Located at the northern end of the famous Via Giulia in Rome, Italy, the Basilica of San Giovanni dei Fiorentini (St. John of the Florentines) is the official church of the Florentine community in Rome. In 1518, the Medici Pope Leo X staged a competition for the design of the church, which included, amongst others, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Baldasare Peruzzi as competitors. The winner was Jacopo Sansovino who took up the difficult task of building the church along the banks of the Tiber River. Construction continued well into the 17th century under the direction of Carlo Maderno (see the façade of St. Peter’s) who tried to make the dome more visible by elongating it, giving rise to its nickname – “il confetto succhiato” (“the sucked candy”). Buona visita!