Within a stone's throw of the tourist-trodden Trevi Fountain you’ll find an oasis of calm in the heart of Rome - an old and impressive building, steeped in Irish history and a rich tradition of learning.
For four centuries the Collegio San Isidoro has been home to the Irish Franciscan community in Rome.
This institution was amongst a plethora of Irish colleges to emerge on the continent in the early part of the 17th century, as exiled Irish clergy, fleeing religious persecution in Ireland, sought refuge.
Since 1625 Saint Isidore’s has played a key role in the formation of generations of Franciscan friars. It is also a symbolic touchstone for both the resident and visiting Irish in Rome, an important landmark of Irish cultural identity in the city.
Today, St Isadore’s continues to offer both academic and spiritual sustenance for the Franciscan community in Rome and this year a series of events is being planned to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the college’s foundation.
As we leave the Barberini subway station we enter a narrow street, where three flights of steep steps lead us up to St Isidore’s.
We are greeted at the tall iron gates of the centuries-old bastion of learning by Fr Mícheál Mac Craith, a sprightly 79-year-old native of Armagh.
He is the Guardian of St Isidore’s and his passion for the place is immediately evident.
Following warm words of welcome, Fr Míchéal leads us from the gate up a slight incline, through a modest but pleasant garden. St Isidore’s rises before us, with its commanding white Rococo façade. Our host speaks with enthusiasm as he fills us in on some of the college’s rich history.
"Since the Reformation, especially since the time of Queen Elizabeth, it was impossible to study for the life of the priesthood in Ireland. So, the only alternative was to go to the continent where Irish Colleges had been founded for the exiles," Fr Mac Craith explains.
Having acquired the property from Spanish Franciscans (who encountered financial difficulty shortly after the initial stages of construction), the Irish College was established in St Isidore’s in 1625 by Waterford-born friar Luke Wadding.
The Franciscan college was the first of its kind in Rome and only the second Irish Franciscan community on the continent, after the establishment of the Irish college in Louvain in 1607.
Wadding was a courageous and ambitious figure in the Irish church and was highly respected for the depth of his theological thinking. His fame as a scholar even drew the admiration of the King of Spain who appointed him as a theological advisor.
I am surprised when Fr Mac Craith tells me that, through a combination of persuasion and persistence, Wadding was responsible for the adoption of St Patrick’s Day as an official feast-day on a new church calendar.
Fr Mac Craith is himself an esteemed academic, who spent 34 years lecturing in University College Galway, before taking up the position in Rome as Guardian of St Isidore’s in 2011.
He returned to Ireland in 2017 but is now enjoying his second period as Guardian of the college.
We climb the steps to a very grand portico where the main door is flanked by elegant paintings of St Patrick and St Brigid.
Fr Mícheál tells us the prominent positioning of 'native’ saints was a very deliberate act by Wadding and the Irish friars, indicating a desire to "announce to the Romans that the Irish had come to town".
We slowly manoeuvre between bays of scaffolding and open cement tins, as three conservationists are carefully repairing parts of the masonry. They have already completed the painstaking task of cleaning and conserving the paintings and frescoes on the walls and vaulted ceiling.
The specialised and expensive work is being carried out in preparation for the 400-year celebrations which will begin here next month.
"Over the centuries, there have been many poor attempts to conserve. It was well-intentioned but not very professional," Fr Mícheál explains.
"So, when they began this most recent work, they had to remove layers and layers of dirt and paint. Our aim is to bring it back as close as possible to its original state," he adds with conviction.
Fr Mícheál leaves us in no doubt as to the significance of the place and emphasises the Franciscans' deep sense of duty to preserve the old building to the highest possible standards.
"We are the oldest Irish institution in Rome, and it’s been a very important place in the history of the Irish Province."
"But in addition to that, Luke Wadding was a scholar, and he was a leading light in the investigation of the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception in the seventeenth century."
"So, St Isadore’s is not just an important place for Irish people, it’s an important place for the Franciscan community and an important place for the church," he adds.
We enter St Isidore’s through a side-door and as we weave our way through a maze of dark hallways decorated with religious paintings, stained glass and sculptures, it’s clear that this is more than just a place of prayer and study. St Isidore’s is an architectural prism through which Irish history can be viewed.
We are told the college was once a hotbed of Jacobite activity and that many of the friars trained here became martyrs for their faith upon secretly returning to Ireland to serve their congregations.
Every corridor and alcove of the college holds reminders of Ireland’s story and Fr Mícheál is keen to share them with us.
Having spent much of his life studying old manuscripts in the Irish language, Fr Mac Craith is especially proud to show us a poetic inscription as Gaeilge which was carved into a lintel-stone by the early Franciscans.
This, he says, is another statement of intent, a deliberate expression of linguistic and religious freedom. Such inscriptions in the native language were outlawed in Ireland during the 17th century.
The main church in St Isidore’s is a visual treasure, decorated extensively with elaborate and ornate metalwork, carvings and statues.
It is luminously enhanced by some of the finest examples of Italian religious art which adorns the walls and high ceiling.
Fr Mícheál has a deep appreciation for the beauty of the works held here and a sharp eye for the detail and subtleties they contain.
He tells us that it was here in St Isidore’s that the renowned artist Carlo Maratti received his very first commission, setting him on his way to artistic fame.
Three of Maratti’s works survive in one of the side chapels, including the famous ‘Flight into Egypt’ which features an image of Joseph and the Virgin hand in hand, an expression of intimacy rarely found in 17th century painting.
On the walls of the opposing side-chapel we are shown three empty frames - a stark and gaping reminder, we are told, of the ransacking of art carried out here during the French Revolution.
Fr Mícheál claims the quality of the library and archive, amassed by Luke Wadding, in St Isidore’s helped establish the college as one of Europe’s leading intellectual centres.
He tells us that St Isidore now boasts one of the world’s most important archives for the study of early Franciscan history.
The library contains over 24,000 volumes. It includes early manuscripts dating back to the 13th century and features an important collection of books in the Irish language.
Other aspects of Irish history held within the walls of St Isidore include a sculpted marble commemorative plaque with a direct link to Robert Emmet.
St Isidore was also home to two Irish Franciscan priests who collaborated closely with Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty in saving many Allied prisoners and Jews from death during World War II.
Exploring and evaluating that rich heritage will form a key part of the 400-year celebration of St Isidore’s.
In late May a major conference will be held in collaboration with the University of Notre Dame.
The three-day event will feature leading academics who specialise in various aspects of Irish history in Rome.
Attendees at the gathering can also enjoy a series of special readings from esteemed writers such as Liam Mac Cóil and Joseph O’Connor.
In honour of Luke Wadding’s calendrical contribution to the Patrician legacy, a very special Mass will also take place in St Isidore’s on St Patrick’s Day.
"Up to then, St Patrick was just another local Irish saint and Wadding insisted that he had to be celebrated everywhere, from Navan to Nagasaki. So, St Patrick’s Day as we know it, started here in 1630, so it will be a particularly special celebration of the feast-day this year," added Fr Mac Craith.
While the influence of the Irish in Rome may not carry the same weight as previous centuries, there remains a strong Hibernian footprint in the city.
Ireland has two embassies here, one to the State of Italy and another to the Holy See.
The Pontifical Irish College is another important seat of learning and cultural activity, while the Irish Dominicans still have a presence in San Clemente.
Fr Mícheál believes it’s important not only to remember the immensity of the Irish contribution Rome’s past, but also to highlight its influence in the contemporary context.
"I think the four hundred years that have passed is an indication of its importance in Irish history. The people that lived here, that visited here, that passed through the walls. It’s a wonderful legacy, that still continues today."
Before his unexpected posting to Rome in 2011, Fr Mícheál had spent many years in Galway studying and writing about the 17th century Gaelic literature of the exiled Irish in Europe.
The realisation that he himself has now followed in their footsteps brings a roguish smile to his face.
A case of life imitating research.