Barberini Chapel
1. The chapel. Ordained by Card. Maffeo Barberini, then Urban VIII, to Matteo Castelli of Melide and consecrated to the Assumption on Dec. 8th of 1616, the chapel is divided in each side walls, by two columns in three Areas encrusted of precious marble. In the left wall on top of the door there is the Barberini coat of arms between two exquisite white marble putto’s, contains the dedicatory epigraph. In the two lateral fields on each wall there are two rectangular niches filled with statues of various artists. The first, to the right of those who look at the altar, st. Martha (Francesco Mochi, 1580-1654); The second, st. John Evangelist (Ambrogio Bonvicino, 1552-1622); The first on the left, Magdalen (Cristoforo States, 1556-1619); The second, st John the Baptist (Pietro Bernini, 1562-1629).
2. The paintings. The upper part of the walls is occupied by three oil paintings by Domenico Cresti, 1560-1638, called Passignano: on the left, the canvas of the Visitation; On the altar, which is encrusted with amethysts and alabaster, among the four Corinthian columns in “Rosso Antico” Marble, the great scene of the Assumption; To the right, the Presentation at the Temple. The Vault decorated with frescos, in the pendetives, features four biblical characters: Moses, David, Solomon, and Isaiah; In the top, there are four virtues and angels. In the upper lunettes, frescos, on the left, the Birth of the Virgin; To the right the Annunciation. All of Passignano’s hand.
3. The ancient church of St. Sebastian. In the left wall, a rectangular niche is present after the door, where there is an oil canvas of Passignano, depicting s. Sebastian was picked up in the sewer by Lucina. There are the statues of Francesco Barberini (of the state), brother of Urban VIII; By Taddeo Barberini (of the unknown hand), pope’s nephew.
Below the arc, of the right door The portraits of Antonio Barberini and Camilla Barbadoro (by Guglielmo della Porta), parents of the pontiff, are sculpted in porphyry bas-relief.