A spectacular show takes place every weekend inside the Church of the Gesù, just a few steps from the Pantheon.
Step inside at 5:30 PM on Saturdays or Sundays, and you’ll witness the Macchina Barocca (the “Baroque Machine”) 🤩
But what is it?
It’s a theatrical show designed to inspire faith. As it unfolds, you are drawn into the story and faith of St Ignatius.
A bit of context…
The Church of the Gesù (Chiesa del Gesù, in Italian) is the mother church of the Jesuit order, whose founder was Ignatius of Loyola.
The Jesuits have always been very successful at evangelizing because of their great communication skills. They knew how to reach people’s hearts. And here, you can get a sense of that 😊
The church we see today was built in the 1600s. After the period of the Counter-Reformation (when many people turned away from the Church of Rome due to scandals and a loss of trust), the Church sought to bring as many people back as possible. And the Baroque Machine was one of the ways it did so.
Here’s a closer look at how the show unfolds.
📍You’ll find it in Piazza del Gesù
