The Church of the Gesù in Rome was consecrated in 1584.
The consecration took place on 25 November 1584, when Cardinal Giulio Antonio Santorio acted as the delegate of Pope Gregory XIII. The church had been begun in 1568 and was substantially completed by 1580, so its consecration followed several years of construction and finishing work.
The Gesù is the mother church of the Society of Jesus, or Jesuits. Its design originated with Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola, while Giacomo della Porta completed the building and created its influential façade. The church’s broad nave, limited side aisles, and emphasis on preaching suited the Counter-Reformation priorities of the Jesuit order.
A frequent mistake is to use 1568, the groundbreaking year, or 1580, the completion date, as the answer. The date 1605 is associated with later church history, not the Gesù’s consecration. Its façade and richly decorated interior helped establish models copied in Jesuit churches across Europe and beyond.