The Church of St Ignatius of Loyola in Rome is one of the most beautiful Roman Churches.
Consecrated in 1722, the Church of St Ignatius of Loyola is a masterpiece of trompe l'œil by Andrea Pozzo - the ceilings and cuppola only give the appearance of their three-dimensional forms.
The huge fresco by Andrea Pozzo across the barrel vaulted nave celebrates the works of Saint Ignatius and the Society of Jesus by depicting the Saint being welcomed into heaven by the Virgin Mary and Jesus. The vaulting, however, appears to to continue high in the blue sky through a fascinating adn well organised projection of perspective. The cuppola, although intended, was never built and Andrea Pozzo supplied a canvas painting which projected the cuppola where it was supposed to be. This, however, had to be replaced in 1891 after it was destroyed.
