The Minor Basilica of St. Lawrence in Damaso (Basilica Minore di San Lorenzo in Damaso) or simply San Lorenzo in Damaso is a parish and

titular church In the Catholic Church, a titular church is a church in Rome that is assigned to a member of the clergy who is created a cardinal. These are Catholic churches in the city, within the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Rome, that serve as honorary des ...

in central

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 ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

that is dedicated to

St. Lawrence Saint Lawrence or Laurence ( la, Laurentius, lit. " laurelled"; 31 December AD 225 – 10 August 258) was one of the seven deacons of the city of Rome under Pope Sixtus II who were martyred in the persecution of the Christians that the Roma ...

deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Chur ...

and

martyr A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...

. It is incorporated into the

Palazzo della Cancelleria The Palazzo della Cancelleria (Palace of the Chancellery, referring to the former Apostolic Chancery of the Pope) is a Renaissance palace in Rome, Italy, situated between the present Corso Vittorio Emanuele II and the Campo de' Fiori, in the rion ...

, which enjoys the extraterritoriality of the Holy See.

History

Archaeological evidence suggests the site, like those of many churches in Rome, may have formerly housed a pagan temple. The first documentary evidence of a church at this site is the reference in the synod of Pope Symmachus of AD 499 of a ''Titulus Damasi''. According to tradition, in the AD 380s a basilica church was erected by

Pope Damasus I Pope Damasus I (; c. 305 – 11 December 384) was the bishop of Rome from October 366 to his death. He presided over the Council of Rome of 382 that determined the canon or official list of sacred scripture. He spoke out against major heresies ( ...

in his own residence. This church is one of many in

dedicated to

, including the more ancient and then extra-urban Basilica di San Lorenzo Fuori le Mura, that was rebuilt by the same

. The original basilica of San Lorenzo in Damaso was demolished by Cardinal

Raffaele Riario Raffaele Sansoni Galeoti Riario (3 May 1461 – 9 July 1521) was an Italian Cardinal of the Renaissance, mainly known as the constructor of the Palazzo della Cancelleria and the person who invited Michelangelo to Rome. He was a patron of the ...

, a nephew of Pope Sixtus IV who commissioned the imposing

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...

-style

(1489–1513). The palace was built of spolia and stone from nearby ancient Roman buildings, including the

Colosseum The Colosseum ( ; it, Colosseo ) is an oval amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, just east of the Roman Forum. It is the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built, and is still the largest standing amphitheatre in the world t ...

, and enveloped the new basilica of San Lorenzo in Damaso under the right wing; the entrance is located at Number 1, Piazza della Cancelleria, on the right flank of the facade. Grundriss San Lorenzo in Damaso, Rom

The architect of the basilica, like that of the Palace of the Chancellery, is unknown. The design of the Palace has been attributed to

Francesco di Giorgio Martini Francesco di Giorgio Martini (1439–1501) was an Italian architect, engineer, painter, sculptor, and writer. As a painter, he belonged to the Sienese School. He was considered a visionary architectural theorist—in Nikolaus Pevsner's terms ...

and

Baccio Pontelli Baccio Pontelli (c. 1450 – 1492) was an Italian architect, who designed the Sistine Chapel in The Vatican City. Baccio is an abbreviation of Bartolomeo. Pontelli was born in Florence. Passing the phase of artistic formation with Giuliano and ...

, while

Filippo Titi Abate Filippo Titi was an Italian Roman Catholic Protonotary apostolic, and an art historian, best known for his inventory of the artistic content of churches in Rome, titled ''Studio di Pittura scoltura et architettura nelle Chiese di Roma'', publ ...

suggests

Donato Bramante Donato Bramante ( , , ; 1444 – 11 April 1514), born as Donato di Pascuccio d'Antonio and also known as Bramante Lazzari, was an Italian architect and painter. He introduced Renaissance architecture to Milan and the High Renaissance styl ...

and other authors have cited

Giuliano da Sangallo Giuliano da Sangallo (c. 1445 – 1516) was an Italian sculptor, architect and military engineer active during the Italian Renaissance. He is known primarily for being the favored architect of Lorenzo de' Medici, his patron. In this role, Giulia ...

and

Andrea Bregno Andrea di Cristoforo Bregno (1418–1506) was an Italian Renaissance sculptor and architect of the Early Renaissance who worked in Rome from the 1460s and died just as the High Renaissance was getting under way. Early life He was born in Oste ...

. Titi also independently attributed reconstruction of the basilica to Bramante. The last restoration was necessary after a fire damaged the basilica in 1944. The inscriptions in the basilica are valuable illustrations of the history of the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

, and were collected and published by Vincenzo Forcella. The

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 ...

of the ''Titulus S. Laurentii in Damaso'' is Antonio Rouco Varela, former Archbishop of

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the Largest cities of the Europ ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

Interior

up''Seated Hippolytus'' at Vatican The interior decoration was begun by commissions of the resident of the Palace, Cardinal Alessandro Farnese, in the late 16th century. Cavaliere d'Arpino painted the walls of the right counter-facade. The main altar hosts the painting of ''Saints and Coronation of St. Mary'' by

Federico Zuccari Federico Zuccaro, also known as Federico Zuccari (c. 1540/1541August 6, 1609), was an Italian Mannerist painter and architect, active both in Italy and abroad. Biography Zuccaro was born at Sant'Angelo in Vado, near Urbino (Marche). His docum ...

. Below the altar are the relics of Pope Eutychian and

. To the left of the altar is a copy of a statue of '' St. Hippolytus of Rome''; the original is a restored antique statue in the

Vatican Library The Vatican Apostolic Library ( la, Bibliotheca Apostolica Vaticana, it, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana), more commonly known as the Vatican Library or informally as the Vat, is the library of the Holy See, located in Vatican City. Formally es ...

. Tradition holds that

instigated the conversion of St. Hippolytus to the Catholic Faith. This copy was commissioned for the basilica by Cardinal Pietro Ottoboni.

Vignola Vignola (Emilian language#Dialects, Modenese: ; Bolognese dialect, Bolognese: ) is a city and ''comune'' in the province of Modena (Emilia-Romagna), Italy. Its economy is based on agriculture, especially fruit farming, but there are also mechani ...

designed the portal. Immediately to the right of the entrance is the

memorial to Alessandro Valtrini The ''Memorial to Alessandro Valtrini'' is a funerary monument designed by the Italian artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini in 1639, and executed by his workshop in the same year. It is situated in the church of the San Lorenzo in Damaso in Rome. It has s ...

, a minister of Pope Urban VIII, that Gian Lorenzo Bernini designed in 1639. The second vestibule has statues of St. Francis Xavier and

St. Charles Borromeo Charles Borromeo ( it, Carlo Borromeo; la, Carolus Borromeus; 2 October 1538 – 3 November 1584) was the Archdiocese of Milan, Archbishop of Milan from 1564 to 1584 and a Cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal of the Catholic Church. He was a lead ...

Stefano Maderno Stefano Maderno (''c.'' 1576 – 17 September 1636) was one of the greatest Roman sculptors of the early 17th century. Biography Information about Maderno's life is scarce and often contradictory. He was long supposed to have been a brothe ...

Chapels

Parione - san Lorenzo in Damaso - Pellegrino Rossi 01262

To the right of the entrance is a chapel designed by

Nicola Salvi Nicola Salvi or Niccolò Salvi (6 August 1697 (Rome) – 8 February 1751 (Rome)) was an Italian architect; among his few projects completed is the famous Trevi fountain in Rome, Italy. Biography Admitted to the Roman Academy of Arcadia in 1717 ...

and commissioned by Cardinal

Tommaso Ruffo Tommaso Ruffo (1663-1753) was an Italian archbishop of Ferrara and Cardinal. Life He was born in Naples, son of Carlo Ruffo, 3rd Duke of Bagnara. He was educated at La Sapienza University, becoming a doctor of canon and civil law. He was a pa ...

in the late 18th century. The ceiling is frescoed with ''Glory of San Nicola'' by

Corrado Giaquinto Corrado Giaquinto (8 February 1703 – 18 April 1766) was an Italian Rococo painter. Early training and move to Rome He was born in Molfetta. As a boy he apprenticed with a modest local painter Saverio Porta, (c1667–1725), escaping the rel ...

, and the altarpiece of ''Virgin with Sts.

Philip Neri Philip Romolo Neri ( ; it, italics=no, Filippo Romolo Neri, ; 22 July 151526 May 1595), known as the "Second Apostle of Rome", after Saint Peter, was an Italian priest noted for founding a society of secular clergy called the Congregation of ...

and Nicolò'' was painted by

Sebastiano Conca Sebastiano Conca (8 January 1680 – 1 September 1764) was an Italian painter. Biography He was born at Gaeta, then part of the Kingdom of Naples, and apprenticed in Naples under Francesco Solimena. In 1706, along with his brother Giovanni, who ...

. To the left of the entrance is the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, which was commissioned by Cardinal Ottoboni and frescoed by Andrea Casali. The altarpiece is the ''Last Supper'' by Vincenzo Berrettini. Inside the basilica, the first chapel to the right of the nave has a 19th-century monument to Prince Camillo Massimi and his wife, by Filippo Gnaccarini and Pietro Tenerani, respectively. The second chapel to the right has the tomb of Pellegrino Rossi, the last minister of the

Papal States The Papal States ( ; it, Stato Pontificio, ), officially the State of the Church ( it, Stato della Chiesa, ; la, Status Ecclesiasticus;), were a series of territories in the Italian Peninsula under the direct sovereign rule of the pope fro ...

under Bl. Pope Pius IX, by Pietro Tenerani. His murder in 1848 in the adjacent Palace was one of the events that led to the ensconcement of the Pope in the

Vatican City Vatican City (), officially the Vatican City State ( it, Stato della Città del Vaticano; la, Status Civitatis Vaticanae),—' * german: Vatikanstadt, cf. '—' (in Austria: ') * pl, Miasto Watykańskie, cf. '—' * pt, Cidade do Vati ...

and the annexation of the

to the

Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy ( it, Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia was proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to an institutional referendum to abandon the monarchy and f ...

. The first chapel to the left has the tomb and funerary monument of Cardinal

Ludovico Trevisan Ludovico Trevisan (November 1401 – March 22, 1465) was an Italian catholic prelate, who was the Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, Patriarch of Aquileia and Captain General of the Church. He succeeded his rival Giovanni Vitelleschi, a fellow ...

, Patriarch of Aquileia, with a recumbent statue by Paolo Romano. The second chapel to the left contains the tomb of Fra Annibal Caro (1566) by

Giovanni Antonio Dosio Giovanni Antonio Dosio (1533–1611) was an Italian architect and sculptor. Biography Dosio was born in San Gimignano. A student of Ammanati, with whom he realized the Villa dell'Ambrogiana, Dosio worked primarily in Rome (1548–75) and Flor ...

. A chapel near the sacristy has an altarpiece depicting the ''Madonna delle Gioie'' by

Nicolò Circignani Nicolò () is an Italian male given name. Another variation is Niccolò, most common in Tuscany. It may refer to: * Nicolò Albertini, statesman * Nicolò Amati, luthier * Nicolò Barella, Italian footballer * Nicolò Barattieri, Italian enginee ...

, denominated "il Pomarancio", and two silver statues of

and St. Damaso by Ciro Ferri. A further chapel is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of the Agonizing Jesus, and contains a portrait of

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 ...

proclaiming the statutes of the Pious Union of the Sacred Heart of Jesus by the chapel's 19th century architect Vincenzo De Rossi Re. The founding of this fraternity was celebrated in the basilica in 1883. The Chapel of the Santissima Concezione was completed and frescoed (1635-8) by a young Pietro da Cortona. Other works include the monument of Cardinal Trevisan (1505).

List of Cardinal Protectors

* Joannes (attested 1044) * Leo (c. 1059–c. 1084) * Risus (c. 1105–c. 1116) * Deusdedit (1116–c. 1129)Hüls, p. 179-180, no. 4. * Angelo 1133-1138 * Yves 1138-1143 * Guido Moricotti 1143-1150 * Nikolaus 1150-1151 *

Giovanni Paparoni Giovanni Cardinal Paparoni (sometimes known in English as John Cardinal Paparo; died ca. 1153/1154) was an Italian Cardinal and prominent papal legate in dealings with Ireland and Scotland. He was created Cardinal by Pope Celestine II in 1143. He ...

1151-1158 *

Pietro di Miso Pietro di Miso (died 17 September 1174) was Italian cardinal. He was elevated to the cardinalate by Pope Adrian IV in the consistory of February 1158. Initially he was cardinal-deacon of S. Eustachio, but in 1166 he was promoted to the order of c ...

1165-1182 * Pedro de Cardona 1182-1183 * Uberto Allucingoli 1183-1185 * Uberti Crivelli (

Pope Urban III Pope Urban III ( la, Urbanus III; died 20 October 1187), born Uberto Crivelli, reigned from 25 November 1185 to his death in 1187. Early career Crivelli was born in Cuggiono, Italy as the son of Guala Crivelli and had four brothers: Pietro, ...

) 1185-1187 * Pietro 1188-1190 * Pierre Duacensis 1212-1216 * Pietro Campano 1216-1217 * Matteo D'Acquasparta 1288-1291 * Francesco Ronci 1291-1294 * Nicolas L'Aide 1294-1299 * Arnaud Nouvel, O. Cist. 25 July 1317 - 17 August 1317 * 20 September 1342 - 21 October 1363 * Pierre de Banac 22 September 1368 - 7 October 1369 *

Pietro Corsini Pietro is an Italian masculine given name. Notable people with the name include: People * Pietro I Candiano (c. 842–887), briefly the 16th Doge of Venice * Pietro Tribuno (died 912), 17th Doge of Venice, from 887 to his death * Pietro II C ...

7 June 1370 - 1374 * Bartolomeo da Cogorno 21 December 1381 - 25 December 1381 * Angelo Acciaioli 20 November 1385 - 29 August 1397 * Giordano Orsini 25 March 1400 - June 1412; June 1412 - 29 May 1438 * Ludovico Scarampi-Mezzarota Trevisano 1 July 1440 - 7 January 1465 * Raffaele Sansone Riario della Rovere 5 May 1480 - 29 November 1503; 29 November 1503 - 22 June 1517 * Giulio de Medici (

Pope Clement VII Pope Clement VII ( la, Clemens VII; it, Clemente VII; born Giulio de' Medici; 26 May 1478 – 25 September 1534) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 November 1523 to his death on 25 September 1534. Deemed "the ...

) 6 June 1517 - 19 November 1523 *

Pompeo Colonna Pompeo Colonna (12 May 1479 – 28 June 1532) was an Italian noble, ''condottiero'', politician, and cardinal. At the culmination of his career he was Viceroy of the Kingdom of Naples (1530–1532) for the Emperor Charles V. Born in Rome, he was ...

11 January 1524 - 28 June 1532 * Ippolito de Medici 3 July 1532 - 10 August 1535 * Alessandro Farnese 13 August 1535 - 14 April 1564; 14 April 1564 - 12 May 1564; 12 May 1564 - 2 March 1589 *

Alessandro Damasceni Peretti Alessandro Damasceni Peretti di Montalto (1571 – 2 June 1623) was an Italian Catholic Cardinal Bishop. He received the title by his uncle Felice Peretti after the latter was elected Pope Sixtus V on 24 April 1585, in the consistory on 13 Ma ...

13 March 1589 - 30 March 1620; 30 March 1620 - 2 June 1623 *

Ludovico Ludovisi Ludovico Ludovisi (22 or 27 October 1595 – 18 November 1632) was an Italian cardinal and statesman of the Roman Catholic Church. He was an art connoisseur who formed a famous collection of antiquities, housed at the Villa Ludovisi in Rome. B ...

7 June 1623 - 18 November 1632 * Francesco Barberini 21 November 1632 - 14 November 1644; 14 November 1644 - 10 December 1679 * Lorenzo Raggi 6 February 1679 - 8 January 1680 *

Pietro Ottoboni Pope Alexander VIII ( it, Alessandro VIII; 22 April 1610 – 1 February 1691), born Pietro Vito Ottoboni, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 6 October 1689 to his death in February 1691. He is to date the las ...

14 November 1689 - 26 June 1724; 26 June 1724 - 29 January 1725; 29 January 1725 - 29 February 1740 *

29 August 1740 - 16 February 1753 *

Girolamo Colonna di Sciarra Girolamo Colonna di Sciarra (8 May 1708 – 18 January 1763) was an Italian Catholic Cardinal of the noble Colonna di Sciarra family. Biography Born in Rome, he was the brother of Prospero Colonna di Sciarra and grand-uncle of Benedetto Barberi ...

12 March 1753 - 20 September 1756 * Alberico Archinto 20 September 1756 - 30 September 1758 * Carlo Rezzonico (iuniore) 22 November 1758 - 24 January 1763 *

Henry Benedict Mary Clement Stuart of York Henry Benedict Thomas Edward Maria Clement Francis Xavier Stuart, Cardinal Duke of York (6 March 1725 – 13 July 1807) was a Roman Catholic cardinal, as well as the fourth and final Jacobite heir to publicly claim the thrones of Great Brita ...

14 January 1763 - 13 July 1807 *

Francesco Carafa di Trajetto Francesco Carafa della Spina di Trajetto (29 April 1722, Naples - 20 September 1818, Rome) was an Italian cardinal. Family He belonged to the family of pope Paul IV and of pope Paul V via his mother. He was the great-great uncle of cardinal Dome ...

3 August 1807 - 20 September 1818 *

Giulio Maria della Somaglia Giulio Maria della Somaglia (29 July 1744 – 2 April 1830) was an Italian cardinal. He was, in his later life — a staunch '' zelante'' cardinal who, as Secretary of State under Pope Leo XII, helped enforce an authoritarian regime in t ...

2 October 1818 - 2 April 1830 * Tommaso Arezzo 5 July 1830 - 3 July 1833 * Carlo Maria Pedicini 19 December 1834 - 19 November 1843 * Tommaso Bernetti 22 January 1844 - 21 March 1852 * Luigi Amat di San Filippo e Sorso 27 September 1852 - 30 March 1878 *

Antonio Saverio De Luca Antonio Saverio De Luca (28 October 1805 – 28 December 1883) was an Italian bishop and prefect of the Pontifical Congregation for Studies as well as Cardinal-Priest of San Lorenzo in Damaso and Cardinal-Bishop of Palestrina. Biography Born Br ...

15 July 1878 - 28 December 1883 * Teodolfo Martel 24 March 1884 - 11 July 1899 *

Lucido Maria Parocchi Lucido Maria Parocchi (13 August 1833 – 15 January 1903) was an Italian cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Secretary of the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office from 5 August 1896 until his death. Biography Luci ...

14 December 1899 - 15 January 1903 *

Antonio Agliardi Antonio Agliardi (4 September 1832 – 19 March 1915) was an Italian Roman Catholic Cardinal, archbishop, and papal diplomat. Biography Agliardi was born at Cologno al Serio, in what is now the Province of Bergamo. He studied theology and can ...

22 June 1903 - 19 March 1915 * Ottavio Cagiano de Azevedo 6 December 1915 - 11 July 1927 * Andreas Franz Frühwirth, OP 19 December 1927 - 9 February 1933 *

Tommaso Pio Boggiani Tommaso Pio Boggiani O.P. (19 January 1863 – 26 February 1942) was an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church who had a varied career that included a stint as the Apostolic Delegate to Mexico, service as bishop of Adria and archbishop of ...

, OP 13 March 1933 - 26 February 1942 *

Celso Benigno Luigi Costantini Celso Benigno Luigi Costantini (3 April 1876 – 17 October 1958) was an Italian Roman Catholic cardinal and the founder of the Disciples of the Lord who served as the Apostolic Chancellor from 1954 until his death. He became a cardinal in 1 ...

9 June 1958 - 17 October 1958 *

Santiago Luis Copello Santiago Luis Copello (7 January 1880 – 9 February 1967) was an Argentine Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Buenos Aires from 1932 to 1959, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1935. Copello served as the first ...

14 December 1959 - 9 February 1967 * Luigi Traglia 28 April 1969 - 15 March 1972 * Narciso Jubany Arnau 5 March 1973 - 26 December 1996 * Antonio Maria Rouco Varela 21 February 1998 – present

References

Sources

* Hüls, Rudolf (1977). '' Kardinal, Klerus und Kirchen Roms: 1049–1130'', Tübingen: Max Niemeyer 1977. * Pietro da Cortona,
A Design for a
Quarantore at San Lorenzo in Damaso'', c. 1632

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lorenzo in Damaso, Rome 4th-century churches 15th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Titular churches Basilica churches in Rome Churches of Rome (rione Parione)