HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

San Crisogono is a church in
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
(rione Trastevere) dedicated to the martyr
Saint Chrysogonus Saint Chrysogonus ( it, San Crisogono) is a saint and martyr of ancient Rome venerated by the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church. Life Chrysogonus was martyred at Aquileia, probably during the Diocletianic Persecution (303–311 CE), ...
. It was one of the tituli, the first
parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...
es of Rome, and was probably built in the 4th century under Pope Sylvester I (314–335). The area beneath the sacristy was investigated by Fr. L. Manfredini and Fr. C. Piccolini in 1907. They found remains of the first church. The area was then excavated and studied. The church is served by
Trinitarians , logo = Trynitarze.svg , logo_size = 150px , logo_caption = Flag of the Trinitarians , image = Signumordinis.gif , image_size = 200px , caption = Mosaic of Jesus Christ us ...
. Among the previous
Cardinal Priest A cardinal ( la, Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae cardinalis, literally 'cardinal of the Holy Roman Church') is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. Cardinals are created by the ruling pope and typically hold the title for life. Col ...
s was Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci (1853–1878), elected
Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII ( it, Leone XIII; born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was the head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 to his death in July 1903. Living until the age of 93, he was the second-old ...
. San Crisogono is the
station church Station days were days of fasting in the early Christian Church, associated with a procession to certain prescribed churches in Rome, where the Mass and Vespers would be celebrated to mark important days of the liturgical year. Although other citi ...
for Monday, the fifth week of Lent.


History

Built in the 4th century under Pope Sylvester I (314–335), ''San Crisogono'' is one of the first
parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...
es of Rome. Chrysogonus was martyred in Aquileia probably during the persecution of Diocletian, was buried there, and publicly venerated by the faithful of that region. Very early the veneration of this martyr was transferred to Rome. The first mentioned of the church (''Titulus Chrysogoni'') is in the signatures of the Roman Synod of 499. It is possible that the founder of the church was a certain Chrysogonus, and that, on account of the similarity of name, the church was soon devoted to the veneration of the martyr of Aquileia; it is also possible that from the beginning, for some unknown reason, it was consecrated to St. Chrysogonus and takes its name from him. In 731
Pope Gregory III Pope Gregory III ( la, Gregorius III; died 28 November 741) was the bishop of Rome from 11 February 731 to his death. His pontificate, like that of his predecessor, was disturbed by Byzantine iconoclasm and the advance of the Lombards, in which ...
restored the church and founded a monastery dedicated to ''Sancti Stephani, Laurentii et Chrysogoni''. The original monks were of the Byzantine rite. The church was rebuilt in 1123t by
John of Crema John of Crema (Giovanni da Crema) (died before 27 January 1137) was an Italian papal legate and cardinal. He was a close supporter of Pope Callistus II. Cardinal Giovanni, the son of Olricus and Rathildis, was a native of Crema, a town 17km nort ...
, and again in 1626 by Giovanni Battista Soria, funded by
Scipione Borghese Scipione Borghese (; 1 September 1577 – 2 October 1633) was an Italian Cardinal, art collector and patron of the arts. A member of the Borghese family, he was the patron of the painter Caravaggio and the artist Bernini. His legacy is the establ ...
."Basilica of San Crisogono ", Religiana
/ref> A further renovation was carried out in the mid-1860s, shortly after the basilica was placed in the care of the Trinitarian Order.


Art and architecture

The bell tower dates from the 12th century rebuilding. The interior of the church was rebuilt in the 1620s on the site of a 12th-century church. The 22 granite columns in the
nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...
are reused antique columns. The floor is
cosmatesque Cosmatesque, or Cosmati, is a style of geometric decorative inlay stonework typical of the architecture of Medieval Italy, and especially of Rome and its surroundings. It was used most extensively for the decoration of church floors, but was also u ...
. The confessio in the
sanctuary A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred place, such as a shrine. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This secondary use can be categorized into human sanctuary, a sa ...
area is from the 8th century."San Crisogono", Churches of Rome
/ref> The
high altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paganis ...
is from 1127, with a baldachino from (1627 or 1641) by G.B Soria. The painting in the middle of the Baroque
coffered ceiling A coffer (or coffering) in architecture is a series of sunken panels in the shape of a square, rectangle, or octagon in a ceiling, soffit or vault. A series of these sunken panels was often used as decoration for a ceiling or a vault, als ...
is by Guercino, and depicts the ''Glory of Saint Chrysogonus''. It is likely a copy of the original,"Basilica of Saint Crisogono", Turismo Roma, Major Events, Sport, Tourism and Fashion Department
/ref> which is thought to have been taken to London. On the left side of the nave is the shrine of Blessed Anna Maria Taigi, buried here in the habit of a
tertiary Tertiary ( ) is a widely used but obsolete term for the geologic period from 66 million to 2.6 million years ago. The period began with the demise of the non-avian dinosaurs in the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, at the start ...
of the Trinitarians. Blessed Anna Maria Taigi (1769-1837) was a Christian mystic beatified in 1920. Above the altar is a painting by Aronne Del Vecchio of the Trinitarian Saints in Glory. Visitors can view some of her other belongings in the adjacent
monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whi ...
, where they are
venerated Veneration ( la, veneratio; el, τιμάω ), or veneration of saints, is the act of honoring a saint, a person who has been identified as having a high degree of sanctity or holiness. Angels are shown similar veneration in many religions. Etym ...
as relics. The monument at the left of the entrance, dedicated to Cardinal Giovanno Jacopo Millo was completed by Carlo Marchionni and
Pietro Bracci Pietro Bracci (1700–1773) was an Italian sculptor working in the Late Baroque manner. Biography He was born in Rome and became a student of Giuseppe Bartolomeo Chiari and Camillo Rusconi. His most familiar works are the colossal ''Oceanus' ...
. Along the right side of the nave are the remains of frescoes, including a ''Santa Francesca Romana'' and a ''Crucifixion'', attributed to Paolo Guidotti and transferred from the Church of Saints Barbara and Catherine. The nave also displays a painting of ''Three Archangels'' by Giovanni da San Giovanni and a ''Trinity and Angels'' by
Giacinto Gimignani Giacinto Gimignani (1606 – December 9, 1681) was an Italian painter, active mainly in Rome, during the Baroque period. He was also an engraver in aquaforte. Biography Gimignani was born in Pistoia, where his father, Alessio (1567–1651) wa ...
, while the altar has a ''Guardian Angel'' by Ludovico Gimignani. The presbytery and ciborium (or baldachin), created by Soria, are surrounded by four
alabaster Alabaster is a mineral or rock that is soft, often used for carving, and is processed for plaster powder. Archaeologists and the stone processing industry use the word differently from geologists. The former use it in a wider sense that include ...
columns. The
apse In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an '' exedra''. ...
has frescoes of the ''Life of Saint Crisogono'' (16th century) above a ''Madonna & Child with Saints Crisogono & James'' by the 12th century school of
Pietro Cavallini Pietro Cavallini (1259 – c. 1330) was an Italian painter and mosaic designer working during the late Middle Ages. Biography Little is known about his biography, though it is known he was from Rome, since he signed ''pictor romanus''. His fir ...
. The presbytery
vault Vault may refer to: * Jumping, the act of propelling oneself upwards Architecture * Vault (architecture), an arched form above an enclosed space * Bank vault, a reinforced room or compartment where valuables are stored * Burial vault (enclosure ...
is frescoed with a Virgin by
Giuseppe Cesari Giuseppe Cesari (14 February 1568 – 3 July 1640) was an Italian Mannerist painter, also named Il Giuseppino and called ''Cavaliere d'Arpino'', because he was created ''Cavaliere di Cristo'' by his patron Pope Clement VIII. He was much patronize ...
. The inscriptions found in San Crisogono, a valuable source illustrating the history of the church, have been collected and published by Vincenzo Forcella.


Excavations

Remains from the first church, possibly from the reign of
Constantine I Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to Constantine the Great and Christianity, convert to Christiani ...
were discovered in 1907, and are accessed by a staircase in the sacristy. A semi-circular apse is visible. Brickwork in the apse area, datable to the 2nd century, seem to relate to a fairly high-status private house, part of which was converted into a church in the 4th century. The church had a single nave."Basilica of San Crisogono", Atlas Obscura, September 9, 2019
/ref> On either side of the apse are rooms known as ''
pastophoria Pastophorion ( el, παστοφόριον, translit=pastophorium) is one of two chambers within an early Christian and Eastern Christian church building used as sacristies—the diakonikon and the prothesis. Originally, in the Greek Old Testament ...
'', service rooms of a type common in Eastern churches. The one on the right-hand side is thought to have been used as a diaconium, with functions resembling those of the sacristy. The other may have been a baptistry. A number of basins found there during the excavations, including one cut into the south wall, could mean that it was a '' fullonica'', a laundry and dye-house. The area was a commercial district at the time, so this is quite likely. Others think that the basin in the south wall was made for
baptism Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost ...
by immersion. As there were other basins too, it seems more likely that it was originally intended for a different use, but it may very well have been used as a baptismal font after the building had been consecrated as a church. Benedictines acquired the premises in the 10th century and added a series of frescoes depicting scenes from the life of Benedict of Nursia. Other frescoes are from the 8th to the 11th century, and include '' Pope Sylvester Capturing the Dragon'', '' St Pantaleon Healing the Blind Man'', and ''The Rescue of St Placid''. Several
sarcophagi A sarcophagus (plural sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a box-like funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from the Greek ...
have been preserved here, some beautifully decorated. Below the first church are remains of earlier Roman houses.


Liturgy

The shrine was for many centuries the national church of the
Sardinians The Sardinians, or Sards ( sc, Sardos or ; Italian and Sassarese: ''Sardi''; Gallurese: ''Saldi''), are a Romance language-speaking ethnic group native to Sardinia, from which the western Mediterranean island and autonomous region of Italy de ...
and the
Corsicans The Corsicans ( Corsican, Italian and Ligurian: ''Corsi''; French: ''Corses'') are a Romance ethnic group. They are native to Corsica, a Mediterranean island and a territorial collectivity of France. Origin The island was populated since ...
resident in Rome. Starting with the 16th century, the Corsicans immigrated in the city settled in the
Tiber Island The Tiber Island ( it, Isola Tiberina, Latin: ''Insula Tiberina'') is the only river island in the part of the Tiber which runs through Rome. Tiber Island is located in the southern bend of the Tiber. The island is boat-shaped, approximately ...
and in that part of Trastevere lying between the Port of Ripa Grande and the church. In the interior are buried several commanders of the Corsican Guard, a
militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...
analogue to the
Swiss guard The Pontifical Swiss Guard (also Papal Swiss Guard or simply Swiss Guard; la, Pontificia Cohors Helvetica; it, Guardia Svizzera Pontificia; german: Päpstliche Schweizergarde; french: Garde suisse pontificale; rm, Guardia svizra papala) is ...
, which was active in Rome between the 15th and the 17th century. The feast day of St Chrysogonus, 24 November, is also the dedication day of the church. Pilgrims and other faithful who attend Mass on this day receive a plenary
indulgence In the teaching of the Catholic Church, an indulgence (, from , 'permit') is "a way to reduce the amount of punishment one has to undergo for sins". The ''Catechism of the Catholic Church'' describes an indulgence as "a remission before God of ...
.


Cardinal priests of San Crisogono

*
Stephen Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; ...
(745-752), Priest elected Pope, but died before consecration * Frederick of Lorraine (1057-1057}, appointed 14 June, elected pope 2 August. *
Bernard degli Uberti Bernardo degli Uberti (c. 1060 – 4 December 1133) was an Italian Roman Catholic prelate who was a professed member and served as an abbot of the Vallumbrosan Order. Uberti served as the Bishop of Parma from 1106 until his death and was appointed ...
(1097-1111?), Bishop of Parma * Gregorius (c. 1111—1113) * Theodericus (c. 1113—1116) * Giovanni da Crema (c. 1117—before 1137)Hüls, pp. 176-178. * Berardo dei Marsi (1130-1136), Bishop of Avezzano * Bernardo (1136-1138), Priest * Guido Bellagi (1138-1158), Priest * Ardicio Rivoltella (1158-1165), Priest * Pietro (1173-1180), Meaux * Bonadies de Bonadie (1186-1186), Priest *
Stephen Langton Stephen Langton (c. 1150 – 9 July 1228) was an English Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and Archbishop of Canterbury between 1207 and his death in 1228. The dispute between King John of England and Pope Innocent III over his ...
(1205-1228), Archbishop of Canterbury *
Robert Somercotes Robert Somercotes (sometimes Somercote) (died 26 September 1241) was an English Cardinal. He took part in the Papal conclave, 1241, but died during it. It was rumoured at the time that he was ''papabile'' and was poisoned, to prevent his election. ...
(1239-1241), Priest * Raymond Le Roux (January 1325-November 1325), Protonotarius Apostolico * Pierre Cyriac (20 September 1342 – 1351), Priest *
Guy de Boulogne Guy of Boulogne (1313 – 25 November 1373) was a statesman and cardinal who served the Avignon Papacy for 33 years. He participated in the papal conclaves of 1352, 1362 and 1370, and was the Subdean of the Sacred College of Cardinals. His dipl ...
(1351-1373), Archbishop of Lyon * Corrado Caracciolo (12 June 1405 – 15 February 1411), Bishop of Mileto * Antão Martins de Chavez (8 July 1440 – 6 July 1447), Bishop of Porto * Antonio Cerdà i Lloscos (17 February 1448 – 12 September 1459), Archbishop of Modena * Giacomo Ammannati-Piccolomini (8 January 1462 – 17 August 1477), Bishop of Pavia * Girolamo Basso della Rovere (17 September 1479 – 31 August 1492), Bishop of Renacati * Giovanni Battista Ferrari (5 January 1500 – 20 July 1502), Bishop of Modena * Adriano di Castello (12 June 1503 – 5 July 1518), Bishop of Hereford *
Albrecht von Brandenburg Cardinal Albert of Brandenburg (german: Albrecht von Brandenburg; 28 June 149024 September 1545) was a German cardinal, elector, Archbishop of Mainz from 1514 to 1545, and Archbishop of Magdeburg from 1513 to 1545. Biography Early career Bor ...
(5 July 1518 – 5 January 1521), Bishop of Mainz * Eberhard von Der Mark (5 January 1521 – 27 February 1538), Archbishop of Valencia *
Girolamo Aleandro Girolamo Aleandro (also Hieronymus Aleander; 13 February 14801 February 1542) was an Italian cardinal, and . Life Aleandro was born on 13 February 1480 in Motta di Livenza, in the province of Treviso, part of the Republic of Venice. He studied ...
(20 March 1538 – 1 February 1542), Archbishop of Brindisi-Oria * Pietro Bembo (15 February 1542 – 17 October 1544), Bishop of Bergamo *
Uberto Gambara Uberto Gambara (1489–1549) was an Italian Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal. Biography Uberto Gambara was born in Brescia on 23 January 1489, the son of Gianfrancesco Gambara and Alda Pio di Carpi. Veronica Gambara was his sister. When he ...
(17 October 1544 – 14 February 1549), Bishop of Tortona *
Jean du Bellay Jean du Bellay (1492 – 16 February 1560) was a French diplomat and cardinal, a younger brother of Guillaume du Bellay, and cousin and patron of the poet Joachim du Bellay. He was bishop of Bayonne by 1526, member of the ''Conseil privé'' ( ...
(25 February 1549 – 28 February 1550), Archbishop of Bourdeaux * Antoine Sanguin de Meudon (28 February 1550 – 25 November 1559), Bishop of Limoges * Cristoforo Madruzzo (16 January 1560 – 13 March 1560), Bishop of Brixen * Jean Bertrand (13 March 1560 – 4 December 1560), Archbishop of Sens *
Charles II de Bourbon-Vendôme Charles II of Bourbon (1562–1594), known as ''Cardinal de Vendôme'' and later as ''Cardinal de Bourbon'', was a prince of the blood of the House of Bourbon. When his Protestant cousin became King Henry IV of France in 1589, he raised the hopes ...
(15 January 1561 – 9 May 1590), Archbishop of Rouen * Domenico Pinelli (14 January 1591 – 22 April 1602), Bishop of Fermo * Camillo Borghese (22 April 1602 – 16 May 1605), Bishop of Montalcino * Carlo Conti) (1 June 1605 – 17 August 1605), Bishop of Ancona e Umana * Scipione Caffarelli-Borghese (17 August 1605 – 2 October 1633), Archbishop of Bologna *
Pietro Maria Borghese Pietro Maria Borghese (1599 - 15 June 1642) was an Italian Catholic Cardinal. Early life Borghese was born in 1599 in Siena, the son of Marcantonio Borghese and Camilla Orsini. Despite the rampant nepotism that was to later define papal politi ...
(19 December 1633 – 15 June 1642), Priest * Fausto Poli (31 August 1643 – 7 October 1653), Bishop of Orvieto * Lorenzo Imperiali (23 March 1654 – 21 September 1673), Priest * Giovanni Battista Spada (24 September 1673 – 23 January 1675), Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals * Carlo Pio di Savoia (28 January 1675 – 1 December 1681), Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals *
Paluzzo Paluzzi Altieri degli Albertoni Paluzzo Paluzzi Altieri degli Albertoni (8 June 1623 – 29 June 1698) was an Italian Catholic Cardinal and Cardinal-Nephew to Pope Clement X. Biography Altieri was born Paluzzo Paluzzi degli Albertoni in Rome, the eldest of two sons to Anton ...
(1 December 1681 – 13 November 1684), Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Faith * Guilio Spinola (13 November 1684 – 28 February 1689), Bishop of Lucca * Fabrizio Spada (23 May 1689 – 30 April 1708), elevated to Cardinal-Priest of Santa Prassede * Filippo Antonio Gualterio (30 April 1708 – 29 January 1724), elevated to Cardinal Priest of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere * Prospero Marefoschi (29 January 1725 – 19 November 1725), elevated to Cardinal Priest of San Callisto * Giulio Alberoni (20 September 1728 – 29 August 1740), elevated to Cardinal Priest of San Lorenzo in Lucina * Sigismund von Kollonitsch (29 August 1740 – 12 April 1751) * Giovanni Giacomo Millo (10 December 1753 – 16 November 1757) * Giovanni Battista Rovero (2 August 1758 – 9 October 1766) * Filippo Maria Pirelli (1 December 1766 – 10 January 1771) * Francesco Maria Banditi (18 December 1775 – 27 January 1796) * Vincenzo Pecci (22 December 1853 – 20 February 1878), elected pope Leo XIII * Friedrich Egon von Fürstenberg (27 February 1880 – 20 August 1892) *
Philipp Krementz Philipp Krementz (1 December 1819 – 6 May 1899) was a German Catholic bishop, created Cardinal in 1893. Philipp Krementz was born, the son of a butcher, in Koblenz in 1837 and began to study theology in Bonn, which he continued in Munich in 183 ...
(19 January 1893 – 6 May 1899) * Francesco di Paola Cassetta (22 June 1899 – 27 March 1905), elevated to Cardinal
Bishop of Sabina A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ...
* Pietro Maffi (18 April 1907 – 17 March 1931) *
Theodor Innitzer Theodor Innitzer (25 December 1875 – 9 October 1955) was Archbishop of Vienna and a cardinal of the Catholic Church. Early life Innitzer was born in Neugeschrei (Nové Zvolání), part of the town Weipert (Vejprty) in Bohemia, at that time ...
(13 March 1933 – 9 October 1955) *
Antonio María Barbieri Antonio María Barbieri, O.F.M. Cap. (October 12, 1892 – July 6, 1979), born Alfredo Barbieri, was an Uruguayan cardinal of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Montevideo from 1940 to 1976, and was elevated to the cardinalate. Bi ...
(15 December 1958 – 6 July 1979) *
Bernard Yago Bernard Yago (July 1916 – 5 October 1997) was an Ivoirian Cardinal of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Abidjan from 1960 to 1994 and was made cardinal in 1983. Biography Bernard Yago was born in Pass, Yopougon, and stu ...
(2 February 1993 – 5 October 1997) * Paul Shan Kuo-hsi (21 February 1998 – 22 August 2012) * Andrew Yeom Soo-jung (2 February 2014 – present)


References


Bibliography

*Apollonj-Ghetti, Bruno Maria (1966). ''S. Crisogono''. Le chiese di Roma illustrate, 92. (Roma, 1966). *Cigola, Michela
"La basilica di s. Crisogono in Roma. Un rilievo critico"
numero monografico del ''Bollettino del Centro di Studi per la Storia dell'Architettura'', n. 35, Roma, dicembre 1989. *Cigola M., "La basilica paleocristiana di san Crisogono," ''Archeologia'' XXV, numero 6/7, giugno luglio 1986, pp. 14-15. *Cigola M., "La basilica di san Crisogono in Roma," ''Alma Roma'' XXV, numero 5-6, settembre-dicembre 1984, pp. 45-57.


External links

*High-resolution 360° Panoramas and Images o
San Crisogono , Art Atlas


{{DEFAULTSORT:Rome, San Crisogono San Crisogono 4th-century churches 5th-century churches Titular churches Trinitarian Order San Crisogono