The Basilica of Saint Sabina (, ) is a historic church on the

Aventine Hill The Aventine Hill (; ; ) is one of the Seven Hills on which ancient Rome was built. It belongs to Ripa, the modern twelfth ''rione'', or ward, of Rome. Location and boundaries The Aventine Hill is the southernmost of Rome's seven hills. I ...

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

, Italy. It is a

titular Titular may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Title character in a narrative work, the character referred to in its title Religion * Titular (Catholicism), a cardinal who holds a titulus, one of the main churches of Rome ** Titular bisho ...

minor basilica Basilicas are Catholic church buildings that have a designation, conferring special privileges, given by the Pope. Basilicas are distinguished for ceremonial purposes from other churches. The building need not be a basilica in the architectura ...

and

mother church Mother church or matrice is a term depicting the Christian Church as a mother in her functions of nourishing and protecting the believer. It may also refer to the primary church of a Christian denomination or diocese, i.e. a cathedral church, or ...

of the

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

Order of Preachers The Order of Preachers (, abbreviated OP), commonly known as the Dominican Order, is a Catholic mendicant order of pontifical right that was founded in France by a Castilian priest named Dominic de Guzmán. It was approved by Pope Honorius ...

, better known as the Dominicans. Santa Sabina is the oldest extant ecclesiastical basilica in Rome that preserves its original colonnaded rectangular plan with apse and architectural style. Its decorations have been restored to their original restrained design. Other basilicas, such as

Santa Maria Maggiore Santa Maria Maggiore (), also known as the Basilica of Saint Mary Major or the Basilica of Saint Mary the Great, is one of the four Basilicas in the Catholic Church#Major and papal basilicas, major papal basilicas and one of the Seven Pilgrim C ...

, have been ornately decorated in later centuries. Because of its simplicity, the Santa Sabina represents the adaptation of the architecture of the roofed Roman forum or basilica to the basilica churches of

Christendom The terms Christendom or Christian world commonly refer to the global Christian community, Christian states, Christian-majority countries or countries in which Christianity is dominant or prevails.SeMerriam-Webster.com : dictionary, "Christen ...

. It is especially well-known for its

cypress Cypress is a common name for various coniferous trees or shrubs from the ''Cupressus'' genus of the '' Cupressaceae'' family, typically found in temperate climates and subtropical regions of Asia, Europe, and North America. The word ''cypress'' ...

wood doors carved in AD 430-432 with biblical scenes, the most famous being the first known publicly displayed depiction of the

crucifixion Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which the condemned is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross, beam or stake and left to hang until eventual death. It was used as a punishment by the Achaemenid Empire, Persians, Ancient Carthag ...

Jesus Christ Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

and the two thieves. Santa Sabina is perched high above the

Tiber The Tiber ( ; ; ) is the List of rivers of Italy, third-longest river in Italy and the longest in Central Italy, rising in the Apennine Mountains in Emilia-Romagna and flowing through Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio, where it is joined by the R ...

to the north and the

Circus Maximus The Circus Maximus (Latin for "largest circus"; Italian language, Italian: ''Circo Massimo'') is an ancient Roman chariot racing, chariot-racing stadium and mass entertainment venue in Rome, Italy. In the valley between the Aventine Hill, Avent ...

to the east. It is next to a small public park, the ''Giardino degli Aranci'' ("Garden of Oranges"), which has a scenic terrace overlooking Rome. It is a short distance from

Santi Bonifacio ed Alessio The Basilica dei Santi Bonifacio e(d) Alessio is a basilica, rectory church served by the Somaschans, and titular church for a cardinal-priest on the Aventine Hill in the third prefecture of central Rome, Italy. It is dedicated to Saint Bonif ...

and from the headquarters of the

Knights of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, and commonly known as the Order of Malta or the Knights of Malta, is a Catholic Church, Cathol ...

. Its last

cardinal priest A cardinal is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. As titular members of the clergy of the Diocese of Rome, they serve as advisors to the pope, who is the bishop of Rome and the visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. Ca ...

was

Jozef Tomko Jozef Tomko (11 March 1924 – 8 August 2022) was a Slovak prelate of the Catholic Church who held positions in the Roman Curia from 1962 until he retired in 2007. He was prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples from 1985 t ...

until his death on 8 August 2022. It is the stational church for

Ash Wednesday Ash Wednesday is a holy day of prayer and fasting in many Western Christian denominations. It is preceded by Shrove Tuesday and marks the first day of Lent: the seven weeks of Christian prayer, prayer, Religious fasting#Christianity, fasting and ...

History

The church was built on the site of early Imperial houses, one of which is said to be of Sabina, a Roman matron originally from

Avezzano Avezzano ( ; ) is a city and comune in the Abruzzo region, province of L'Aquila, Italy. It is the second most populous municipality in the province and the sixth in the region. It is the main commercial, industrial and agricultural centre of the ...

in the

Abruzzo Abruzzo (, ; ; , ''Abbrìzze'' or ''Abbrèzze'' ; ), historically also known as Abruzzi, is a Regions of Italy, region of Southern Italy with an area of 10,763 square km (4,156 sq mi) and a population of 1.3 million. It is divided into four ...

region of Italy. Sabina was beheaded in AD 126 under Emperor

Hadrian Hadrian ( ; ; 24 January 76 – 10 July 138) was Roman emperor from 117 to 138. Hadrian was born in Italica, close to modern Seville in Spain, an Italic peoples, Italic settlement in Hispania Baetica; his branch of the Aelia gens, Aelia '' ...

, because she had been converted to Christianity by her servant

Serapia The Serapia or Sarapia was a Roman Empire, Roman Imperial Roman festival, religious festival devoted to the Greco-Egyptian god Serapis. It is found as an official holiday on 25 April as late as the Calendar of Filocalus in 354 AD. In farmers' alm ...

, who also had been beheaded in AD 119. Sabina and Serapia were later declared Catholic saints. Santa Sabina was built by Peter of Illyria, a Dalmatian priest, between 422 and 432 near a temple of Juno on the

Pope Celestine I Pope Celestine I () (c. 359 – 27 July 432) was the bishop of Rome from 10 September 422 to his death on 27 July 432. Celestine's pontificate was largely spent combatting various teachings deemed heretical. He was instrumental for the condemnati ...

established the cardinal title of Santa Sabina with its seat here in 423 AD. In the 9th century, it was enclosed in a fortification area as a result of war. in 1216

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 importa ...

approved the

, now commonly known as the Dominicans, which was "the first order instituted by the Church with an academic mission".Pirerre Mandonnet, "Order of Preachers" Catholic Encyclopedia, 1913; Honorius III invited

Saint Dominic Saint Dominic, (; 8 August 1170 – 6 August 1221), also known as Dominic de Guzmán (), was a Castilians, Castilian Catholic priest and the founder of the Dominican Order. He is the patron saint of astronomers and natural scientists, and he a ...

, the founder of the

, to take up residence at the church of Santa Sabina in 1220. The official foundation of the Dominican convent at Santa Sabina with its ''studium conventuale'', the first Dominican ''studium'' in Rome, occurred with the legal transfer of property from Honorius III to the

on 5 June 1222 though the brethren had taken up residence there already in 1220. The church was the seat of a papal conclave in 1287, although the prelates left the church after an

epidemic An epidemic (from Greek ἐπί ''epi'' "upon or above" and δῆμος ''demos'' "people") is the rapid spread of disease to a large number of hosts in a given population within a short period of time. For example, in meningococcal infection ...

killed six of them. They later returned to the church, and elected Nicholas IV as pope on 22 February 1288. Its interior was renovated by

Domenico Fontana Domenico Fontana (154328 June 1607) was an Italian"Domenico Fontana."
''

Pope Sixtus V Pope Sixtus V (; 13 December 1521 – 27 August 1590), born Felice Piergentile, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 24 April 1585 to his death, in August 1590. As a youth, he joined the Franciscan order, where h ...

in 1586) and

Francesco Borromini Francesco Borromini (, ), byname of Francesco Castelli (; 25 September 1599 – 2 August 1667), was an Italian architect born in the modern Switzerland, Swiss canton of Ticino

in 1643. The Kingdom of Italy conquered Rome in 1870; expelled the Dominicans; and converted the church into a lazaretto (quarantine station for maritime travelers). Italian architect and art historian Antonio Muñoz (1884-1960) restored the original simplistic medieval appearance of the church in 1914-1919. French architect P. Berthier completed its restoration in 1936-1938. Among those who have lived in its adjacent convent were

(1220-1221),

St Thomas Aquinas Thomas Aquinas ( ; ; – 7 March 1274) was an Italian Dominican Order, Dominican friar and Catholic priest, priest, the foremost Scholasticism, Scholastic thinker, as well as one of the most influential philosophers and theologians in the W ...

(1265-1268), Blessed Ceslaus, Saint Hyacinth, and

Pope Pius V Pope Pius V, OP (; 17 January 1504 – 1 May 1572), born Antonio Ghislieri (and from 1518 called Michele Ghislieri), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 January 1566 to his death, in May 1572. He was an ...

Architecture

Exterior

The Minor Basilica of Santa Sabina is built in the manner of an Ancient Roman secular basilica, or covered forum. The characteristics are a long central nave with a lower aisle on each side. Above the aisles, the walls of the nave are pierced by a row of large

clerestory A clerestory ( ; , also clearstory, clearstorey, or overstorey; from Old French ''cler estor'') is a high section of wall that contains windows above eye-level. Its purpose is to admit light, fresh air, or both. Historically, a ''clerestory' ...

windows. The brick walls are mostly unrendered, and the windows are made of selenite, not

glass Glass is an amorphous (non-crystalline solid, non-crystalline) solid. Because it is often transparency and translucency, transparent and chemically inert, glass has found widespread practical, technological, and decorative use in window pane ...

, making the building look much as it did when it was built in the 5th century. The building has a

colonnade In classical architecture, a colonnade is a long sequence of columns joined by their entablature, often free-standing, or part of a building. Paired or multiple pairs of columns are normally employed in a colonnade which can be straight or curv ...

d porch opening propped onto a cloister, and at the other end, a semi-circular

apse In architecture, an apse (: apses; from Latin , 'arch, vault'; from Ancient Greek , , 'arch'; sometimes written apsis; : apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical Vault (architecture), vault or semi-dome, also known as an ' ...

. 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 to ...

(bell tower) was originally built in the 10th century; but was rebuilt in the 17th century in the Baroque style. The wooden door of the basilica is generally agreed to be the original door from 430 – 432, although it was apparently not constructed for this doorway. Eighteen of its wooden panels survive — all but one depicting scenes from the

Bible The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...

. Most famous among these is one of the earliest certain depictions of the

and the two thieves. Other panels have also been the subjects of extensive analysis because of their importance to the study of Christian

iconography Iconography, as a branch of art history, studies the identification, description and interpretation of the content of images: the subjects depicted, the particular compositions and details used to do so, and other elements that are distinct fro ...

. Above the doorway, the interior preserves an original dedication in

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

hexameter Hexameter is a metrical line of verses consisting of six feet (a "foot" here is the pulse, or major accent, of words in an English line of poetry; in Greek as well as in Latin a "foot" is not an accent, but describes various combinations of s ...

Interior

The interior has basilical form, with a central nave divided from the side aisle by two rows of columns,on which rests an arcade. Above the arcade is a row of large clerestory windows. The twenty four columns of

Proconnesian Marmara Island () is a Turkish island in the Sea of Marmara. With an area of , it is the largest island in the Sea of Marmara and the second-largest island of Turkey - after Gökçeada (formerly ; ''Imvros''). It is the center of Marmara Distr ...

marble with perfectly matched Corinthian capitals and bases, were reused from the Temple of Juno. A framed hole in the floor exposes a Roman era temple column that pre-dates Santa Sabina. This appears to be the remnant of the Temple of Juno erected on the hilltop site during Roman times, which was likely razed to allow construction of the basilica. There is an apse at the eastern end. The original fifth-century apse mosaic was replaced in 1559 by a fresco by

Taddeo Zuccari Taddeo Zuccaro (or Zuccari) (1 September 15292 September 1566) was an Italian painter, one of the most popular members of the Roman mannerist school. Biography Zuccaro was born in Sant'Angelo in Vado, near Urbino, the son of Ottaviano Zuccaro, ...

. The composition probably remained unchanged: Christ is flanked by a

good thief The Penitent Thief, also known as the Good Thief, Wise Thief, Grateful Thief, or Thief on the Cross, is one of two unnamed thieves in Luke's account of the crucifixion of Jesus in the New Testament. The Gospel of Luke describes him asking Jesu ...

and a bad thief, seated on a hill while lambs drink from a stream at its base. The iconography of the mosaic was very similar to another 5th-century mosaic, destroyed in the 17th century, in Sant'Andrea in Catabarbara.

Convent

The interior cells of the Dominican convent are little changed since the earliest days of the Order of Preachers. The cell of St. Dominic is still identified, though it has since been enlarged and converted to a

chapel A chapel (from , a diminutive of ''cappa'', meaning "little cape") is a Christianity, Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. First, smaller spaces inside a church that have their o ...

. Also, the original dining room still remains, in which St.

Thomas Aquinas Thomas Aquinas ( ; ; – 7 March 1274) was an Italian Dominican Order, Dominican friar and Catholic priest, priest, the foremost Scholasticism, Scholastic thinker, as well as one of the most influential philosophers and theologians in the W ...

would dine when he lived in Rome.

Doors

The doors on the exterior of Santa Sabina are made of

wood, and originally had a layout of twenty-eight panels. Out of these panels, ten of the original have been lost, and are left without ornamentation. Seventeen out of the original remaining eighteen panels depict a scene from the

Old Testament The Old Testament (OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible, or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew and occasionally Aramaic writings by the Isr ...

or the

New Testament The New Testament (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus, as well as events relating to Christianity in the 1st century, first-century Christianit ...

, leaving one panel that does not directly correlate to a Biblical story. This panel, found near the bottom of the door, depicts an homage to a man wearing a

chlamys The chlamys (; genitive: ) was a type of ancient Greek cloak. It was worn by men for military and hunting purposes during the Classical, Hellenistic and later periods. By the time of the Byzantine Empire it was part of the state costume of the ...

, and is thought to depict a historical event relating to a powerful ruler, though the exact story depicted is unknown. One of the smaller top panels depicts the crucifixion of

Jesus Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

and two other figures in front of a building that alludes to the architecture of a Roman

mausoleum A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type o ...

. This panel is the first known publicly displayed image of the

crucifixion of Christ The crucifixion of Jesus was the death of Jesus by being nailed to a cross.The instrument of crucifixion is taken to be an upright wooden beam to which was added a transverse wooden beam, thus forming a "cruciform" or T-shaped structure. ...

. The panels are carved in two distinct styles, one including more detail and adherence to the style of

classical art Ancient Greek art stands out among that of other ancient cultures for its development of naturalistic but idealized depictions of the human body, in which largely nude male figures were generally the focus of innovation. The rate of stylistic d ...

, and one adopting a simpler style, indicating that several artists may have worked on the doors. The abstract vegetal designs on the panels' frames are consistent with a

Mesopotamia Mesopotamia is a historical region of West Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the Fertile Crescent. Today, Mesopotamia is known as present-day Iraq and forms the eastern geographic boundary of ...

n style, suggesting the origin of at least one of the artists was from this region. Due to the cramped composition of the panels and the thin outer frame, it is likely that the door was originally bigger, then cut down to fit into the frame of Santa Sabina. This makes it unclear as to whether the door was initially intended to be used for this specific structure. It may have been designed for a different Roman building with larger doorway dimensions, but then been transferred to Santa Sabina for unknown reasons. However, the door was most likely constructed near the same time as the erection of the Church of Santa Sabina in 432, as the powerful figure in the chlamys scene carving shares stylistic similarities with depictions of

Theodosius II Theodosius II ( ; 10 April 401 – 28 July 450), called "the Calligraphy, Calligrapher", was Roman emperor from 402 to 450. He was proclaimed ''Augustus (title), Augustus'' as an infant and ruled as the Eastern Empire's sole emperor after the ...

, the emperor at the time of the consecration of Santa Sabina. Dendrochronologic and

radiocarbon dating Radiocarbon dating (also referred to as carbon dating or carbon-14 dating) is a method for Chronological dating, determining the age of an object containing organic material by using the properties of carbon-14, radiocarbon, a radioactive Isotop ...

confirmed that the wood used for the door panels is from the beginning of the 5th century, therefore the carvings could date from the reigns of Celestine I (421–431) or Sixtus III (431–440).

Convent and ''Studium'' of the Dominican Order

In 1216 the

, now commonly known as the Dominicans, was approved by Pope Honorius as "the first order instituted by the Church with an academic mission". Honorius III invited

, the founder of the

on 5 June 1222, though the brethren had taken up residence there already in 1220. Some scholars have written that Honorius III was a member of the

Savelli family The House of Savelli (de Sabellis in documents) were a rich and influential Roman aristocratic family who rose to prominence in the 13th century. The family included several popes, senators and condottieri. They dominated the city in rivalry wit ...

and that the church and associated buildings formed part of the holdings of the Savelli, thereby explaining why Honorius III donated Santa Sabina to the Dominicans. In fact, Honorius III was not a Savelli. These scholars may have confused later

Pope Honorius IV Pope Honorius IV (born Giacomo Savelli; — 3 April 1287) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 2 April 1285 to his death on 3 April 1287. His election followed the death of Pope Martin IV and was notable for its sp ...

, who was a Savelli, and Honorius III. In any case, the church was given over to the Dominicans and it has since then served as their headquarters in Rome. In 1265 in accordance with the injunction of the

Chapter Chapter or Chapters may refer to: Books * Chapter (books), a main division of a piece of writing or document * Chapter book, a story book intended for intermediate readers, generally age 7–10 * Chapters (bookstore), Canadian big box bookstore ...

of the Roman province of the Order of Preachers at

Anagni Anagni () is an ancient town and ''comune'' in the province of Frosinone, Lazio, in the hills east-southeast of Rome. It is a historical and artistic centre of the Latin Valley. Geography Overview Anagni still maintains the appearance of a s ...

was assigned as

regent master Regent master (''Magister regens'') was a title conferred in the medieval universities upon a student who had acquired a master's degree. The degree meant simply the right to teach, the ''Licentia docendi'', a right which could be granted, in the ...

at the ''studium conventuale'' at Santa Sabina: “Fr. Thome de Aquino iniungimus in remissionem peccatorum quod teneat studium Rome, et volumus quod fratribus qui stant secum ad studendum provideatur in necessariis vestimentis a conventibus de quorum predicatione traxerunt originem. Si autem illi studentes inventi fuerint negligentes in studio, damus potestatem fr. Thome quod ad conventus suos possit eos remittere”. At this time the existing ''studium conventuale'' at Santa Sabina was transformed into the Order's first ''studium provinciale'', an intermediate school between the ''studium conventuale'' and the ''studium generale''. "Prior to this time the Roman Province had offered no specialized education of any sort, no arts, no philosophy; only simple convent schools, with their basic courses in theology for resident friars, were functioning in Tuscany and the meridionale during the first several decades of the order's life. But the new ''studium'' at Santa Sabina was to be a school for the province," a ''studium provinciale''. Tolomeo da Lucca, an associate and early biographer of Aquinas, tells us that at the Santa Sabina ''studium''

Aquinas Thomas Aquinas ( ; ; – 7 March 1274) was an Italian Dominican Order, Dominican friar and Catholic priest, priest, the foremost Scholasticism, Scholastic thinker, as well as one of the most influential philosophers and theologians in the W ...

taught the full range of philosophical subjects, both moral and natural. With the departure of

for Paris in 1268 and the passage of time the pedagogical activities of the ''studium provinciale'' at Santa Sabina were divided between two campuses. A new

convent A convent is an enclosed community of monks, nuns, friars or religious sisters. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The term is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...

of the Order at the Church of

Santa Maria sopra Minerva Santa Maria sopra Minerva is one of the major Church (building), churches of the Order of Preachers (also known as the Dominicans) in Rome, Italy. The church's name derives from the fact that the first Christian church structure on the site was b ...

had a modest beginning in 1255 as a community for women converts, but grew rapidly in size and importance after being given to the Dominicans in 1275. In 1288 the theology component of the provincial curriculum was relocated from the Santa Sabina ''studium provinciale'' to the ''studium conventuale'' at

which was redesignated as a ''studium particularis theologiae''. Thus, the ''studium'' at Santa Sabina was the forerunner of the ''

studium generale is the old customary name for a medieval university in medieval Europe. Overview There is no official definition for the term . The term ' first appeared at the beginning of the 13th century out of customary usage, and meant a place where stud ...

'' at

. Following the curriculum of studies laid out in the capitular acts of 1291 the Santa Sabina ''studium'' was redesignated as one of three ''studia nove logice'' intended to offer courses of advanced logic covering the ''

logica nova In the history of logic, the term ''logica nova'' (Latin, meaning "new logic") refers to a subdivision of the logical tradition of Western Europe, as it existed around the middle of the twelfth century. The ''Logica vetus'' ("old logic") referred ...

'', the Aristotelian texts recovered in the West only in the second half of the 12th century, the '' Topics'', ''

Sophistical Refutations ''Sophistical Refutations'' (; ) is a text in Aristotle's ''Organon'' in which he identified thirteen fallacies.Sometimes listed as twelve. According to Aristotle, this is the first work to treat the subject of deductive reasoning in ancient Gree ...

'', and the ''

Prior The term prior may refer to: * Prior (ecclesiastical), the head of a priory (monastery) * Prior convictions, the life history and previous convictions of a suspect or defendant in a criminal case * Prior probability, in Bayesian statistics * Prio ...

and Second Analytics'' of Aristotle. This was an advance over the ''logica antiqua'', which treated the ''

Isagoge The ''Isagoge'' (, ''Eisagōgḗ''; ) or "Introduction" to Aristotle's "Categories", written by Porphyry in Greek and translated into Latin by Boethius, was the standard textbook on logic for at least a millennium after his death. It was compose ...

'' of

Porphyry Porphyry (; , ''Porphyrios'' "purple-clad") may refer to: Geology * Porphyry (geology), an igneous rock with large crystals in a fine-grained matrix, often purple, and prestigious Roman sculpture material * Shoksha porphyry, quartzite of purple c ...

, ''Divisions'' and ''Topics'' of

Boethius Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius, commonly known simply as Boethius (; Latin: ''Boetius''; 480–524 AD), was a Roman Roman Senate, senator, Roman consul, consul, ''magister officiorum'', polymath, historian, and philosopher of the Early Middl ...

, the ''

Categories Category, plural categories, may refer to: General uses *Classification, the general act of allocating things to classes/categories Philosophy *Category of being * ''Categories'' (Aristotle) *Category (Kant) *Categories (Peirce) *Category (Vais ...

'' and ''

On Interpretation ''On Interpretation'' (Ancient Greek, Greek: , ) is the second text from Aristotle's ''Organon'' and is among the earliest surviving philosophical works in the Western philosophy, Western tradition to deal with the relationship between language an ...

'' of Aristotle, and the ''Summule logicales'' of Peter of Spain. Milone da Velletri was the

lector Lector is Latin for one who reads, whether aloud or not. In modern languages it takes various forms, as either a development or a loan, such as , , and . It has various specialized uses. Academic The title ''lector'' may be applied to lecturers ...

at the Santa Sabina ''studium'' in 1293. In 1310 the Florentine Giovanni dei Tornaquinci was the lector at Santa Sabina. In 1331 at the Santa Sabina ''studium'' Nerius de Tertia was the lector, and Giovanni Zocco da Spoleto was a student of logic.

List of cardinal priests

* Peter the Illyrian (425 – ?) * Valens (494 – ?) * Basil (523 – ?) * Felix (590 – before 612) * Marinus (612 – ?) * Marinus (fl. 721)

Giovanni Domenico Mansi Gian (Giovanni) Domenico Mansi (16 February 1692 – 27 September 1769) was an Italian prelate, theologian, scholar and historian, known for his massive works on the Ecumenical council, Church councils. Biography He was born at Lucca, of a pa ...

''Sacrorum Conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio''
vol. XII, Florence 1766, col. 265. * Tordonus (741 – before 745) * Theophilus (745 – 757) * Theophilus (757 – 761) * Peter William (761 – ?) * Eugenio Savelli (816 – May 824 elected

pope The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...

) * Gioviniano (853 – ?) * Stefano (964 – ?) * Martino (1033 – before 1058) * Bruno (1058 – before 1088) * Alberico (1088 – circa 1092) * Bruno (1092 – circa 1099) * Alberto (1099 – 1100) * Vitale (1105 – before 1112) * Uberto (1112 – circa 1117) * Roberto (1120 – 1122) * Gregorio (1126 – circa 1137, deceased) * Stanzio (1137 – 1143, deceased) * Manfredo (17 December 1143 – circa 1158, deceased) * Galdino Valvassi della Sala (15 December 1165 – 18 April 1176, deceased) * Pietro (December 1176 – 1178, deceased) * Guillaume aux Blanches Mains (March 1179 – 7 September 1202, deceased) *

Thomas of Capua Thomas of Capua (, ), also called Tommaso di Eboli (before 1185 – August 1239), was an Italian prelate and diplomat. He served as the archbishop-elect of Naples from 1215 until 1216 and then as a cardinal until his death. He administered the d ...

(13 June 1216 – 22 August 1243, deceased) * Hughes de Saint-Cher (28 May 1244 – 24 December 1261, named cardinal bishop of Ostia and Velletri) * Bertrand de Saint–Martin (1273 – 29 March 1277, deceased) * Hughes Seguin de Billom (16 May 1288 – August 1294), ''

in commendam In canon law, commenda (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 ...

'' (August 1294 – 30 December 1298, deceased) * Niccolò Boccassini (4 December 1298 – 2 March 1300, named cardinal bishop of Ostia and Velletri and later elected as pope) *

William Marsfeld William of Macclesfield (died 1303–04) was an English Dominican theologian, given the Scholastic accolade ''Doctor Inclytus''. He was created Cardinal in December 1303 by Pope Benedict XI; it is unclear whether this was before his death. ...

(1303 – 1304, deceased) * Walter Winterbourne (19 February 1304 – 24 September 1305, deceased) * Thomas Jorz (15 December 1305 – 13 December 1310, deceased) * Nicolas Caignet de Fréauville (1310 – 15 January 1323, deceased) * Gérard Domar (20 September 1342 – 27 September 1343, deceased) * Jean de la Molineyrie (17 December 1350 – 23 February 1353, deceased) *

Francesco Tebaldeschi Francesco, the Italian (and original) version of the personal name "Francis", is one of the most common given name among males in Italy. Notable persons with that name include: People with the given name Francesco * Francesco I (disambiguation) ...

(22 September 1368 – 20 August 1378 ?, deceased) * Giovanni d'Amelia (18 September 1378 – December 1385, deceased) ** Tommaso di Casasco (30 May 1382 – 17 June 1390, deceased),

pseudocardinal A pseudocardinal (also quasi-cardinal or anticardinal) is a cardinal created by an antipope, that is, one whose appointed is not recognized as canonical by the Catholic Church. Status Their state, like the state of the antipopes and the anti-b ...

Antipope Clement VII Robert of Geneva (; 1342 – 16 September 1394) was elected to the papacy as Clement VII () by the cardinals who opposed Pope Urban VI and was the first antipope residing in Avignon, France. His election led to the Western Schism. The son of ...

* Bálint Alsáni (9 February 1385 – 1386, named cardinal priest of

Santi Quattro Coronati Santi Quattro Coronati is an ancient titular and conventual minor basilica and Augustinian convent in Rome, Italy. The church dates back to the fourth or fifth century, and is devoted to four anonymous saints and martyrs. The complex of the ba ...

) * Giuliano Cesarini (circa 1440 – 7 March 1444, named

cardinal bishop of Frascati The Diocese of Frascati (Lat.: ''Tusculana'') is a Latin suburbicarian see of the Diocese of Rome and a diocese of the Catholic Church in Italy, based at Frascati, near Rome. The bishop of Frascati is a Cardinal Bishop; from the Latin name of the ...

) * Giovanni de Primis (16 December 1446 – 21 January 1449, deceased) * Guillaume-Hugues d'Estaing (12 January 1450 – 28 October 1455, deceased) *

Enea Silvio Piccolomini Pope Pius II (, ), born Enea Silvio Bartolomeo Piccolomini (; 18 October 1405 – 14 August 1464), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 August 1458 to his death in 1464. Aeneas Silvius was an author, diplomat, ...

(18 December 1456 – 19 August 1458 elected pope) *

Berardo Eroli Berardo Eroli (1409–1479) (called the Cardinal of Spoleto) was an Italian Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal. Biography Berardo Eroli was born in Narni in 1409. He was from an otherwise obscure family. He studied at Rome, becoming a doctor o ...

(19 March 1460 – 23 May 1474, named cardinal bishop of Sabina) * Ausias Despuig (12 December 1477 – 2 September 1483, deceased) * Giovanni d'Aragona, ''in commendam'' (10 September 1483 – 17 October 1485, deceased) * Vacante (1485 – 1493) *

Jean Bilhères de Lagraulas Jean Bilhères de Lagraulas or Jean Villier de la Grolaie, or Groslaye etc., also called the Cardinal of Saint-Denis (died 1499), was a French Roman Catholic abbot, bishop and from 1493 cardinal. He died as French ambassador in Rome, and is ...

(23 September 1493 – 6 August 1499, deceased) *

Diego Hurtado de Mendoza y Quiñones Diego Hurtado de Mendoza y Quiñones (b. Guadalajara, Castile-La Mancha, Guadalajara, Spain, 1444 – d. Madrid, October 14, 1502) was a Spanish noble from the House of Mendoza and the Archbishop of Sevilla. Biography He was the son of Íñigo ...

(5 October 1500 – 14 October 1502, deceased) * Francisco Lloris y de Borja, diacon ''pro illa vice'' (12 June 1503 – 17 December 1505, named cardinal deacon of Santa Maria Nuova) * Fazio Giovanni Santori (17 December 1505 – 22 March 1510, deceased) * René de Prie (17 March 1511 – 24 October 1511 deposto) *

Bandinello Sauli Bandinello Sauli (c. 1481 – 28 March 1518) was an Italian Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal. Biography Bandinello Sauli was born in Genoa, ca. 1481, the son of nobles Pasquale Sauli and Mariola Giustiniani Longhi. .Hyde, Cardinal Bendin ...

(24 October 1511 – 18 July 1516, named cardinal priest of

Santa Maria in Trastevere The Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere () or Our Lady in Trastevere is a titulus (Roman Catholic), titular minor basilica in the Trastevere district of Rome, and one of the oldest churches of Rome. The basic floor plan and wall structure of the ...

) *

Giovanni Piccolomini Giovanni Piccolomini (1475–1537) was an Italian papal legate and cardinal. He was a nephew of Pope Pius III. He was made Archbishop of Siena in 1503, Bishop of Sitten in 1522, Bishop of Aquila in 1523, Bishop of Albano in 1524, Bishop of Pa ...

(6 July 1517 – 11 June 1521, named cardinal priest of

Santa Balbina Santa Balbina is a Roman Catholic basilica church in a quiet area on the side of the Aventine Hill, in Rome. It is next to the Baths of Caracalla. History This had been the site of the large home of Lucius Fabius Cilo, a wealthy Roman of the ...

) * Vacante (1521 – 1533) *

Louis II de Bourbon-Vendôme Louis may refer to: People * Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name * Louis (surname) * Louis (singer), Serbian singer Other uses * Louis (coin), a French coin * HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy See also * ...

(3 March 1533 – 24 February 1550, named cardinal bishop of

Palestrina Palestrina (ancient ''Praeneste''; , ''Prainestos'') is a modern Italian city and ''comune'' (municipality) with a population of about 22,000, in Lazio, about east of Rome. It is connected to the latter by the Via Prenestina. It is built upon ...

) * Ottone di Waldburg (28 February 1550 – 14 April 1561, named cardinal priest of Santa Maria in Trastevere) *

Michele Ghislieri Pope Pius V, OP (; 17 January 1504 – 1 May 1572), born Antonio Ghislieri (and from 1518 called Michele Ghislieri), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 January 1566 to his death, in May 1572. He was an ...

(14 April 1561 – 15 May 1565, named cardinal priest of

and later elected as pope) * Simone Pasqua (15 May 1565 – 4 September 1565, named cardinal priest of

San Pancrazio The basilica of San Pancrazio (; ) is a Catholic minor basilica and titular, conventual, and parish church founded by Pope Symmachus in the 6th century in Rome, Italy. It stands in via S. Pancrazio, westward beyond the Porta San Pancrazio tha ...

) * Stanislaw Hosius (4 September 1565 – 7 September 1565, named cardinal priest ''pro hac vice'' of San Teodoro) * Benedetto Lomellini (7 September 1565 – 24 July 1579, deceased) *

Vincenzo Giustiniani Vincenzo Giustiniani (13 September 1564 – 27 December 1637) was an aristocratic Italian banker, art collector and intellectual of the late 16th and early 17th centuries, known today largely for the Giustiniani art collection, assembled at the ...

(3 August 1579 – 28 October 1582, deceased) * Filippo Spinola (20 February 1584 – 20 August 1593, deceased) *

Ottavio Bandini Ottavio Bandini (1558–1629) was a Roman Catholic cardinal. Biography On 25 June 1595 he was consecrated bishop by Alessandro Ottaviano de' Medici, Archbishop of Florence, with Ludovico de Torres, Archbishop of Monreale, and Gian Francesco ...

(21 June 1596 – 16 September 1615, named cardinal priest of

San Lorenzo in Lucina The Minor Basilica of St. Lawrence in Lucina ( or simply ; ) is a Roman Catholic parish, titular church, and minor basilica in central Rome, Italy. The basilica is located in Piazza di San Lorenzo in Lucina in the Rione Colonna, about two blocks ...

) *

Giulio Savelli Giulio Savelli (27 September 1941 – 12 May 2020) was an Italian politician and publisher. Biography Born in Rome, Italy, on 27 September 1941, Savelli co-founded the publishing house alongside Giuseppe Paolo Samonà in 1963. Samonà left the b ...

(11 January 1616 – 10 November 1636, named cardinal priest of Santa Maria in Trastevere) * Francesco Barberini (1645 - 1652) *

Alessandro Bichi Alessandro Bichi (30 September 1596 – 25 May 1657) was an Italian Catholic Cardinal and papal nuncio to France. Biography Bichi was born in Siena in 1596, the son of Vincenzo Bichi and nephew of Cardinal Metello Bichi. At an early age he ...

(7 December 1637 – 25 May 1657, deceased) * Scipione Pannocchieschi d'Elci (6 May 1658 – 12 April 1670, deceased) *

Luis Manuel Fernández de Portocarrero Luis Manuel Fernández de Portocarrero y de Guzmán, (8 January 1635, Palma del Río – 14 September 1709, Toledo, Spain) was a Spanish prelate, who was cardinal archbishop of Toledo. Uncle of Luis Antonio Tomás de Portocarrero y Moscoso, 5 ...

(19 May 1670 – 27 January 1698, named cardinal bishop of Palestrina) * Francesco del Giudice (30 March 1700 – 12 February 1717, named cardinal bishop of Palestrina) * Mihály Frigyes (Michele Federico) Althan (16 September 1720 – 20 June 1734, deceased) * Vacante (1734 – 1738) * Raniero d'Elci (23 July 1738 – 10 April 1747); ''in commendam'' (10 April 1747 – 22 June 1761, deceased) * Vacante (1761 – 1775) * Leonardo Antonelli (29 May 1775 – 21 February 1794, named cardinal bishop of Palestrina) * Giulio Maria della Somaglia (22 September 1795 – 20 July 1801, named cardinal priest of Santa Maria sopra Minerva) * Vacante (1801 – 1818) * Kasimir Johann Baptist von Häffelin (25 May 1818 – 19 April 1822, named cardinal priest of

Sant'Anastasia Sant'Anastasia (; ) is a (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Naples in the Italian region Campania, located about northeast of Naples. Sant'Anastasia borders the following municipalities: Casalnuovo di Napoli, Ercolano, Pollena Trocchia, ...

) * Luigi Pandolfi (16 May 1823 – 2 February 1824, deceased) * Vacante (1824 – 1829) * Gustave-Maximilien-Juste de Croÿ–Solre (21 May 1829 – 1º January 1844, deceased) *

Sisto Riario Sforza Sisto Riario Sforza (5 December 1810 – 29 September 1877) was an Italian Roman Catholic cardinal who served as the Archbishop of Naples from 1845 until his death. Sforza's rapid rise through the Church ranks began with various appointment ...

(16 April 1846 – 29 September 1877, deceased) *

Vincenzo Moretti Vincenzo Moretti (14 November 1815 – 6 October 1881) was an Italian Roman Catholic cardinal and the Archbishop of Ravenna from 1871 until his resignation in 1879. He was elevated to the cardinalate in late 1877. He served first as the Bishop ...

(31 December 1877 – 6 October 1881, deceased) *

Edward MacCabe Edward Cardinal MacCabe or McCabe (14 February 1816 – 11 February 1885) was the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin from 1879 until his death and a Cardinal from 1882. Biography MacCabe's father was a poor shopkeeper. Edward was educated at ...

(30 March 1882 – 11 February 1885, deceased) * Serafino Vannutelli (26 May 1887 – 11 February 1889, named cardinal priest of San Girolamo of Croati) *

Agostino Bausa Agostino Bausa, O.P. (; 23 February 1821 – 14 April 1899) – born Antonio Vincenzo Giuseppe Bausa – was an Italian cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. A member of the Dominican Order, he served as Archbishop of Florence from 1889 to 189 ...

(14 February 1889 – 15 April 1899, deceased) * François–Désiré Mathieu (22 June 1899 – 26 October 1908, deceased) * Léon-Adolphe Amette (30 November 1911 – 29 August 1920, deceased) * Francisco de Asís Vidal y Barraquer (16 June 1921 – 13 September 1943, deceased) * Vacante (1942 – 1946) *

Ernesto Ruffini Ernesto Ruffini (19 January 1888 – 11 June 1967) was an Italian Cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal of the Catholic Church, who served as Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Palermo, Archbishop of Palermo from 1945 until his death, and was elevated to ...

(22 February 1946 – 11 June 1967, deceased) *

Gabriel-Marie Garrone Gabriel-Marie Garrone (12 October 1901 – 15 January 1994) was a French Catholic prelate who served as president of the Pontifical Council for Culture from 1982 to 1988. He previously served as prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Educat ...

(29 June 1967 – 15 January 1994, deceased) *

(29 January 1996 – 8 August 2022, deceased) * Vacante (2022 - present)

Notes and references

Sources

* * Richard Delbrueck. "Notes on the Wooden Doors of Santa Sabina",'' The Art Bulletin'', Vol. 34, No. 2. (Jun., 1952), pp. 139–145. * Ernst H. Kantorowicz, "The 'King's Advent': And The Enigmatic Panels in the Doors of Santa Sabina",'' The Art Bulletin'', Vol. 26, No. 4. (Dec., 1944), pp. 207–231. * Alexander Coburn Soper. "The Italo-Gallic School of Early Christian Art",'' The Art Bulletin'', Vol. 20, No. 2 (Jun., 1938), pp. 145–192. * Richard Delbrueck. "The Acclamation Scene on the Doors of Santa Sabina" (in Notes), ''The Art Bulletin'', Vol. 31, No. 3 (Sep., 1949), pp. 215–217. * Allyson E. Sheckler and Mary Joan Winn Leith, “The Crucifixion Conundrum and the Santa Sabina Doors,” Harvard Theological Review 103 (January 2010), pp. 67–88. * Weitzmann, Kurt, ed.,
Age of spirituality: late antique and early Christian art, third to seventh century
', nos. 247, 438 & 586, 1979,

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an Encyclopedic museum, encyclopedic art museum in New York City. By floor area, it is the List of largest museums, third-largest museum in the world and the List of larg ...

, New York, ; full text available online from The Metropolitan Museum of Art Libraries

External links

Thayer's Gazetteer
with Mario Armellini's

Door Panels of Santa Sabina
analyzed.
{{Authority control Sabina Titular churches, Sabina Dominican churches 5th-century churches Churches of Rome (rione Ripa), Sabina