9 March: only on this day, and no other day of the year, does the Monastery of the Oblates of Saint Frances of Rome in Tor de’ Specchi open its doors to the public. A guided tour with special permission not to be missed: it is a truly unique opportunity to cross the threshold of the most hidden heart of the Eternal City.

Located at the foot of the Campidoglio between the Basilica of Santa Maria in Aracoeli and the Theatre of Marcellus, the Monastery of the Oblates of Saint Frances of Rome is one of the most secret and fascinating places in Rome. Here, in 1433, Saint Francesca Romana inaugurated the community of the Oblate, a revolutionary spiritual project that combined religious life with active commitment to the city: its women, although cloistered, devoted themselves to the poor, the sick and the marginalised, bringing comfort to a Rome plagued by war, hunger and famine.

The oldest part is the charming 15th-century house: through a stone portal, you enter rooms that still retain their original appearance, such as the ancient manger where the saint distributed food and clothing to the poor. The so-called “Scala Santa” (Holy Stairs), entirely decorated, leads to the frescoed Oratory: a true artistic masterpiece. Here, an amazing pictorial cycle dating back to 1468 and consisting of twenty-five scenes, attributed to Antoniazzo Romano and his workshop, narrates the life of the saint in a very vivid language. The captions in Roman dialect, unique in their kind, restore the authentic voice of the city, bringing to the present the echo of the words and customs of everyday life in Rome over five centuries ago. The ancient Refectory is also breathtaking: here, the bright colours and genre scenes of the Oratory give way to the livid green of ten disturbing monochrome panels, dated 1485, which recount the assault on Francesca Romana by demons, evil spirits, dragons and snakes. The cell where the saint spent the last years of her life, praying and meditating, still houses her clothes today.

The 17th-century part, the result of the expansion of the monastic complex, includes the Baroque Refectory, the cloister and two superimposed churches, which are also open to the public exclusively on 9 March, the anniversary of the death of Saint Frances of Rome: the Church of Santa Maria de Curte, or Lower Church, and the Upper Church of Santa Maria Annunziata, which has an impressive carved and painted coffered ceiling dating back to 1601, polychrome marble floors and Alessandro Allori’s Annunciation on the altar.

PLEASE NOTE
The guided tour lasts approximately one hour. The meeting with the guide is scheduled for 2 p.m.; however, the actual start of the tour may be slightly delayed due to the procedures for limiting access to the Monastery.
During the tour, photography is not permitted and visitors are asked to keep their voices down.
The ticket price includes the radio guide.