Many German-speaking visitors to Rome are familiar with the German church of Santa Maria dell’Anima, located near Piazza Navona in the heart of the city. Since the 14th century—albeit in a transformed form—it has been the spiritual home of all German speakers in Rome, whether they live in the city for a short or longer time, or come as pilgrims and visitors. Anyone who visits the church will easily recognize that for centuries it has been one of the main focal points of the German-speaking community in Rome.
What remains hidden to most visitors, however, is the sacristy of the church, a 17th-century work that can rightly be described as a jewel within the ensemble of the Anima church and the adjacent priest college. When the old sacristy no longer met the requirements, plans for a new building were already discussed in 1618, which was also intended to serve as a national meeting place and the seat of the Anima administration. However, construction work only began in 1635. As the project proved to be very costly, progress was slow. On August 17, 1643, the administrative council of the “Anima” met for the first time in the not yet fully completed sacristy. Finally, in 1644, it was sufficiently finished to serve its intended purpose. As it was also meant to represent prestige, it was given a particularly magnificent decoration, most notably visible in the gilded stucco work.
The sacristy is adorned with paintings depicting scenes from the life of Mary: beginning with the Birth of Mary by Gilles Hallet, followed by the Marriage of Mary and the Annunciation—both by Giovanni Maria Morandi—the Visitation by Giovanni Bonatti, and culminating in the Assumption of Mary in the ceiling fresco by Giovanni Francesco Romanelli. In addition, another Marian cycle consisting of 20 symbols decorates the room, though it is often overlooked amid the abundance of stucco work; it glorifies the purity of the Virgin Mary. Finally, the imperial double-headed eagle appears in the corners of the main cornice, expressing the special connection between the foundation and the Holy Roman Emperor.
From 1682 to 1750, the present high altarpiece by Giulio Romano—originally created for the Fugger Chapel in Santa Maria dell’Anima—served as the altar painting in the sacristy. Today it has been replaced by the painting “Saint Anne Teaching the Virgin Mary,” which was previously attributed to Theodor van Loon. The restoration of this painting in 2005 marked the first step toward the long-overdue renovation of the sacristy. During the restoration work, a debate arose regarding its authorship: some consider it a very early copy of van Loon’s work, possibly executed by Gilles Hallet. Further research and discussion will certainly be necessary.
The iconographic program of the sacristy is dominated by two themes essential to the “Anima”: Mary and the presence of the “German Nation” in Rome. This presence is symbolized by popes from the German-speaking world: Gregory V, Clement II, Damasus II, Leo IX, Victor II, Adrian VI (who also found his final resting place in Santa Maria dell’Anima), and Benedict XVI.
