Dome

Detail, cupola on variant of model "Jonquille" (1425 sq. ft.); Located next to the church of SS Crocifisso di S Marcello, it served as a prayer hall and meeting house for the Confraternita del SS. Crocifisso. It is best known, like the Oratorio del Gonfalone which shares the same artists, for its Mannerist decorations. The structure was built by Giacomo Della Porta in 1568, near the church of San Marcello, for the Confraternity of the Crucifix, founded to venerate the Crucifix (crocefisso) from the nearby church. The confraternity was composed of some of the richest men in Rome, including the cardinals Ranuccio and Alessandro Farnese, nephews of the Pope. The theme of the interior decoration is the Triumph of the Cross. Beginning in 1639, the first performances of fifteen musical oratorios [oratories] by Giacomo Carissimi and Emilio de' Cavalieri occurred here. Source: Wikipedia; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page (accessed 7/25/2014)