San Bernardo della Compagnia (also known as San Bernardo a Colonna Traiani, San Bernardi ad Columnam Traiani or San Bernardo della Compagnia al Foro) was a small church in Rome, next to Trajan's Column, dedicated to Saint Bernard and the

Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

History

The church was first built in 1418 by Francesco dei Foschi of a noble Roman family, near his house next to the column of Trajan under the pontificate of

Martin V Pope Martin V (; ; January/February 1369 – 20 February 1431), born Oddone Colonna, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 11 November 1417 to his death in February 1431. His election effectively ended the West ...

. He transferred into it a fraternity of laymen and of priests from the small church of three fountains outside the

Porta San Paolo The Porta San Paolo (English: Saint Paul Gate) is one of the southern gates in the 3rd-century Aurelian Walls of Rome, Italy. The Via Ostiense Museum (') is housed within the gatehouse. It is in the Ostiense quarter; just to the west is the Roma ...

. Annexed to the church in the garden he established a small cemetery for the fraternity and to this he also gave all his rich property in 1440 to use for the church and for the poor. He wanted two days' food to be distributed free to forty poor families every Sunday. These brothers lived in the house.

Pope Eugene IV Pope Eugene IV (; ; 1383 – 23 February 1447), born Gabriele Condulmer, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 11 March 1431 to his death, in February 1447. Condulmer was a Republic of Venice, Venetian, and a nephew ...

gave them an ancient icon of the Virgin that used to be venerated in the Oratory of San Lorenzo in Laterano. On festival days they would gathered in their church to pray in front an icon. In 1563,

Pope Pius IV Pope Pius IV (; 31 March 1499 – 9 December 1565), born Giovanni Angelo Medici, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 25 December 1559 to his death, in December 1565. Born in Milan, his family considered itself a b ...

assigned the Church of Santo Stefano de Pinea to the Sylvestrine Fathers. In 1685, in celebration of the victory of the Holy League against the Ottoman Empire at the

Battle of Vienna The Battle of Vienna took place at Kahlenberg Mountain near Vienna on 1683 after the city had been besieged by the Ottoman Empire for two months. The battle was fought by the Holy Roman Empire (led by the Habsburg monarchy) and the Polish–Li ...

on 12 September 1683, Abbot Giuseppe Bianchi, O.S.B. Silv., instituted the devotion of the Most Holy Name of Mary at Santo Stefano del Cacco, and soon afterwards established the Confraternity of the Most Holy Name of Mary dedicated to feeding the poor. The confraternity was formally approved in 1688. By the 17th century the ancient company of S. Bernardo was almost extinguished. In September 1694, the Confraternity of the Most Holy Name of Mary moved to San Bernardo a Colonna Traiani. It was subsequently raised to an Archconfraternity. In 1703, the icon was crowned by the Vatican Chapter. Realizing that they needed to build a new church, the Archconfraternity acquired the adjacent plot and had Santissimo Nome di Maria built. It was completed in 1741, and the icon was transferred to the new church. San Bernardo was demolished in 1748. Every year up until 1870, the members would walk in procession on the Feast of the Holy Name of Mary to the church of Santa Maria della Vittoria, stopping at the

Quirinal Palace The Quirinal Palace ( ) is a historic building in Rome, Italy, the main official residence of the President of Italy, President of the Italian Republic, together with Villa Rosebery in Naples and the Tenuta di Castelporziano, an estate on the outs ...

for the pope's blessing.Chandlery, Peter Joseph. ''Pilgrim-walks in Rome'', America Press, 1908, p. 377
/ref> The icon of Mary now hangs above the high altar of Santissimo Nome di Maria. On its case is the inscription: FRANCSICVS DE FUSCIS HUIUS ECCLESIAE ET SOCIETATIS FUNDATOR HIC IACET ANNO MCCCCLXVIII. Once a year, it is taken in solemn procession from the site of the now destroyed church of San Bernardo to its present place in the Nome di Maria church.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bernardo Della Compagnia, San Bernardo 15th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Bernardo Compagnia Destroyed Roman Catholic churches in Rome Buildings and structures demolished in 1748