In 1967 the Vatican decided to set a competition for the design and the building of four new churches in four peripheral areas of Rome.
The projects had to comply with several new standards required by the liturgical reform ratified by the Second Vatican Council.
One of the four locations identified was in the western area of Ostia, a severely run down area, where the Municipality of Rome had arranged the Public Zone Plan n.55, which contained markets, schools, infrastructures and a church.
The winners of the competition for this church were the architects Francesco Berarducci, Giorgio Monaco and Giuseppe Rinaldi.
They proposed a building which was capable of integrating with the
difficult surrounding area.
The church has an inclined roof from which rise some elements that correspond to the internal functions.
The designers have symbolically used various geometrical shapes, like the circle for the space dedicated to the belivers.
The complex was only partially built due to economic problems and it was open to worship in 1982.
Via di Nostra Signora di Bonaria, 2