Congregation of the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri: Art & Culture International Conference

The Church of Santa Maria in Vallicella (Rome) was granted as the headquarters of the first Congregation of the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri; it was completely renovated soon after, and consecrated in 1577. This church is an artistic masterpiece, having received contributions from some of the most renowned artists and architects from the 16th century onwards. Whilst the Oratorians apparently never developed their own brand of "artistic style" - as occurred with other religious institutions -, the fact remains that they sponsored a vast number of works of art, often of considerable significance, forming a corpus that is yet to be studied in due depth.