The church is believed to have originated in the 3rd or 4th century as a meeting-place for the first Christians of Rome and an institution for aiding the poor, in the home of the lady Cyriaca. The name is thought to reflect its origins, as 'domnica' is probably a corruption of 'dominicum', a common Latin word for 'church', and especially for house-churches. It was built on the site of a Roman barracks. Her family's cemetery was where the basilica San Lorenzo fuori le Mura stands, and it was Cyriaca who arranged the burial of St Lawrence, deacon and martyr. St Lawrence used to hand out alms to the poor here.

The present church is from the time of Pope Paschal I, who had it rebuilt 818...822. Many of the older elements were preserved, but side apses were added in the Eastern style.

Alterations were made by the titular priest of the church, Giovanni Cardinal de'Medici, who later became Pope Leo X (1513-1521), with Andrea Sansovino as architect.

Church is also known as Santa Maria della Navicella after the small marble boat (navicella) in the piazza. The boat is a 16th century copy of an ancient one. The copy was placed here by сardinal de'Medici.

At the present time, the titular priest of the church is H.E. Luigi cardinal Poggi.

место:
адрес:
10 Piazza Navicella

история:
In the baptistery there are modern paintings.

история:
The crypt is interesting, with many fragments of sculpture.

история:
The portico was added by Sansovino in the 1513.
Inspired by the work of Bramante, it has often been attributed to Raphael, but it is now known that it was Sansovino who designed it.

история:
The apse mosaics are from the 9th century, commissioned by Pope Paschal I (817-824). In the vault of the central apse, the Pope is kneeling at the feet of the Blessed Virgin, and this is one of the earliest examples of a mosaic where the Madonna is in the centre. The choice of motif should be seen as a protest against iconoclasm, which was still rampant in the East at the time, and both the Byzantine style of the mosaics and the Eastern elements in the architecture indicates the Greek exilees were involved when the church was built and decorated. Notice that the Holy Father has a square halo, which tells us that he was still alive when the mosaic was made. Above this is a mosaic frieze with Christ sitting on a rainbow with the 12 apostles approaching from the sides.

On the triumphal arch is an image of Christ between two angels and the apostles, and below the Moses and Elijah.

High up on the wall is a painted frieze in the Renaissance style made by Pierino del Vaga to a design by Giulio Romano, a student of Raphael.