The following five essays pertain to the religious buildings connected to the Guild of Painters, and later to the Accademia di San Luca. Their locations span Rome's central area, and they were used by artists at different times. Each essays is available in English and Italian.
Note: Extended bibliographies can be found in the project bibliography. Maps mentioned in the essays can be found here.
Church of San Luca
The small Church of San Luca, which once stood on the Esquiline Hill close to the papal basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, was a medieval structure, likely dating to the 13th century.
Church of Santa Martina
In the early modern period, it was believed that the Church of Santa Martina had functioned as the ancient Roman Secretarium Senatus for the Curia Senatus (also known as the Curia Julia), the latter located on the site of what became, in the 7th century, the Church of Sant’Adriano.
Church of Santi Luca e Martina (San Luca and Santa Martina)
The current Church of Santi Luca e Martina in the Roman Forum is the result of a laborious effort undertaken by the artist Pietro da Cortona (1596/7‒1669), who served as principe of the Accademia di San Luca at several points during his career.
Church of San Giuseppe dei Falegnami
San Giuseppe dei Falegnami was founded when a branch of carpenters (the Compagnia dei Trenta Falegnami) broke from the larger Università dei Muratori et dei Falegnami in 1540. The group convinced the rettore of the Church of Santa Martina to allow them to rent the Church of San Pietro in Carcere, which at the time was under the legal jurisdiction of Santa Martina.
Church of San Pietro in Carcere
San Pietro in Carcere is the site where, according to tradition, the apostles Peter and Paul were incarcerated for nine months before their martyrdoms, at the foot of the hill across from the Capitoline facing the Arch of Septimius Severus.