Chiesa e Convento di San Paolo

The church and convent of San Paolo in Albano Laziale combine a medieval foundation with later Baroque and neoclassical changes. The complex is also associated with devotion to San Gaspare del Bufalo, founder of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood.

Why it matters

The foundation is placed around 1282 and linked to Cardinal Giacomo Savelli, who later became Pope Honorius IV. Its history connects the Savelli family’s patronage with Albano’s religious landscape.

What to notice

The interior reflects an eighteenth-century restoration, while the facade has a nineteenth-century neoclassical character. A painting of the anointing of Saint Paul is associated with Pietro da Cortona’s artistic circle. The nave vault has a fresco attributed to Gagliardi, and a side chapel preserves the connection with San Gaspare’s cult.

Context and history

Gaspar van Wittel depicted the church and convent in 1710 in connection with Pope Clement XI’s visit to Albano. Marco Antonio Colonna commissioned restoration in 1769, altering the interior. Later work reshaped the facade, while devotion to San Gaspare added another strand to the history of the San Paolo complex.