Useful information for visiting the Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola in Rome:
- location
- tickets (NOT needed: free entry)
- the queues to enter and for the mirror
- the mirror
- opening hours
- mass schedule
- guided tours
- free audio guides
- artworks
- Caravaggio
- the history of St. Ignatius
- where to eat nearby
- other answers to common questions
- a final important reflection
Remember that this is a CHURCH, a place of worship where everyone is welcome without distinction, but where you must always maintain a dignified behavior, put your smartphone in airplane mode, and respect the silence of the place.
location
The Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola is located in the heart of central Rome, in the Campo Marzio district, just a few steps from the Corso, not far from the Pantheon.
address: Piazza S. Ignazio, 00186 Rome (map)
click on the image for the interactive map
Like any other place in central Rome, it must be reached on foot.
tickets and offerings
This church, like all other Roman churches, has free entry: no ticket is required. You can enter for free. It is worth specifying this because I have seen many people search on Google for “St. Ignatius Church Rome ticket.”
WARNING also about scammers who are sometimes at the entrance: if someone asks you for offerings or donations (or even to pay for a ticket) when you are in line outside to enter, do not give them anything and respond with a firm refusal. They are scammers managed by organized crime.
Inside the church near the entrance, there is a sign explaining this:
If you wish, after visiting the church, you can leave a free donation in the offering boxes to support the maintenance of the church and especially the charitable actions of the Jesuits, but there is no obligation. Even just a few coins are enough.
the queues to enter
This site actually started because of the queues to enter this church: as a Roman, I was very surprised by the long queues I saw forming at the entrance of St. Ignatius. And since the reason why many tourists are always in line at the entrance is to take a selfie with the mirror that reflects the frescoed ceiling by Andrea Pozzo (see the following paragraph), I decided to publish a series of in-depth articles to discover and better understand this church.
The advice to avoid wasting too much time in line is obvious: if you see that the line is too long, come back later. The hours when there are fewer people are early in the morning and late in the evening. Obviously, it’s better to go in the morning if you can: it’s very dark in the evening. During the day, however, the line changes unpredictably: many times I have passed by and seen very long lines, only to find just a few people half an hour later.
Since St. Ignatius is located in the heart of central Rome, you can easily visit some places of interest nearby (the closest are the Basilica of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, the delightful elephant holding the obelisk in front of the entrance to the aforementioned basilica, and the Pantheon) and then come back later.
Another suggestion about the lines at the monuments in the area: in my opinion, it is absolutely not worth waiting in line and paying for a ticket to enter the Pantheon; you can easily look at it from the outside while reading (or listening to a free audio guide) its history. Sure, the interior is interesting, especially for the dome, but it is now a chaotic and noisy place ruined by overtourism. If you really want to enter, the same suggestion applies to St. Ignatius Church: if you find a very long line, come back later.
the mirror
As mentioned in the previous paragraph, the reason why everyone is in line at the entrance of the Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola in Rome is the presence of the “magic mirror” inside: a mirror positioned obliquely in the center of the central nave that optimally reflects the frescoed ceiling by Andrea Pozzo.
photocredit: LivioAndronico – license CC 4.0
The mirror is optimally oriented for taking a selfie, and just to take a selfie, all tourists spend their time in line. In fact, in TWO lines: one at the entrance to enter the church and a second to take a photo with the mirror once inside.
To illuminate the ceiling for the photo, you need to insert a 1 euro coin into the machine next to the mirror; when it is not illuminated, even the best cameras cannot capture its beauty, and the result is gloomy. The money goes to the maintenance of the church and charitable works, so it is well spent.
Obviously, my advice is to not limit yourself just to the selfie with the mirror and then wander aimlessly taking other photos here and there of the various artworks scattered around the church, as most tourists do: I recommend calmly reading the information on this site to understand both who Ignatius of Loyola was and what he did, and to understand the message that the architects and artists (also Jesuits) wanted to convey in this church.
So read these other in-depth articles:
- the life and works of St. Ignatius of Loyola
- the fake dome
- the frescoed ceiling
- the spiritual exercises
- the free audio guides
- a final important thought
The visit to St. Ignatius Church will be more meaningful and satisfying.
And even if you still want to take the selfie, at least you will have excellent inspirations for writing a meaningful and engaging text when sharing the selfie on social media.
opening hours
The Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola in Campo Marzio, Rome, is open
every day from 9:00 am to 11:30 pm
As seen from the sign at the entrance:
Obviously, you should not visit the church during Masses.
mass schedule and confessions
Holy Masses are celebrated every day: only in the late afternoon on weekdays, in the morning and late afternoon on holidays.
weekdays: at 6:30 pm
holidays: at 11:30 am and 6:30 pm
Confessions are possible every day at these times:
Monday: 10:15 am – 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm – 6:15 pm
Tuesday: 10:15 am – 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm – 6:15 pm
Wednesday: 10:15 am – 1:00 pm
Thursday: 10:15 am – 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm – 6:15 pm
Friday: 10:15 am – 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm – 6:15 pm
Saturday: 10:15 am – 12:00 pm and 5:00 pm – 6:15 pm
Sunday: 10:15 am – 1:00 pm and 5:00 pm – 6:15 pm
To dedicate Holy Mass to your loved ones (living and deceased), for conversations and spiritual guidance, for Christian formation meetings, spiritual exercises, retreats, or other information related to the activities of the parish of St. Ignatius of Loyola in Rome, contact the parish directly at phone number: +39 06 6794406
Remember that this site is not managed by the parish: see the note at the bottom.
guided tours
Periodically, free guided tours are also organized to discover and better understand the Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola and the Christian message of the Jesuits. The tours are organized by the Jesuit association Pietre Vive.
Inside the church, there are also posters indicating the initiative:
These guided tours organized by the Pietre Vive association of the Jesuits last about 2 hours – 2 and a half hours, are very interesting, BUT they are not very frequent: they are usually organized once or twice a month. Usually, they take place in the afternoon from 4:00 pm to 6:30 pm, very rarely in the evening after dinner.
If interested, contact the church directly at the number: +39 06 6794406
N.B. these tours are formally free, but it is always good to leave a donation.
Since these guided tours organized by the Jesuits are infrequent, they are mainly intended for Romans: it is difficult for a tourist to be interested in visiting the church at exactly those times on those dates once or twice a month. Of course, tourists can be guided to discover the church by a tour guide, but the prices are higher.
Or much more simply and economically, you can listen to a free audio guide:
free audio guides
I am considering transforming the texts I have produced for this site into audio files to be distributed as free audio guides, then expanding them with other material of interest to visit and better understand the Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola in Campo Marzio.
I would like to publish the audio guides in multiple languages: Italian, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Russian, Chinese, Japanese.
Obviously, it is an ambitious project that will require time and energy, so I will only carry it out if I see real interest. If you are interested in these audio guides, write an email to
I want to emphasize that these audio guides will be distributed for free: I have no intention of profiting from them. If those who listen to them appreciate them, they can leave some coins in the offering boxes in the church or send a small donation to projects supporting orphans. Even just 50 cents. Or nothing at all: the important thing is to spread positive ideas and knowledge.
Remember that I am a private citizen of Rome and am not connected in any way to the Jesuit Order: this site had been abandoned years ago, and I took it over to offer a free guide (currently in written form) to the many tourists who visit this beautiful church: as a Roman, I was struck by how many tourists queue every day at the entrance, only to go and take a selfie with the mirror reflecting the frescoed ceiling and then wander aimlessly around the church, without understanding or appreciating what they see. So I wanted to provide a guide. But mine is just a small private initiative.
artworks
In the Church of St. Ignatius in Campo Marzio, Rome, there are numerous artworks, and the most important ones are by the Jesuit Andrea Pozzo: the fake dome and the frescoed ceiling.
I refer to my in-depth articles on:
And of course, also to the in-depth article on the life of St. Ignatius (see the following paragraphs).
Caravaggio at St. Ignatius
Analyzing the automatic completions suggested by Google for online searches, I have seen that many tourists search for “St. Ignatius Rome Caravaggio,” and making that search, you find articles that from their summary may make you believe there is a Caravaggio in this church: NO, there is no Caravaggio artwork in the Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola in Rome.
the history of St. Ignatius
To better understand and appreciate the Church of St. Ignatius in Rome, it is necessary to know the history and life of the saint to whom it is dedicated: Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit Order, one of the religious orders that have had the most influence on society.
Rubens – St. Ignatius of Loyola – public domain work
I refer to the in-depth article on Ignatius of Loyola.
where to eat nearby
If you happen to be at St. Ignatius around lunchtime or dinner and are hungry, you definitely have many options to eat, but unfortunately, none where you can eat well at honest prices: as a Roman born and raised in Rome, I can say with full knowledge that in central Rome, you generally eat poorly because almost all places take advantage of tourists by serving them poor quality food at high prices. In recent years, the situation has worsened: you eat worse at much higher prices than before. But many tourists do not even notice: you often read excellent reviews of terrible restaurants.
To eat well, you have to spend a lot, and often it is not worth it.
So: I’m sorry, but I can’t recommend good restaurants at honest prices.
The closest restaurant is the “Antica trattoria Due Colonne,” which I tried once, and I was particularly dissatisfied: mediocre food and particularly unpleasant owner (or manager). It can only be considered if you find 50% discounts through the The Fork app. I hope it changes management soon.
I will soon add links to an updated guide on where to eat in Rome, which I will publish on another of my sites (this one is dedicated only to the church). Updates coming soon.
other answers to common questions
If you have other doubts or questions about visiting the Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola in Campo Marzio, Rome, you can ask in the comments or write to: info@chiesasantignazio.org
a final important reflection
I close this article on useful information for visiting the Church of St. Ignatius with an important reflection: an invitation to do something different. Almost everyone who enters this church is a tourist who has found on social media or in travel guides the advice to come here and take a selfie with the “magic mirror” that reflects the splendid frescoed ceiling. Fine. Beauty and art are always good for the human soul. But before getting in line for the photo with the mirror, I invite you to sit on one of the benches, rest for a moment (Rome always tires those who visit it), and take the opportunity to ask yourself: what does all this mean? This baroque splendor, this huge church full of artworks. Why? Why did they spend so much energy (and money) to build it? Look around. And think. There is no right answer to give. Just look around. And reflect.
The church is the place built by man to meet God. Even if you don’t believe in God, indeed especially if you don’t believe in God, sit on one of the benches and looking at this church, ask yourself: how was the universe created? How did life begin? Is it just a physical-chemical process, or is there something more? Does some indefinable and unknowable creative force, which we simply call “God,” really exist, or is it all nonsense and there is nothing? And anyway: what is there after death?
There is no right answer to give.
No one knows the right answer.
But everyone can give themselves their own answer. Indeed, they must.
And churches are the right place to ask these questions. Especially for those who do not believe. I tell you this from experience.
To tell the truth, this particular church is not very suitable in my opinion: too baroque, too crowded, too noisy. But even here, if one frees their mind, they can find some… I don’t say answers, that would be too much to expect, but at least some inspiration, some significant thoughts. Even in the middle of that crowd of tourists. And if here you really can’t find the necessary inner calm to get to the heart of the matter (I have never been able to find the necessary inner calm here to really get to the heart of the matter), it will be an inspiration to try again another time in another quieter church: perhaps a less crowded Romanesque cathedral. In the end, this church will still have made its contribution: baroque serves to amaze and impress the visitor, and in doing so, it plants a seed that may perhaps germinate in unexpected and unforeseen ways in the future.
Those who suggest you take the selfie with the magic mirror presenting this church as a quaint place of outdated beliefs, to be used today only as a backdrop for photos to share on social media, are not speaking objectively and disinterestedly: they want you NOT to think about the important things in life. If you do not think, you will be weaker and more manipulable, and when you are sad, they will suggest you buy something on Amazon to feel better.
By this, I do not mean to follow in the footsteps of St. Ignatius or blindly believe what the Jesuits say: I am strongly critical of the fundamental premise of St. Ignatius’ spiritual exercises. But even this overly baroque church still conveys some deeply true and very useful messages today.
Everyone will find their own answer in their heart: the important thing is to think about it, at least occasionally.
Then it’s perfectly fine to say, “no, I don’t believe in God, it’s all nonsense.” The ever-present evil in the world and the poor example set over the centuries by too many Church men lead to these answers. But not believing in the God of the Bible or not believing in the improbable story of the Gospels does not necessarily mean believing in nothing.
Think about it.
Then you can go take the selfie with the mirror.
It will be a nice photo, a good memory.
But with a few moments of reflection before, the photo might be more meaningful.
I do not write all this to evangelize.
I do not want to convert anyone: I am a Ghibelline.
But I strongly believe in some ideals.
And I am convinced that everyone must ask themselves what they believe in.
I am also sure of one thing: in the end, we all must die.
Sooner or later, some questions must be asked. Better sooner than later.
You can therefore use the visit to this church to ask yourself some questions.
I refer to these other in-depth articles:
This site is managed independently and is not affiliated in any way with the Jesuit Order, the Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola, its parish, or the Diocese of Rome.
For official information, please consult directly the official sources of the Diocese of Rome or the Jesuit Order.