After Saint Martina was brutally martyred in 228 for refusing to forsake her Christianity, she became the patron saint of Rome. The original church dedicated to her was built overlooking the Roman Forum during the 7th century. Nearly 1,000 years later, Baroque painter Pietro da Cortona championed the church’s reconstruction. During his excavation work in 1634, he claimed to have uncovered the relics of Saint Martina. Shown here is the hemispherical dome. The upper drum is constructed from travertine limestone. Since 1589, the Catholic church has also honored San Luca (Saint Luke) when it was gifted to a society of artists named Accademia di San Luca.
