 Introduzione
Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini, or Our Lady of the Conception of the Capuchins was founded by the brother of Pope Urbano VIII Barberini, the cardinal Antonio Barberini at the beginning of the seventeenth century. The church has a modest appearance in regard to other churches of the baroque period, as it reflects the Capuchin order to which the cardinal belonged.
 History
The Church was built thanks to the concern of Cardinal Antonio Barberini, Capuchin. His brother, Pope Urbano VIII Barberini, blessed its first stone on October 4th 1626, St. Francis Day and celebrated the first Mass on September 8th 1630. The Church's design is by the pontifical architect Michele da Bergamo. It is the first Roman Church dedicated to God in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is led by the Minor Capuchins, the group of Franciscan friars living in the adjacent convent. This church is known to Romans as the charnel house of the Capuchins, throughout the centuries, the friars arranged the bones and skulls of their fellow brothers into the form of crosses or other Christian symbols.
 Location
The church is close to Piazza Barberini.
Address:Via Veneto, 27 Rome, Italy.
 What's to see
The interior comprises of a small nave and several side chapels, the chapels are known as one contains the body of St. Felix of Cantalice and another is the tomb of the Blessed Crispin of Viterbo.
The first chapel has a dramatic altarpiece of St. Michael the Archangel (c.1635) by Guido Reni, and Gherardo delle Notti's Christ Mocked. The second chapel has a Tranfiguration by Mario Balassi, and a Nativity (c. 1632) by Lanfranco. The third chapel has a Saint Francis receives stigmata by Domenichino. In the fourth chapel houses a Prayer in the Gesthemane (c. 1632) by Baccio Ciarpi. In the fifth chapel is a Saint Anthony by Sacchi, who also painted the Apparition of the Virgin (1645) to Saint Bonaventure in the fifth chapel on the left. The tomb monument for Alexander Sobieski was sculpted by Rusconi. The third chapel has a Deposition by Andrea Camassei and a Stigmatization of Saint Francis (c. 1570) by Girolamo Muziano. The second chapel has a Santa Felice da Catalice by Alessandro Turchi, while the first has a painting of Saint Paul restores vision (c. 1631) by Pietro da Cortona.
About halfway up the stairs to the church, on the right side, you will find the entrance to the ossuary, known as the Capuchin Crypt, in which is displayed the bones of over 4000 Capuchin friars, collected between the years of 1528 and 1870. When one of the friars die, he is buried in a vault, and after some time the bones are retrieved and placed in this ossuary. The bones are fashioned into decorative displays in the Baroque and Rococo style.
 Useful information
Telephone: 06/ 487 1185
E-mail: ricordo32@virgilio.it
Open: 7am-midday, 3.45pm-7.30pm daily. Crypt: 9am-midday, 3pm-6.20pm daily
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