In the evening, JJ said he wanted to check out one more site, Santa Maria Della Vittoria, before its closing. We were exhausted and the church was a little bit hike from our hotel but it was definitely worth it. There was a scammer outside the door collecting entrance fee. The person was not affiliated with the church. If it happens to you during your visit, ignore the scammer and just go inside. The church is free to enter.
Santa Maria Della Vittoria, dedicated to Virgin Mary, is a Roman Catholic Church in Baroque style. It houses Gian Lorenzo Bernini's Ecstasy of Saint Teresa. You probably have seen this masterpiece in every art book regarding Baroque period. Saint Teresa of Avila had a vivid vision of an angel piercing her heart with a golden arrow, giving her both joy and pain. The statues recount her vision.
When we entered the church, the service just started. The priests in this church all seemed very ancient as if they were from a different time like the 19th century. For a moment, I thought I was in the middle of time travel.
The church is kind of small and the statues are right next to the altar. It would be distracting if we gathered in front of the statues while they were praying. Therefore, we patiently waited until the service ended, and then we took pictures of Ecstasy of Saint Teresa. You can put offering in the machine to light up the statues.
The intricate ceiling with white stucco angels, putti and paintings is gorgeous, do you reckon?
The wax figure of Santa Maria Della Vittoria spooked JJ out. He never understands why people would make such a mummy to honor the dead. I don't either. Were they sure the saint was cool about being turned into a mummy? Anyway, it's a wax figure outside, the body is hidden inside the wax figure. If you look closer into the open mouth, you can see the real teeth and lips.
Visiting Santa Maria Della Vittoria marked the end of our evening sightseeing. We were quite happy we just had a glance of the iconic work Ecstasy of Saint Teresa.
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