A few steps from Palazzo Madama and Piazza Navona, the Church of San Luigi dei Francesi stands out.

Its late-Renaissance travertine façade enriched by the statues of Charlemagne, Saint Louis, Saint Clotilde, Saint Joan of Valois aimed at celebrating the power of France.

The church has been the national place of worship for the French people living in in Rome since 1589.

Is an unmissable stop on any self-respecting stroll through the streets of Rome's historic center.

A hidden treasure that will leave you speechless.

The Church of San Luigi dei Francesi was built starting in 1518 to accommodate the ever-growing French community in Rome.

Which at the end of the XV century only had a small chapel and a hospital dedicated to St Ludovico near Sant'Andrea della Valle.

Thanks to the push of Giulio de' Medici ( later Pope Clement VII ), work began on a new church.

Carried out by Domenico Fontana based on a design by Giacomo Della Porta, which ended on 8th October 1589 with the consecration of the Church of San Luigi dei Francesi.

Touring St Louis Of The French

The interior, divided into three naves with five chapels on each side and a rich central choir decorated with marble, is a true triumph of Baroque art.

In the second chapel of the right nave is the fresco Stories of St Cecilia by Domenichino while on the altar, a copy made by Guido Reni of Raphael's St Cecilia.

The guided tour of the Church of San Luigi dei Francesi will be an unmissable opportunity to appreciate in its precious entirety.

A church known internationally for the paintings by Caravaggio preserved here, which however do not exhaust the wonder of the site.

Will therefore be a journey inside a church that houses absolute masterpieces of Italian and French art between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

Discovering all those details and preciousness that often escape, overshadowed by the cumbersome presence of Caravaggio.

Booking & Travel

St Louis Of The French wheelchair accessible tours.

Unmissable visit at it with our Rome Accessible Tours.

Specifically tailored to wheelchair users, reduced mobility persons with an adapted transport.