with a barrel vault and two altars on each side.
Navona Square
The most iconic square of Baroque Rome
The Fountain of the Four Rivers
Museo Nazionale Romano - Palazzo Altemps
Information
For the timetable of the masses and visiting conditions, please consult the contacts.
Location
To find out about all accessibility services, visit the Rome accessible section.