The Church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva is one of the main churches of the Catholic monastic order of the Dominicans. First Christian Church on this site was built directly on the ruins of the temple dedicated to the Egyptian goddess ISIS, which was erroneously ascribed to the Greco-Roman goddess Minerva - hence the name of the Church. The temple is situated on the Piazza della Minerva in the old urban area "field of Mars".

Santa Maria Sopra Minerva with 1557 is a titular Church and 1566 — bears the title "minor Basilica". Over the years, the building of the Church and the adjacent monastery was the headquarters of the Dominican order. Today the headquarters of the order is located in the Roman convent of Santa Sabina.

While many of the medieval Church of Rome were rebuilt in the Baroque style, which completely concealed their original Gothic appearance, Santa Maria Sopra Minerva remains the only Roman Church has kept the original Gothic look. Among the works of art that adorn the Church can be called the Michelangelo statue "Cristo della Minerva, also known as "Christ the Savior" (early 15th century), and the cycle of frescoes by Filippino Lippi in the Carafa chapel (late 15th century). Here you can see the tombs of Popes Leo X and Clement VII by Antonio da Sangallo the younger, the tomb of fra Angelico and the memorial to Maria Raggi by Bernini.

In the era of Ancient Rome on the site of the present Basilica and the buildings of the former monastery was located three temples — the so-called Minerve dedicated to the goddess Minerva (C. 50 BC), Iseum dedicated to the goddess ISIS, and Serapeum devoted to the Hellenistic to the God Serapis. In 1665 in the garden of the monastery cloister was discovered Egyptian obelisk. Later, near the Church there were found several obelisks, which were probably brought to Rome in the 1st century and belonged to the temple of ISIS. Around the 8th century temples were completely Christianized, and in the 13th century, the Dominican order established in the Church of the monastery — the whole complex of buildings became known as the Insula sapientiae" ("island of knowledge").

The construction of a modern Gothic Church begun in 1280 — the Dominicans took a sample of the Florentine Church of Santa Maria Novella. Using money donated by Pope Boniface VIII in the 14th century were built the side aisles of the Church, and in 1453 finally ended interior decoration. In the same year, count Francesco Orsini funded the construction of the facade, however, the facade remained unfinished until 1725-year. In the 16th century by Giuliano da Sangallo changed the area of the Church choir, and in 1600, Carlo Maderno expanded the apse, added Baroque decorations and gave the facade to its present appearance in the Renaissance style. Interestingly, on the facade of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva is possible to see some of the marks of the 16th and 17th centuries, indicating the raising water level during the floods of the Tiber. In the years 1848-1855 Girolamo Bianchedi had restored the Church, which removed most of the Baroque elements and white walls were covered with neo-Gothic frescos, which gives the building a neo-Gothic look.

In front of the Church Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, you can see one of the most curious monuments of Rome, the so-called "Pulcino della Minerva. This statue, created by architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini and executed by his pupil Ercole Ferrata in 1667, depicts an elephant that is holding the Egyptian obelisk. It is the shortest of the 11 obelisks of Rome. While a monument in the nation was known as "Porcine" ("pig"), and then became known as Pulcino ("chicken"). This is probably due to the small height of the obelisk.

Inside the Church in addition to the above Carafa chapel worth a visit chapel Capranica, Aldobrandini and the chapel raimunda de Penyafort, a Catholic Saint.