Chiesa Anglicana di Tutti i Santi

All Saints' Anglican Church on Via del Babuino is a High Victorian Gothic building designed by George Edmund Street. Its red brick and white marble exterior, richly coloured interior and English liturgical features distinguish it among Rome's churches.

Why it matters

The Anglican community in Rome dates its chaplaincy to 1816, when services were held in rented rooms. The present church became a permanent home for the community and a major late work by Street, one of the leading architects of the Gothic Revival. Its design combines Victorian Gothic with references to Italian architecture.

What to notice

The façade sets red brick against white marble in bands of polychrome masonry. Inside, columns and pillars use green Carrara, red Perugia, black Verona and yellow Siena marble. Mosaic roundels and stained-glass windows depict biblical subjects, saints and figures associated with Rome. The church also preserves a marble reredos, a marble pulpit dedicated to Canon Henry Watson Wasse, a chancel screen commemorating Cecilia Walpole and a baptismal font decorated with a fish symbol.

Context and history

Street prepared an initial design in 1872 and visited Rome in 1876. Work on the site began in 1880, and the foundation stone was laid on 10 April 1882. The chancel was roofed by 1885, the year Street died; his son Arthur completed the church, with Canon Wasse helping to fund the remaining work. The first services in the building were held on 10 April 1887. A steeple was added in 1937.