ABSTRACT
The church of Santissima Trinita was situated along the western edge of the rectangular cortile adjacent to the hospice. The interior of Santissima Trinita was equally based on Roman precedent. The monastic complex and church were situated around a formal cortile with the church and sacristy straddling one entire side, and the dormitories and refectory occupying the other three wings. The combination of a church and monastery surrounding a formal cortile was a standard building type in eighteenth-century Rome, and had been given as a student competition at the Accademia di San Luca as recently as 1728. Like San Carlino, the facade of Santissima Trinita was treated as an autonomous organism, independent from the main body of the church or the neighbouring monastic complex. The case of Santissima Trinita reveals a number of compelling design issues and cultural problems that extend well beyond the value of relating a particular moment in eighteenth-century Rome.
