St. Paul’s Within the Walls – An American Church in Rome

St. Paul’s Within the Walls is an American Church in Rome:

St Paul’s Within the Walls – Rome

For a predominantly Catholic country, Rome has some interesting churches of other denominations – Chiesa di San Paolo entro le Mura (St Paul’s Within the Walls) is one of them. Chiesa di San Paolo entro le Mura is an American Episcopal Church. Built in 1873, it was the first non-Roman Catholic church to be built inside the walls of Rome after the unification of Italy.

The Church

Located at the intersection of via Napoli and via Nazionale, St Paul’s Within the Walls is eye-catching because of its stripey layers of red brick alternating with travertine and its decorative bell tower.

It was the Rev. Robert Nevin who bought the land, organized the necessary permits and had the Church constructed by George Edmund Street, an English architect. The church was designed in Romanesque-Gothic style and construction took place between 1873 and 1876.

There are some interesting mosaics in St Paul’s Within the Walls – on the West wall are those by George Breck whereas those on the arches and in the apse are by Sir Edward Burne-Jones. The stained glass windows show scenes from the life of St. Paul. The church has a small garden with some interesting sculptures by Peter Rockwell.

Art at St Paul’s

St Paul’s is unique in that, apart from its religious mission and ministry, it also has some remarkable pieces of art to oversee and maintain. The Rev. Robert Nevin, the founder of the church, was an art dealer and on his death he bequeathed to the parish an assortment of pieces of fine art and sculptures. Some of these pieces are now available for public viewing. The mosaics by Burne-Jones and Breck and the stained glass windows are also works of art.

Because of its very good acoustics, Chiesa di San Paolo dentro le Mura is quite frequently used for classical concerts. Book your tickets through Classictic HERE.

Address:
Chiesa di San Paolo dentro le Mura
via Napoli 58
00184 Rome, Italy

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