Santa Balbina is a

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 ...

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica (Greek Basiliké) was a large public building with multiple functions that was typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek Eas ...

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...

in a quiet area on the side of 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 ...

, 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, ...

. It is next to the

Baths of Caracalla The Baths of Caracalla () in Rome, Italy, were the city's second largest Ancient Rome, Roman public baths, or ''thermae'', after the Baths of Diocletian. The baths were likely built between AD 212 (or 211) and 216/217, during the reigns of empero ...

History

This had been the site of the large home of Lucius Fabius Cilo, a wealthy Roman of the late second century. It had been a gift to him from

Septimius Severus Lucius Septimius Severus (; ; 11 April 145 – 4 February 211) was Roman emperor from 193 to 211. He was born in Leptis Magna (present-day Al-Khums, Libya) in the Roman province of Africa. As a young man he advanced through cursus honorum, the ...

, and is marked on the '' Forma Urbis Romae''. Christian ownership resulted in substantial renovation in around 370: walls were heightened and the internal layout was modified along the lines of today's church. The original title of this church is uncertain. It has been suggested it was known as ''titulus Tigridae'', referring perhaps to an early sponsor or founder. It has been handed down that when the

Emperor Constantine Constantine I (27 February 27222 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was a Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337 and the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. He played a pivotal role in elevating the status of Christ ...

departed to found the city that became

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

, he bade farewell to

Pope Sylvester I Pope Sylvester I (also Silvester, before 284 – 31 December 335) was the bishop of Rome from 31 January 314 until his death on 31 December 335. He filled the See of Rome at an important era in the history of the Western Church, though very lit ...

at this church. In the eighth century, the basilica was consecrated by

Pope Gregory III Pope Gregory III (; died 28 November 741) was the bishop of Rome from 11 February 731 to his death on 28 November 741. His pontificate, like that of his predecessor, was disturbed by Byzantine iconoclasm and the advance of the Lombards, in which ...

to the entirely mythical St Balbina, whose legend has her dying around 130 CE. The building underwent many revisions, including under

Pope Paul II Pope Paul II (; ; 23 February 1417 – 26 July 1471), born Pietro Barbo, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 30 August 1464 to his death in 1471. When his maternal uncle became Pope Eugene IV, Barbo switched fr ...

in 1464, and under Cardinal Pompeo Arrigoni in 1600. Initially affiliated with the

Augustinians Augustinians are members of several religious orders that follow the Rule of Saint Augustine, written about 400 A.D. by Augustine of Hippo. There are two distinct types of Augustinians in Catholic religious orders dating back to the 12th–13 ...

, the church came into the charge of secular priests of

Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

during Pope Innocent XII's time. The adjoining monastery has a commanding medieval defence tower. Inside the basilica there is a very fine episcopal chair with

Cosmatesque Cosmatesque, or Cosmati, is a style of geometric decorative inlay stonework typical of the architecture of Medieval Italy, and especially of Rome and its surroundings. It was used most extensively for the decoration of church floors, but was also ...

decoration from the 13th century. The church was heavily restored in the 1930s. An ancient sarcophagus was discovered during the restoration. It is now used as a font. Frescoes were discovered on the side walls from the 9th to 14th centuries. The Baroque frescoes in the apse and the triumphal arch were painted by Anastasio Fontebuoni in 1599. The triumphal arch is decorated with the figures of Sts Paul and Peter. In the apse the mythical St Balbina is depicted between martyrs. Previous titulars include Alfonso de la Cueva, marqués de Bedmar and

Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros, OFM (1436 – 8 November 1517) was a Spanish cardinal, religious figure, and statesman. Starting from humble beginnings he rose to the heights of power, becoming a religious reformer, twice regent of Spain, ...

. It was at this church in 1875 that the

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...

priest Simpliciano of the Nativity founded the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart.

Hungarian connection

In 1270 the first known Hungarian cardinal, Stephen Báncsa was buried in the basilica. Another 13th-century Hungarian clergyman,

Pál Pál is a Hungarian masculine given name, the Hungarian version of Paul (given name), Paul. It may refer to: * Pál Almásy (1818–1882), Hungarian lawyer and politician * Pál Bedák (born 1985), Hungarian boxer * Pal Benko, Pál Benkő (1928– ...

, Bishop of

Paphos Paphos, also spelled as Pafos, is a coastal city in southwest Cyprus and the capital of Paphos District. In classical antiquity, two locations were called Paphos: #Old Paphos, Old Paphos, today known as Kouklia, and #New Paphos, New Paphos. It i ...

, erected an altar in the church for Saint Nicolas. Both the altar and the grave disappeared during later centuries, but a plaque commemorates the offerings of Pál. Until 2023, the

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 this church was

Péter Erdő Péter Erdő (, ; born 25 June 1952) is a Hungarian Cardinal (Catholic Church), cardinal of the Catholic Church who has served as the Archdiocese of Esztergom-Budapest, Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest and primate (bishop), Primate of Hungary si ...

, Archbishop of Esztergom and Primate of Hungary. He suggested the Hungarian links to the church played a part in the pope's decision to assign him Santa Balbina. Erdő recommended Hungarian pilgrims visit the basilica. The cardinal said he feels a special responsibility for the building. Because the church's physical state had deteriorated, Archbishop Erdő was appointed cardinal priest of Santa Maria Nuova in March 2023.

List of Cardinal-Priests

Gallery

File:San Saba - santa Balbina interno 1000904.JPG, Interior File:San Saba - santa Balbina - stemma di Innocenzo VIII nel portico 1000910.JPG, Santa Balbina in Rome: Coat of arms of

Pope Innocent VIII Pope Innocent VIII (; ; 1432 – 25 July 1492), born Giovanni Battista Cybo (or Cibo), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 29 August 1484 to his death, in July 1492. Son of the viceroy of Naples, Cybo spent his ea ...

(1473-1474) in the portico File:San Saba - santa Balbina cattedra cosmatesca 1000906.JPG, Bishop's Chair adorned in mosaic by the Cosmati - 13th century File:San Saba - santa Balbina crocifissione Mino da Fiesole 1000907.JPG, Crucifixion relief done for the tomb of

Mino da Fiesole Mino da Fiesole (c. 1429 – July 11, 1484), also known as Mino di Giovanni, was an Italian Renaissance sculptor from Poppi, Tuscany. He is noted for his portrait busts. Career Mino's work was influenced by his master Desiderio da Settignano and ...

File:Santa Balbina - torre 00156.JPG, Fortified tower of the Santa Balbina Convent File:San Saba - santa Balbina cortile del convento - listatum 1000902.JPG, Opus listatum in the walls of the convent now called Santa Dorotea File:Santa Balbina - abside 00151.JPG, Santa Balbina Exterior File:San Saba - santa Balbina 1000897.JPG, Santa Balbina, near the

File:San Saba - via di santa balbina.JPG, The way to Santa Balbina

References

Bibliography

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External links

* Nyborg, Chris
"Santa Balbina"
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Balbina Basilica churches in Rome Titular churches 4th-century churches Churches of Rome (rione San Saba)