Comunità San Luigi dei Francesi

This church is gorgeous, free to enter, they have Caravaggios, it’s just super cool.

Another turn on a street and another church to behold.
This one is simply gorgeous. The ceilings are amazing with their designs and paintings (I don’t think they were frescoes).
Google, map quest, anything,…just make sure you visit this church

It is not very hard to get jaded in Rome visiting all the wonderful little churches with there artwork and rich history.
This is a small church I visited on my way to see several must see churches in Rome. It was on my way so I stopped in. It is small compared to the more visited churches in Rome but well worth the visit.

Seat of the cardinal of Paris in Rome and the heart of the city’s French community, San Luigi dei Francesi houses three outstanding paintings by Michelango de Merisi, known as Caravaggio. It is also a riot of Roman baroque art.
History
Cardinal Giulio di Giuliano de’ Medici (later to became Pope Clement VII) ordered a church to be built in 1518, not only to serve the French community living in Rome but also as the seat of his cardinalship. The French connection came in the form of Catherine de Medici, great niece to Giulio and wife of King Henry II of France, who donated funds for its construction.
The site chosen was a small church named Santa Maria owned by Medici family. Santa Maria had been built on the ruins of the Baths of Nero and the Baths of Agrippa, and had long served the French community in Rome, which operated a hospital for the infirm on the site.
Cardinal Giulio commissioned the architect, Jean de Chenevière, to build the church, based on plans by Giacomo della Porta, who had built Santissima Trinità dei Monti (the church at the top of the Spanish Steps). Construction of the church was halted in 1527, when Rome was sacked by troops of the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V. Building was resumed in 1580 under the direction of the architect Domenico Fontana, who had completed the Dome of Saint Peter’s.
Since the patron saint of France is King Louis IX, the church was dedicated to him, hence San Luigi. The French kings Henry II, Henry III and the latter’s mother, Catherine de’ Medici, donated funds for its completion. It was consecrated in 1589, the year Catherine died.
What to See
Façade
Credit for the façade goes to Giacomo della Porta, who also designed the façade of Il Gesu. Carved from lovely white travertine marble, the façade has two levels (or orders), on top of which sits a small peak. The coat of arms at the top belongs to the Valois Family, and carvings of salamanders represent King Francois I of France, who was the French monarch when the foundation was laid. Four statues depict Charlemagne, St. Louis, St. Clotilde (5^th century Queen of the Franks), and St. Joan of Valois (daughter of Louis XI).
Interior
The plan of the church is a basilica, that is, a rectangular shape without a transept. Originally a Counter-​Reformation church, it would have been quite austere. However, the wealth of the Medicis and the French kings resulted in its subsequent lavish decoration. A number of famous Italian and French artists worked on the interior. Charles Joseph Natoire, whose works also adorn Versailles palace, painted the ceiling fresco (1754), which depicts San Luigi ascending into heaven. It is surrounded by one of the richest and most ornate coffered ceilings in Rome.
The Polet Chapel, to the right of the altar, contains a cycle of frescoes (1612 – 14) by Domenichino, student of Caracci of the Bolognese school. The bright frescoes recount the dramatic events in the life of Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of musicians and church music. Legend has it that as Cecilia lay dying, three days after her throat was cut, she continued to sing «in her heart to the Lord.» Above the main altar hangs a painting by Francesco Bassano entitled The Assumption.
Contarelli Chapel and Works of Caravaggio
Amazingly, some descriptions of this church fail to mention that it contains three of the greatest and most influential paintings ever produced in Italy. Perhaps this has to do with the shadowy life of the man who painted them, Michelango di Merisi, known as Caravaggio, who later killed a man and spent the last four years of his life on the lam.
Then again, perhaps it has to do with the ambivalence of his paintings, which, though covering famous religious subjects, do not exactly inspire faith, either because of the dramatic content — decapitations, crucifixions, depositions from the cross, etc. — or because Caravaggio often used his friends as models, including prostitutes, card sharps, and other folk of dubious morals. One early travel guide to Rome says of him: «He painted chiefly plebian types.» What is true is that Caravaggio’s three paintings in the Contarelli Chapel changed the way that people looked at painting and influenced countless artists who followed.
The artist Cavalier D’Arpino received a commission to decorate the chapel for the French Cardinal Matteu Contreil (in Italian, Matteo Contarelli). Caravaggio was working as an apprentice for D’Arpino at the time, and when D’Arpino became too busy to complete the decoration, Caravaggio’s patron, Cardinal Francesco del Monte, helped attain the commission for the artist.
Contarelli’s will stated that the chapel contain works depicting the life of St. Matthew, Contarelli’s namesake (Matteo is the Italian form of Matthew).
Read the rest of my review on:

I’m not catholic, I aint even christian but here’s why I went. The tomb of Fredric Bastiat is here. Yep the same guy that wrote «the Law» or «Loi» So all you Anarcho Capitalists, Libertarians, or true Capitalists you want to come here.
The church is beautiful and as the review before me mentions, it is the National church of France in Rome, you do have 3 majors works by Caravaggio then why 3 stars?
–1 — for not knowing where the tomb of basitat is ! It took me a good 30 minutes to go thru the whole church to find it ! Its on the left, by the second set of paintings on the ground. You’re welcome
–1 — for making people pay for lighting to see the art works. I understand its a rough economy, we all understand the need for money, but this seemed a bit too much of a gouging even if it was just a few cents.

The National Church of France in Rome, this minor basilica is just a few blocks from Piazza Navona and in the heart of Centro Storico. Most visitors are here to see three major works by Caravaggio focusing on the life of St Matthew. There’s «The Inspiration», «The Martyrdom» and of course, the world famous «Calling of St Matthew».
It’s worth a stop to see the «Calling» alone — there’s no question it’s a masterpiece and one of the most powerful pieces of art in Rome… and that’s saying something. The church offers mass in French and enforces a reverent atmosphere.
Fun Fact — the San Luigi building next door has a bust of Jesus in their porch — supposedly the head is a portrait of Cesare Borgia. Cesare seems an unlikely candidate for this honor but perhaps the sculptor had a sense of humor?