San Luigi dei Francesi
The national church of France in Rome, San Luigi dei Francesi took shape after the Abbey of Farfa ceded the site to the Medici family in 1480; construction, interrupted by the 1527 Sack of Rome, was completed in 1589 by Domenico Fontana and Giacomo della Porta.
Highlights
01
Caravaggio’s St. Matthew Cycle
Caravaggio’s three great canvases on the life of St. Matthew: The Calling, The Inspiration, and The Martyrdom.
02
Life of St. Cecilia
Domenichino’s Histories of Saint Cecilia.
03
Stories of St. Louis IX
Charles-Joseph Natoire’s Stories of St. Louis IX, St. Denis, and Clovis.
Also of note
- A façade by Giacomo della Porta, with statues of Charlemagne, St. Louis, St. Clothilde, and St. Jeanne of Valois
Opening Hours
Mon–Fri: 9:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. and 2:30 – 6:15 p.m.
Saturday: 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 2:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Sunday: 12 – 12:45 p.m. and 2:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Closed every first Wednesday of the month morning.
Mass Times
Sunday at 10:30 a.m. (Main church).
Monday–Friday at 7 p.m.
Saturday at 12:30 p.m.
Saint-Yves-des-Bretons (affiliated chapel): 6:30 p.m. Sunday and 6:30 p.m. Thursday (academic year only).
As the French national church, French is the presumed primary Mass language, though the official site does not explicitly state each Mass’s language.