The Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua al Laterano (, ) is a Roman Catholic

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 ...

church in

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, ...

on Via Merulana, one block from the Obelisk of St. John Lateran. It was built for the

Order of Friars Minor The Order of Friars Minor (commonly called the Franciscans, the Franciscan Order, or the Seraphic Order; Post-nominal letters, postnominal abbreviation OFM) is a Mendicant orders, mendicant Catholic religious order, founded in 1209 by Francis ...

, who needed a new home after they were moved from

Santa Maria in Ara Coeli The Basilica of Saint Mary of the Altar in Heaven (, ) is a titular basilica and conventual church of the Franciscan Convent of Aracoeli located the highest summit of the Capitoline Hill in Rome, Italy. From 1250–1798 it was the headquarters o ...

to allow the construction of the

Victor Emmanuel II Monument The Victor Emmanuel II National Monument (), also known as the Vittoriano or for synecdoche Altare della Patria ("Altar of the Fatherland"), is a large national monument built between 1885 and 1935 to honour Victor Emmanuel II, the first king ...

. The church was consecrated on 4 December 1887 and was elevated to

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 ...

status in 1931. On 12 March 1960

Pope John XXIII Pope John XXIII (born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli; 25 November 18813 June 1963) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 28 October 1958 until his death on 3 June 1963. He is the most recent pope to take ...

made it a

titular church In the Catholic Church, a titular church () is a Churches in Rome, church in Rome that is assigned to a member of the Holy orders in the Catholic Church, clergy who is created a Cardinal (Catholic Church), cardinal. These are Catholic churches in ...

as a seat for

cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal most commonly refers to * Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of three species in the family Cardinalidae ***Northern cardinal, ''Cardinalis cardinalis'', the common cardinal of ...

s.Cardinal Title S. Antonio da Padova al Laterano
GCatholic The current

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 ...

of the ''Titulus Sancti Antonii Patavini de Urbe'' is

Américo Aguiar Américo Manuel Alves Aguiar (born 12 December 1973) is a Portuguese prelate of the Catholic Church who has been bishop of Roman Catholic Diocese of Setúbal, Setúbal since 2023. He was an auxiliary bishop of the Patriarchate of Lisbon from 201 ...

Architecture

Two staircases provide access to the gantry of the church, where a statue of

Saint Anthony of Padua Anthony of Padua, OFM, (; ; ) or Anthony of Lisbon (; ; ; born Fernando Martins de Bulhões; 15 August 1195 – 13 June 1231) was a Portuguese Catholic priest and member of the Order of Friars Minor. Anthony was born and raised by a wealth ...

stands holding the

Christ Child The Christ Child—also known as Baby Jesus, Infant Jesus, Child Jesus, Divine Child, Divine Infant and the Holy Child—refers to Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ during his early years. The term refers to a period of life of Jesus, Jesus' l ...

. Inside, the church is constructed of three

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-type ...

s, divided by two columns of pillars made of pink marble. The general decoration of the church was done by Friar Bonaventura Loffredo da Alghero in 1889–1890. The fresco of the apotheosis of the Franciscan family in the apse area of the sanctuary was done by Friar Loffredo. The paintings of the side altars were done by various artists, mainly Franciscan: ''St. Clare of Assisi'' by Giuseppe Bravi (1844–1908); ''St. Francis of Assisi'' by Franz De Rhoden (1817–1903); ''Japanese Martyrs crucified in 1597 in Nagasaki'' by Cesare Mariani (1826–1901); ''Immaculate Mary'' by Francesco Szoldatiez (1916); ''St. Ludovico di Tolosa'' by Eugenia Pignet (1940). Other paintings were done by the friars Giuseppe Maria Rossi, Caio D' Andrea and Michelangelo Cianti.

List of cardinal priests

Peter Doi Peter Tatsuo Doi (土井辰雄 ''Doi Tatsuo'') (22 December 1892 – 21 February 1970) was a Japanese prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Tokyo from 1937 until his death in 1970, and was made a cardinal in 1960. Biogra ...

(28 March 1960 – 21 February 1970) *

António Ribeiro '' Dom'' António II Ribeiro (21 May 1928 – 24 March 1998) was a Portuguese cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, and Patriarch of Lisbon from 1971 until his death in 1998. Born at São Clemente de Basto, Celorico de Basto, son of José ...

(5 March 1973 – 24 March 1998) *

Cláudio Hummes Cláudio Hummes (; born Auri Alfonso Hummes; 8 August 1934 – 4 July 2022) was a Brazilian prelate of the Catholic Church. He was prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy from 2006 to 2010, having served as Archbishop of Fortaleza from 19 ...

(21 February 2001 – 4 July 2022) *

(30 September 2023 – Present)

Notes

References

* Benedetto Pesci, OFM, "Storia della Basilica di S. Antonio" in Official Website of the Basilica: Basilica d
Sant'Antonio al Laterano
Roma *

Mariano Armellini Mariano Armellini (7 February 1852 – 24 February 1896) was an Italian archaeologist and historian. Born in Rome, he was one of the founders of the Pontifical Academy of Martyrs, and was named a Knight of Order of St. Gregory the Great by Pope L ...

''Le chiese di Roma dal secolo IV al XIX'', Roma 1891
* C. Rendina, ''Le Chiese di Roma'', Newton & Compton Editori, Milano 2000, p. 37 * C. Cerchiai, ''Rione XV Esquilino'', in AA.VV, ''I rioni di Roma'', Newton & Compton Editori, Milano 2000, Vol. III, pp. 968–1014

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Antonio da Padova in Via Merulana, Sant' Roman Catholic churches completed in 1888 19th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Basilica churches in Rome Titular churches Franciscan churches in Italy Churches of Rome (rione Esquilino)

Architecture

List of cardinal priests

See also

Notes

References

External links