The Church of St. Alphonsus Liguori is a 19th century convent and titular church just south-east of Santa Maria Maggiore in the rione Esquilino. It is dedicated to St. Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787), the founder of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. Although the name Sant'Alfonso has been used, it is generally known by the name of its famous icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Santa Maria di Perpetuo Soccorso.
The church is one of the rare examples of neo-Gothic architecture in Rome. It is one of the last papal churches of Rome, although the Redemptorists have possession of the church and its related complex.
History
It was built between 1855 and 1859 to the design of the English architect George Wigley. St Alphonse was the founder of the Redemptorist order, and the church belongs to the order's Generalate. It was built in the seventeen-century Villa Caetani and remarkably modified in the early 1900s by Maximilian Schmalzt.
The church was consecrated on July 6, 1859 by Card. Costantino Patrizi.
The church was restored for the centenary of the enthronement of the icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour in 1958. In 1995 the icon was restored to its original form. All later additions to the original icon such as crowns containing precious stones were removed. The sanctuary of the Church was renewed during the same period changing the setting for the original icon to the one presently seen.
