About The Chapel of Holy Mary, Cause of Our Joy (Santa Maria Causa Nostrae Laetitiae):
named Santa Maria Causa Nostrae Laetitiae,
The church was constructed in 1851 by architect Virginio Vespignani to house a venerated 1690 painting of the Madonna, attributed to Domenico Muratori, which was originally displayed under a passageway in the Palazzo Muti.
The interior features gilded stucco, precious marbles, and a frescoed dome by Constantino Brumidi, who also worked on the U.S. Capitol
The church was built in 1939–41 in a Rococo style, to serve the workers at the Villaggio Breda weapons plant. It is more commonly known as Madonna dell’Archetto is often cited as Rome’s smallest church, and it houses a copy of a miraculous painting of the same name. It is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, with the phrase causa nostræ lætitæ (“cause of our joy”) being taken from the Litany of Loreto. The title of Mary as the “Cause of Our Joy” recognizes her role in bringing Jesus to the world..
It is widely recognized as the smallest church in Rome. Located in the Trevi district, near the Trevi Fountain, it is situated at the end of a narrow alley on Via di San Marcello 41b.
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Father Jean Coste (1926-1994), a French Marist priest and a scholar of international status, was a priest at the church.
On 30 September 2023, Pope Francis made it a titular church to be held by a cardinal-priest (at the time, Sebastian Francis of Malaysia).
Traveling to The Chapel of Holy Mary, Cause of Our Joy (Santa Maria Causa Nostrae Laetitiae) in Rome, Italy:
The church is located on the eastern edge of the city in the Trevi rione area at the end of a small alley.
Address: Piazza Siderea 1, Torre Gaia, Rome