Santa Francesca Romana ( it, Basilica di Santa Francesca Romana), previously known as Santa Maria Nova, is a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

church situated next to the

Roman Forum The Roman Forum, also known by its Latin name Forum Romanum ( it, Foro Romano), is a rectangular forum ( plaza) surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the center of the city of Rome. Citizens of the ancie ...

in the rione

Campitelli Campitelli is the 10th ''rione'' of Rome, identified by the initials R. X, and is located in the Municipio I. Its emblem consists of a black dragon's head on a white background. This symbol comes from the legend that Pope Silvester I threw o ...

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.

History

An oratory putatively was established in the eighth century under

Pope Paul I Pope Paul I ( la, Paulus I; 70028 June 767) was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the emerging Papal States from 29 May 757 to his death. He first served as a Roman deacon and was frequently employed by his brother, Pope Stephen II, in negotiation ...

in the

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cul ...

of the former

Temple of Venus and Roma The Temple of Venus and Roma ( Latin: ''Templum Veneris et Romae'') is thought to have been the largest temple in Ancient Rome. Located on the Velian Hill, between the eastern edge of the Forum Romanum and the Colosseum, in Rome, it was dedic ...

. Tradition holds that at this site Saint

Peter Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a sur ...

prayed at the site to challenge

Simon Magus Simon Magus (Greek Σίμων ὁ μάγος, Latin: Simon Magus), also known as Simon the Sorcerer or Simon the Magician, was a religious figure whose confrontation with Peter is recorded in Acts . The act of simony, or paying for position, is ...

. According to this legend, Simon Magus wanted to prove his pagan powers were greater than those of the apostles, and started

levitating Levitation (from Latin ''levitas'' "lightness") is the process by which an object is held aloft in a stable position, without mechanical support via any physical contact. Levitation is accomplished by providing an upward force that counteracts ...

in front of Peter. The apostle fell on his knees to prayer, asking God to demonstrate his pre-eminence, and Simon fell, dying. Tradition holds that the

basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the surface of a rocky planet or moon. More than 90 ...

stones where the apostle's knees during prayer are embedded in the wall of the south

transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform ("cross-shaped") building with ...

Temple of Venus and Santa Francesca Romana 2

Forum_Romanum_-_Sta_Francesca_Romana_-_Genua_S

A church at the site was known by the tenth century, was named ''Santa Maria Nova'' (or "Nuova", "New St Mary"), to distinguish it from the other church inside the Roman forum devoted to St Mary, Santa Maria Antiqua ("Ancient St Mary"), which had fallen into ruin by then. The relics from the ancient church were moved to this church under Pope Leo. Santa Maria Nuova was enlarged in the second half of the tenth century, and then rebuilt by

Pope Honorius III Pope Honorius III (c. 1150 – 18 March 1227), born Cencio Savelli, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 18 July 1216 to his death. A canon at the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, he came to hold a number of import ...

in the thirteenth century, adding the

campanile A bell tower is a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells even if it has none. Such a tower commonly serves as part of a Christian church, and will contain church bells, but there are also many secular bell tow ...

and 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''. ...

, as well as being decorated with a

mosaic A mosaic is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and were particularly pop ...

Maestà Maestà , the Italian word for "majesty", designates a classification of images of the enthroned Madonna with the child Jesus, the designation generally implying accompaniment by angels, saints, or both. The ''Maestà'' is an extension of the "Se ...

'', a depiction of the Madonna enthroned accompanied by saints. The belltower and apse are now located at the east end of former Roman temple, where the portico and entry stairs stood. Behind (East) of the apse and bell tower are a jumble of structures forming the former monastery with two small courtyards. Flanking the north of these structures and extending further west on both sides towards 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 ...

are the remaining outer columns of the massive ancient Roman temple. Since 1352 the church has been in the care of the

Olivetans The Olivetans, formally known as the Order of Our Lady of Mount Olivet, are a monastic order. They were founded in 1313 and recognised in 1344. They use the Rule of Saint Benedict and are a member of the Benedictine Confederation, where they are ...

. In the 16th century, the church was rededicated to

Frances of Rome Frances of Rome, Obl.S.B., ( it, Santa Francesca Romana, la, Sāncta Francisca Rōmāna) (1384 – March 9, 1440) is an Italian saint who was a wife, mother, mystic, organizer of charitable services and a Benedictine oblate who founded a relig ...

(''Francesca Buzzi''), who was canonized in 1608 and whose

relics In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tangi ...

are in the crypt. The interior of the church has undergone many refurbishments. The present

travertine Travertine ( ) is a form of terrestrial limestone deposited around mineral springs, especially hot springs. It often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, cream-colored, and even rusty varieties. It is formed by a p ...

porch and façade (1615) were designed and built by Carlo Lambardi.

Description

The inscriptions found in Santa Francesca Romana (S. Maria Nuova), a valuable source illustrating the history of the church, have been collected and published by Vincenzo Forcella. The interior, a single

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-typ ...

with side chapels, was rebuilt by Lombardi in the years preceding Francesca Buzzi's canonization, beginning in 1595. In the middle of the nave is the rectangular ''

schola cantorum The Schola Cantorum de Paris is a private conservatory in Paris. It was founded in 1894 by Charles Bordes, Alexandre Guilmant and Vincent d'Indy as a counterbalance to the Paris Conservatoire's emphasis on opera. History La Schola was founded ...

'' of the old church, covered in Cosmatesque mosaics. Another prominent feature is the

confessional A confessional is a box, cabinet, booth, or stall in which the priest in some Christian churches sits to hear the confessions of penitents. It is the usual venue for the sacrament in the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran Churches, but s ...

Gian Lorenzo Bernini Gian Lorenzo (or Gianlorenzo) Bernini (, , ; Italian Giovanni Lorenzo; 7 December 159828 November 1680) was an Italian sculptor and architect. While a major figure in the world of architecture, he was more prominently the leading sculptor of his ...

(1638–49), in

polychrome Polychrome is the "practice of decorating architectural elements, sculpture, etc., in a variety of colors." The term is used to refer to certain styles of architecture, pottery or sculpture in multiple colors. Ancient Egypt Colossal statu ...

marbles with four columns veneered in

jasper Jasper, an aggregate of microgranular quartz and/or cryptocrystalline chalcedony and other mineral phases,Kostov, R. I. 2010. Review on the mineralogical systematics of jasper and related rocks. – Archaeometry Workshop, 7, 3, 209-213PDF/ref ...

. Among the altarpieces are works by Pietro Tedeschi, Padre Pozzi, and Subleyras. Tomb of Pope Gregory XI

The

sacristy A sacristy, also known as a vestry or preparation room, is a room in Christian churches for the keeping of vestments (such as the alb and chasuble) and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records. The sacristy is usually locate ...

houses the precious ''Madonna Glycophilousa'' ("Our Lady of Tenderness"), an early 5th-century icon brought from Santa Maria Antiqua. The twelfth-century ''Madonna and Child'' had been painted over. It was meticulously detached from the panel in 1950. The tomb of Pope Gregory XI, who returned the papacy to Rome from Avignon, reconstructed to a design by Per Paulo Olivieri (signed and dated 1584) is in the south transept. The Deaconry was suppressed on 8 August 1661. S. Maria Nova was reestablished, as the ''Titulus'' of a Cardinal Priest, on 17 March 1887 by Pope Leo XIII. The '' titulus'' of the church remains ''Sancta Mariae Novae''; the current

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. Mariae Novae'' is

Angelo Sodano Angelo Raffaele Sodano, GCC (23 November 1927 – 27 May 2022) was an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church and from 1991 on a cardinal. He was the Dean of the College of Cardinals from 2005 to 2019 and Cardinal Secretary of State from 1991 ...

. A Cardinal Priest no longer has any jurisdiction over his titular church or its clergy. He is only the Cardinal Protector. Saint Francesca Romana has been named the patron of car drivers, because of a legend that an angel used to light her way with a lamp when she travelled at night. Automobiles line up on the day of her feast (9 March) as far as the

, to partake of the blessing. The facade of the Church of Holy Cross College, in Clonliffe in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...

, is a replica of Santa Francesca Romana. It was designed by the Gothic Revival Architect James Joseph McCarthy and is one of the few exceptions to his list of Gothic works.

Cardinal Deacons of S. Maria Nova

12th century

* Teobaldo Boccapecci (c.1103 - December 1123)"Celestine (d. 1124)", ''A Dictionary of Popes'', 2 ed., (J. N. D. Kelly and Michael J. Walsh, eds.) OUP
* Aymeric de la Chatre (December 1123 - 28 May 1141). * Giovanni (17 December 1143 - 1153). * Hieronymus ( 1164 - 1167 ?) * Ughizio ( 1172 - 1173). * Matthaeus (March 1178 - 1182). * Bernardo (12 March 1188 - 1193)

14th century

* Pietro Valeriano Duraguerra (17 December 1295 - 17 December 1302). * Raimundus de Got (15 December 1305 - 26 June 1310). * Raimundus de Fargis (19 December 1310 - 5 October 1346). * Pierre Roger de Beaufort (29 May 1348 - 30 December 1370) Elected

Pope Gregory XI Pope Gregory XI ( la, Gregorius, born Pierre Roger de Beaufort; c. 1329 – 27 March 1378) was head of the Catholic Church from 30 December 1370 to his death in March 1378. He was the seventh and last Avignon pope and the most recent French pop ...

(1370-1378). * Ludovico de Altavilla (18 September 1378 - ca. 1380) y Urban VI * Amadeo de Saluzzo (23 December 1383 - 28 June 1419) vignon Obedience * Marino Buleanus, OSB ulcani, Vulcani (17 December 1384 - 8 August 1394) y Urban VI

15th century

* Jacobus (Giacopo) de Torso Utinensis (9 May 1408 - 1413) y Gregory XII, Roman Obedience* Pietro Barbo (1 July 1440 - 16 June 1451) translated to S. Marco, later Pope Paul II (1464-1471) * Francesco Gonzaga (2 April 1462 - 21 October 1483). *

Giovanni Arcimboldo Giovanni Arcimboldi (died 1488) is called the Cardinal of Novara or the Cardinal of Milan and was an Italian Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal. He served many times as the legate to Perugia and was both a Senator of Milan and ran the archdioce ...

(15 November 1483 - 2 October 1488). *

Giovanni Battista Orsini Giovanni Battista Orsini, or Jean-Baptiste des Ursins, was the 39th Grand Master of the Order of the Knights Hospitaller from 1467 to 1476. References *Musée de Cluny

(23 March 1489 - 27 February 1493). translated to SS. Giovanni e Paolo. *

Cesare Borgia Cesare Borgia (; ca-valencia, Cèsar Borja ; es, link=no, César Borja ; 13 September 1475 – 12 March 1507) was an Italian ex-cardinal and ''condottiero'' (mercenary leader) of Aragonese (Spanish) origin, whose fight for power was a major i ...

(23 September 1493 - 18 August 1498) resigned. *

Raymond Pérault Raymond Peraudi (1435–1505) was a French Augustinian, papal legate, and Cardinal. He was a perpetual traveler, engaging in diplomatic negotiations at various times for the pope, the emperor and the king of France. He was an effective administrat ...

, OSA (Peraudi) (29 April 1499 - 5 September 1505).

16th century

* Francesco Lloris y de Borja (17 December 1505 - 22 July 1506). * Sigismondo Gonzaga (16 December 1506 - 3 October 1525). *

Ercole Gonzaga Ercole Gonzaga (23 November 1505 – 2 March 1563) was an Italian Cardinal. Biography Born in Mantua, he was the son of the Marquis Francesco Gonzaga and Isabella d'Este, and nephew of Cardinal Sigismondo Gonzaga. He studied philosophy at Bolo ...

(5 May 1527 - 3 March 1563). * Federico Gonzaga (4 March 1563 - 21 February 1565). *

Ippolito d'Este Ippolito (I) d'Este ( hu, Estei Hippolit; 20 March 1479 – 3 September 1520) was an Italian Roman Catholic cardinal, and Archbishop of Esztergom. He was a member of the ducal House of Este of Ferrara, and was usually referred to as the Car ...

(13 April 1565 - 2 December 1572). * Filippo Guastavillani (14 July 1574 - 8 November 1577). *

Andreas von Austria Andreas von Österreich, Margrave of Burgau, also known as Andrew of Austria (15 June 1558 at Březnice Castle in Březnice, Bohemia – 12 November 1600 in Rome) was a cardinal, Bishop of Constance and of Brixen. He belonged to the Austria ...

(11 December 1577 - 12 November 1600).

17th century

Alessandro d'Este Alessandro d'Este (1568–1624) was a Roman Catholic cardinal. On 3 Apr 1622, he was consecrated bishop by Marco Antonio Gozzadini, Bishop of Recanati with Raffaele Inviziati, Bishop Emeritus of Cefalonia e Zante, and Giulio Sansedoni, Bish ...

(15 November 1600 - 11 January 1621). translated to the Deaconry of

S. Eustachio Sant'Eustachio is a Roman Catholic titular church and minor basilica in Rome, named for the martyr Saint Eustace. It is located on Via di Sant'Eustachio in the rione Sant'Eustachio, a block west of the Pantheon and via della Rotonda, and a ...

. *

Maurizio di Savoia Maurice of Savoy (10 January 1593 – 4 October 1657, Turin) was a Prince of Savoy and a 17th-century cardinal. Life He was the son of Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy and Infanta Catherine Michelle of Spain. Aged 14, in 1607, he became c ...

(17 March 1621 - 19 April 1621). translated to the Deaconry of

. * Ippolito Aldobrandini (17 May 1621 - 16 March 1626) translated to the Deaconry of S. Angelo in Pescheria. *

Marzio Ginetti Marzio Ginetti (6 April 1585 – 1 March 1671) was an Italian Catholic Cardinal and Cardinal Vicar of Rome. Early life Ginetti was born in Velletri, the son of a labourer. He was sent to Rome at a very young age to be educated and tried to mak ...

(6 October 1627 - 6 February 1634). translated to the Deaconry of S. Angelo in Pescheria. *

Giulio Gabrielli Giulio Gabrielli (1604 – 13 August 1677) was an Italian Catholic cardinal. He is sometimes referred to as Giulio Gabrielli the Elder to distinguish him from Giulio Gabrielli the Younger. Early life Gabrielli was born 1604 in Rome, the son of ...

(10 February 1642 - 10 November 1642). translated to the Deaconry of S. Agata de' Goti. * Virginio Orsini, OSIoHieros. (10 November 1642 - 14 March 1644). translated to the Deaconry of

S. Maria in Cosmedin The Basilica of Saint Mary in Cosmedin ( it, Basilica di Santa Maria in Cosmedin or ''de Schola Graeca'') is a minor basilica church in Rome, Italy. It is located in the rione of Ripa. History According to Byzantine historian Andrew Ekonomo ...

. * Rinaldo d'Este (28 November 1644 - 12 December 1644). translated to the Deaconry of S. Niccolo in Carcere. *

Giancarlo de' Medici Giancarlo de' Medici (24 July 1611 – 22 January 1663) was an Italian cardinal of the House of Medici. He was the second son of Grand Duke Cosimo II of Tuscany and his wife, Maria Maddalena of Austria, and the brother of Ferdinando II de' Med ...

(20 March 1645 - 6 March 1656).

Cardinal Priests of S. Francesca Romana

Charles-Philippe Place Charles-Philippe Place (14 February 1814 – 5 March 1893) was a French prelate of the Catholic Church who was Bishop of Marseille from 1866 to 1878 and then Archbishop of Rennes from 1878 until his death in 1893. He was made a cardinal in 1886. ...

(1887–1893) * Léon-Benoit-Charles Thomas (1893–1894) * Joseph-Christian-Ernest Bourret (1894–1896) * Guillaume-Marie-Joseph Labouré (1898–1906) * Louis-Henri-Joseph Luçon (1907–1930) * Francesco Marchetti Selvaggiani (1930–1936) *

Enrico Sibilia Enrico Sibilia (17 March 1861 – 4 August 1948) was an Italian Roman Catholic Cardinal and former Nuncio to Austria. Early life and priesthood He was born in Anagni. After entering the Seminary of Anagni and completing his basic studies ...

(1936–1939) * Adam Stefan Sapieha (1946–1951) *

Joseph Wendel Joseph Wendel (May 27, 1901 – December 31, 1960) was a German Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Munich and Freising from 1952 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1953 by Pope Pius XII. Biogra ...

(1953–1960) *

Luis Concha Córdoba Luis Concha Córdoba (November 7, 1891—September 18, 1975) was a Colombian priest and Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. Cardinal Concha served as Archbishop of Bogotá from 1959 to 1972, before his elevation to the cardinalate in ...

(1961–1975)

Cardinal Protectors

* Emmanuel Kiwanuka Nsubuga (1976–1991) *

(1991–1994; ''

in commendam In canon law, commendam (or ''in commendam'') was a form of transferring an ecclesiastical benefice ''in trust'' to the ''custody'' of a patron. The phrase ''in commendam'' was originally applied to the provisional occupation of an ecclesiastica ...

'' 1994–2022, when he became Cardinal Bishop) View from Palatine Hill 2011 6

References

Bibliography

* ''Roma'', Touring Club Italiano, 2004. * Placido Lugano, ''S. Maria Nova (S. Francesca Romana)'' (Roma : Libreria Mantegazza, 930?. * Elfriede Kartusch, ''Das Cardinalskollegium in der Zeit von 1181 bis 1227'' (Wien 1948). * P. Ronci, ''Basilica di Santa Maria Nova, Santa Francesca Romana al Foro Romano'' (Christen, 1973). * H. W. Klewitz, ''Reformpapsttum und Kardinalkolleg'' (Darmstadt 1957). * Barbara Zenker, ''Die Mitglieder des Kardinalkollegiums von 1130 bis 1159'' (Würzburg 1964). * R. Hüls, ''Kardinäle, Klerus und Kirchen Roms: 1049-1130'' (Tübingen 1977).

External links

* {{Authority control Francesca Romana Francesca 9th-century churches in Italy Burial places of popes Francesca Romana