The heart of the Camillian Order and the faithful of St. Camillus deLellis is the Church of St. Mary Magdalene with the adjacent Housethat has always been the seat of the General Curia of the Ministersof the Infirm, Camillians. Here lie the mortal remains of the Saintand some of his precious relics, and other personal mementos. The Church is one of the finest examples of Rococo in Rome. In 1586 the Church, a chapel built on the arch of the fourteenth century already owned by the Archconfraternity of the Gonfalon, was entrusted to Camillus de Lellis who made it the headquarters of the Camillian Order.
The presence of St. Camillus
At first, Camillus and his companions find lodging at a building located in Via delle Botteghe Oscure. However, since the building didn’t have a Church and an Oratory to celebrate Mass, they decided to look for a more suitable and spacious place. Passing one day in front of the Magdalene, Camillus enters to ask the indulgence of the Saint. While he is absorbed inprayer, he thinks that the Church may be the right place for the new congregation. The purchase of the General House and the transfer of the Camillians in Piazza della Maddalena mark a turning point in the intensification of the Camillian work of physical and spiritual assistance to the infirm. It is here that on July 14, 1614 Camillus passes away “with cheerful countenance, and eyes to Heaven, without horror, or other transformation of the face, which seemed rather to shine.” It’s Monday, at half past one at night, the day of St. Bonaventure. Camillus is just over 65 years old, 40 of which he has been devoted to God and to the Infirm.
Among the important relics preserved in the Churchof Saint Mary Magdalene, the Heart of the Saint, the Holy Crucifix that spoke to him twice, and other personal mementos. Each space, even the smallest, tells us about the extraordinary experience of St.Camillus to consecrate his life to the service of every infirm and suffering creature, even at the risk of his own life. Adjoining the Church is, in fact, also the room where Camillus died on July 14, 1614. The Saint’s body rests in the urn of the altar dedicated to him in the homonymous chapel inside the Church.
Square and Church of St. Mary Magdalene: the rich decorations, precious marbles, stuccos and paintings inside the church were completed in the mid-eighteenth century. For the unity of style and richness of ornament, for the plant’s mixtilineal movement and the elegant play of masses in elevation, it is considered a classic example of Roman Baroque-Rococo.
Pantheon: built as a temple dedicated to all the gods of Olympus and converted into a Christian basilica during the seventh century under the name of Saint Mary of the Rotonda, from a friendly way to call it by the Roman citizens.
From termini station bus number 40.From Tiburtina station metro B to Termini station and thenbus number 40