Almo Collegio Capranica

The Almo Collegio Capranica is the oldest Roman college, founded in 1457 by Cardinal Domenico Capranica (1400–1458) in his own palace for thirty young clerics, who received an education suitable to prepare them for the priesthood.

History

The Capranica College is located in the Piazza Capranica, in the Colonna district. The Capranica family made their fortunes under Pope Martin V (Oddone Colonna). Domenico Capranica (1400-1458), was a cardinal and a humanist. Upon the death of Martin V, conflict arose between the rival Colonna and Orsini families. Capranica, who was often away on assignments for the papacy, found his home stripped and decided to build a new one.Bongiovanni, Maria Beatrice. "Capranica family and his Roman palace", ''Telematic Bulletin of Art'', November 14, 2013
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Around 1449 Cardinal Domenico Capranica began construction of his palace by buying some houses near the parish church of St. Mary in Aquiro, in the square that now bears his name. Among the buildings acquired there was a chapel, which tradition says was built on the site of the birthplace of St. Agnes, who would have suffered martyrdom in the nearby stadium of Domitian.

He founded the college in January 1457, with the aim of offering the opportunity of a proper education for the priesthood to young poor of the city of Rome. He opened it in his own palace for thirty-one poor scholars, sixteen in theology and the liberal arts, and fifteen in canon law. In this he anticipated by more than a century the establishment of "seminaries" decreed by the Council of Trent. The institution was the first of its kind in Rome; initially reserved for young Romans, it later extended hospitality to students from other Italian regions and of different nationalities.

Capranica himself drew up their rules and presented the college with his own library, the more valuable portion of which was later transferred to the Vatican. The curriculum included the study of Aristotle and Aquinas. It was expected that over the holidays, students would gain experience by serving in the cathedral or in other local churches.

When the Constable de Bourbon laid siege to Rome in 1527, the Capranica students were among the few defenders of the Porta di S. Spirito, and all of them with their rector died when Rome was breached. The word "Almo" ("who gives life") in the title remembers them. The rector, according to the university custom of those days, was elected by the students and was always one of them until Pope Alexander VII decided that the rector should be appointed by the protectors of the college. In 1971 Pope Paul VI instituted an Episcopal Commission, composed of three former students, a cardinal and two bishops to direct the seminary.

After the French Revolution, the college was re-established in 1807; the number of free students was reduced to 13, but paying students were admitted. The College was closed from 1798 to 1807, during the Roman Republic.

Currently, the college has about fifty students, primarily from dioceses in Italy. There are also Orthodox pupils and students from Eastern Catholic Churches. Some students are preparing for the priesthood, others, already priests, continue their postgraduate studies. Typically a Capranica student enters the College during the years of preparation for ordination and remains there until the completion of his specialization. The college's patroness is St. Agnes.

Building

The original one-story building probably had the workshops on the ground floor, with the living quarters and state rooms on the main floor. After the death of Domenico in 1458, his brother Angelo, also a cardinal, enlarged the palace, but reserved part of the building for the family, who later created a theatre from existing family apartments without changing the exterior of the building.

The facade facing the square, is covered with light plaster and is characterized by the presence of the square tower, ending with a loggia that opens to the outside with two arched windows on each side. The current façade is not the original one but the result of renovations mainly in seventeenth century, during which as additional floor was added.

Chapel of St. Agnes

This chapel is commonly believed to be the oldest place of worship dedicated to the martyr.

The main chapel of the College, dedicated to St. Agnes, was restored in 1954 in neo-Renaissance style. The walls are covered with polychrome marble and decorated with a double cornice. The semicircular apse contains Antoniazzo Romano's fresco of '' Madonna with Child, a holy bishop and St. Agnes''. Stained glass windows depict St. Gregory the Great, St. Augustine, St. Jerome and St. Ambrose. The pipe organ is a Mascioni (Opus 696) manufactured in 1953.

Alumni

The Capranica has produced many notable ecclesiastics, including Popes Benedict XV and Pius XII, numerous cardinals, and Blessed Luigi Novarese

File:CoA Benedetto XV.svg, Pope Benedict XV (Born Giacomo della Chiesa,1854-1922), Pope from 3 September 1914 to 22 January 1922
File:C o a Pius XII.svg, Pope Pius XII (Born Eugenio Pacelli, 1872-1958), Pope from 2 March 1939 to 9 October 1958
File:COA of Cardinal Bafrtolomeo Bacilieri 2.svg, Cardinal Bartolomeo Bacilieri (1842–1923) Bishop of Verona (1900-1923)
File:Coat of arms of Mariano Rampolla del Tindaro.svg, Cardinal Mariano Rampolla del Tindaro (1843–1913)Cardinal Secretary of State (1887-1903)
File:Coat of arms of Niccolò Marini.svg, Cardinal Niccolò Marini (1843-1923) Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Oriental Churches
File:Coat of arms of Aristide Rinaldini.svg, Cardinal Aristide Rinaldini (1844-1920) Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals
File:Coat of arms of Camillo Laurenti.svg, Cardinal Camillo Laurenti (1861-1938) Prefect of Sacred Congregation of Religious of the Sacred Congregation of Rites
File:Coat of arms of Francesco Marchetti-Selvaggiani.svg, Cardinal Francesco Marchetti Selvaggiani (1871-1951), Secretary of Propaganda Fidei and of the Holy Office, and Vicar of Rome
File:COA Cardinal Nicola Canali.svg, Cardinal Nicola Canali (1874-1961) President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State (1939-1961)
File:Coat of arms of Luigi Maglione.svg, Cardinal Luigi Maglione (1877-1944), Cardinal Secretary of State (1939-1944)
File:Coat of arms of Enrico Dante.svg, Cardinal Enrico Dante (1884-1967) Master of Pontifical Ceremonies (1947-1967)
File:Coat of arms of Clemente Micara.svg, Cardinal Clemente Micara (1879—1965) Pro-Prefect of the Sacred Congregation of Rites (1950-1953)
File:Coat of arms of Benedetto Aloisi Masella.svg, Cardinal Benedetto Aloisi Masella (1879-1970) Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Discipline of the Sacraments (1954-1968)
File:Coat of arms of Luigi Traglia.svg, Cardinal Luigi Traglia (1895-1977) Cardinal Vicar of Rome (1965-1968)
File:COA Cardinal Guido Del Mestri.svg, Cardinal Guido Del Mestri (1911-1993) Nuncio Apostolico to West Germany (1975-1984)
File:Coat of arms of Domenico Bartolucci.svg, Cardinal Domenico Bartolucci (1917- ) Director of the Sistine Chapel Choir (1956- )
File:Coat of arms of Lorenzo Antonetti.svg, Cardinal Lorenzo Antonetti (1922- ) President of Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See
File:Coat of arms of Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo.svg, Cardinal Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo (1925- ), Archpriest of the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls
File:Coat of arms of Mario Francesco Pompedda.svg, Cardinal Mario Francesco Pompedda (1929-2006), Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura
File:Coat of arms of Aloysius Ambrozic.svg, Cardinal Aloysius Ambrozic (1930- ) Archbishop of Toronto (1990-2007)
File:Coat of arms of Sergio Sebastiani.svg, Cardinal Sergio Sebastiani (1931- ), President of Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See (1997-2008)
File:Coat of arms of Renato Martino.svg, Cardinal Renato Martino (1932- ), President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace (2002-2009)
File:Coat of arms of Camillo Ruini.svg, Cardinal Camillo Ruini (1932- ) Vicar of the Diocesis of Rome (1991–2008), President of the Italian Episcopal Conference (1991– 2007)
File:Coat of arms of Paolo Romeo.svg, Cardinal Paolo Romeo (1938- ), Archbishop of Palermo (2007- )
File:Coat of arms of Antonio Buoncristiani.svg, Archbishop Antonio Buoncristiani, archbishop of Siena, Colle di Val d'Elsa and Montalcino (2001-)
File:Coat of arms of Mgr Roland Minnerath.svg, Archbishop Roland Minnerath, Archbishop of Dijon (2004- )
File:Coat of arms of Renato Boccardo.svg, Archbishop Renato Boccardo, Archbishop of Spoleto and Norcia (2009-)
File:Coat of arms of Rino Fisichella.svg, Archbishop Rino Fisichella, President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelisation(2010-)
File:Coat of arms of Francesco Alfano.svg, Archbishop Francesco Alfano, Archbishop of Sorrento-Castellammare di Stabia (2012-)
File:Coat of arms of Domenico Sorrentino.svg, Archbishop Domenico Sorrentino, Bishop of Assisi and Norcia (2005- )
File:Coat of arms of Michele Pennisi.svg, Archbishop Michele Pennisi (1946-) Archbishop of Monreale (2013-)
File:Coat of arms of Piero Pioppo.svg, Archbishop Piero Pioppo, Nuncio to Cameroon and Equatorial Guinee (2010- )
File:Coat of arms of Filippo Santoro.svg, Bishop Filippo Santoro (1948-), Archbishop of Taranto (2011- )
File:COA Diocese of Terni-Narni-Amelia (Bishop Franco Gualdrini).svg, Bishop Franco Gualdrini (1923-2010) Bishop of Terni, Narni and Amelia (1983-2000)
File:Coat of arms of Mansueto Bianchi.svg, Bishop Mansueto Bianchi, Bishop of Volterra (2000-2006) and Pistoia (2006- ).
File:Stemma Vescovo Paolo Gillet.svg, Bishop Paolo Gillet, (1929- ) Auxiliary Bishop of Albano (1993-2005)
File:Coat of arms of Giuseppe Orlandoni.svg, Bishop Giuseppe Orlandoni, (1939- ) Bishop of Senigallia (1997- )
File:Coat of arms of Richard Grecco.svg, Bishop Richard John Grecco (1946-) bishop of Charlottetown (2009-)
File:Coat of arms of Mariano Crociata.svg, Mons. Mariano Crociata (1953-) bishop of Noto, secretary general of the Italian Bishops Conference (2008-)
File:Coat of arms of Frederick Joseph Colli.svg, Bishop Frederick Colli (1949-) bishop of Thunder Bay, Ontario (1999-)
File:Coat of arms of Fausto Tardelli.svg, Bishop Fausto Tardelli (1951 - ), Bishop of San Miniato (2004- )
File:Coat of arms of Claudio Maniago.svg, Bishop Claudio Maniago (1959-), Auxiliary bishop of Florence (2003-)
File:Coat of arms of Vincenzo Apicella.svg, Bishop Vincenzo Apicella, Bishop of Velletri-Segni (2006-)

* Card Pietro Pavan (1903–1994)
* Card Antonio Vico (1847–1929)
* Card Alessandro Sanminiatelli Zabarella (1840 — 1910)
* Arch Alfonso Carinci (1862–1963) Secretary S.C. dei Riti (1945–1960) Rector of the Capranica (1911–1930)

See also

* Roman Colleges

References

External links

Official Site of the Almo Collegio Capranica



* ttps://nolli.stanford.edu/#%5B12.4777%2C41.9003%5D Interactive Nolli Map Website{{Authority control
*
Rome R. III Colonna
Roman Colleges
15th-century establishments in Italy
Educational institutions established in the 15th century
Religious organizations established in the 1450s
1457 establishments in Europe