Santa Francesca Romana (), previously known as Santa Maria Nova, is a

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

church situated next to the

Roman Forum A forum (Latin: ''forum'', "public place outdoors", : ''fora''; English : either ''fora'' or ''forums'') was a public square in a municipium, or any civitas, of Ancient Rome reserved primarily for the vending of goods; i.e., a marketplace, alon ...

in the rione

Campitelli Campitelli is the 10th of Rome, Italy, identified by the initials R. X, and is located in the Municipio I. Its emblem consists of a black dragon's head on a white background. This symbol comes from the legend that Pope Silvester I threw out a ...

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.

History

An oratory putatively was established in the eighth century under

Pope Paul I Pope Paul I (; 70028 June 767) was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the emerging Papal States from 29 May 757 to his death on 28 June 767. He first served as a Roman deacon and was frequently employed by his brother, Pope Stephen II, in negotiat ...

in the

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cu ...

of the former

Temple of Venus and Roma The Temple of Venus and Roma (Latin: ''Aedes Veneris et Romae'') is thought to have been the largest Roman temple, temple in Ancient Rome. Located on the Velian Hill, between the eastern edge of the Forum Romanum and the Colosseum, it was dedicat ...

. Tradition holds that at this site Saint

Peter Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a su ...

prayed at the site to challenge

Simon Magus Simon Magus (Greek Σίμων ὁ μάγος, Latin: Simon Magus), also known as Simon the Sorcerer or Simon the Magician, was a religious figure whose confrontation with Peter is recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. The act of simony, or payi ...

. According to this legend, Simon Magus wanted to prove his pagan powers were greater than those of the apostles, and started levitating in front of Peter. The apostle fell on his knees to prayer, asking God to demonstrate his pre-eminence, and Simon fell, dying. Tradition holds that the

basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...

stones where the apostle's knees during prayer are embedded in the wall of the south

transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform ("cross-shaped") cruciform plan, churches, in particular within the Romanesque architecture, Romanesque a ...

. A church at the site was known by the tenth century, was named ''Santa Maria Nova'' (or "Nuova", "New St Mary"), to distinguish it from the other church inside the Roman forum devoted to St Mary,

Santa Maria Antiqua Santa Maria Antiqua () is a Catholic Marian church in Rome, Italy, built in the 5th century in the Forum Romanum, and for a long time the monumental access to the Palatine imperial palaces. Located at the foot of the Palatine Hill, Santa Maria A ...

("Ancient St Mary"), which had fallen into ruin by then. The relics from the ancient church were moved to this church under Pope Leo. Santa Maria Nuova was enlarged in the second half of the tenth century, and then rebuilt by

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 ...

in the thirteenth century, adding 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 ...

and the

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 ' ...

, as well as being decorated with a

mosaic A mosaic () is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/Mortar (masonry), mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and ...

Maestà Maestà , the Italian word for "majesty", designates a classification of images of the enthroned Madonna with the child Jesus, the designation generally implying accompaniment by angels, saints, or both. The ''Maestà'' is an extension of the " ...

'', a depiction of the Madonna enthroned accompanied by saints. The belltower and apse are now located at the east end of former Roman temple, where the portico and entry stairs stood. Behind (East) of the apse and bell tower are a jumble of structures forming the former monastery with two small courtyards. Flanking the north of these structures and extending further west on both sides towards the

Colosseum The Colosseum ( ; , ultimately from Ancient Greek word "kolossos" meaning a large statue or giant) is an Ellipse, elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, just east of the Roman Forum. It is the largest ancient amphi ...

are the remaining outer columns of the massive ancient Roman temple. Since 1352 the church has been in the care of the

Olivetans The Olivetans, formally known as the Order of Our Lady of Mount Olivet, are a monastic order. They were founded in 1313 and recognised in 1344. They use the Rule of Saint Benedict and are a member of the Benedictine Confederation, where they are ...

. In the 16th century, the church was rededicated to

Frances of Rome Francesca Bussa de' Leoni (1384 – March 9, 1440), known as Frances of Rome (; ), was an Italian Catholic mystic, organizer of charitable services and a Benedictine oblate who founded a religious community of oblates, who share a common life ...

(''Francesca Buzzi''), who was canonized in 1608 and whose

relics In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains or personal effects of a saint or other person preserved for the purpose of veneration as a tangible memorial. Reli ...

are in the crypt. The interior of the church has undergone many refurbishments. The present

travertine Travertine ( ) is a form of terrestrial limestone deposited around mineral springs, especially hot springs. It often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, cream-colored, and rusty varieties. It is formed by a process ...

porch and façade (1615) were designed and built by Carlo Lambardi.

Description

The inscriptions found in Santa Francesca Romana (S. Maria Nuova), a valuable source illustrating the history of the church, have been collected and published by Vincenzo Forcella. The interior, a single

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 ...

with side chapels, was rebuilt by Lombardi in the years preceding Francesca Buzzi's canonization, beginning in 1595. In the middle of the nave is the rectangular ''

schola cantorum The Schola Cantorum de Paris ( being ) is a private conservatory in Paris. It was founded in 1894 by Charles Bordes, Alexandre Guilmant and Vincent d'Indy as a counterbalance to the Paris Conservatoire's emphasis on opera. History The Schol ...

'' of the old church, covered in Cosmatesque mosaics. Among the altarpieces are works by Pietro Tedeschi, Padre Pozzi, and Subleyras. Santa Francesca Romana nave

The

sacristy A sacristy, also known as a vestry or preparation room, is a room in Christianity, Christian churches for the keeping of vestments (such as the alb and chasuble) and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records. The sacristy is us ...

houses the precious ''Madonna Glykophilousa'' ("Our Lady of Tenderness"), an early 5th-century icon brought from Santa Maria Antiqua. The twelfth-century ''Madonna and Child'' had been painted over. It was meticulously detached from the panel in 1950. The tomb of Pope Gregory XI, who returned the papacy to Rome from Avignon, reconstructed to a design by Per Paulo Olivieri (signed and dated 1584) is in the south transept. The Deaconry was suppressed on 8 August 1661. S. Maria Nova was reestablished, as the ''Titulus'' of a Cardinal Priest, on 17 March 1887 by Pope Leo XIII. The '' titulus'' of the church remains ''Sancta Mariae Novae''; 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 S. Mariae Novae'' is

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 ...

. A Cardinal Priest no longer has any jurisdiction over his titular church or its clergy. He is only the Cardinal Protector. Madonna Glykophilousa

Saint Francesca Romana has been named the patron of car drivers, because of a legend that an angel used to light her way with a lamp when she travelled at night. Automobiles line up on the day of her feast (9 March) as far as the

, to partake of the blessing. The facade of the Church of Holy Cross College, in

Clonliffe Clonliffe () is an area on the Northside, Dublin, Northside of Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, between Ballybough and Drumcondra, Dublin, Drumcondra in the Dublin 3 postal district. Location Clonliffe Road, previously known as Fortick ...

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

, is a replica of Santa Francesca Romana. It was designed by the Gothic Revival Architect

James Joseph McCarthy James Joseph McCarthy was an Irish architect known for his design of ecclesiastical buildings. McCarthy was born in Dublin, Ireland on 6 January 1817. His parents were from County Kerry. He was educated by the Christian Brothers in Richmond St., ...

and is one of the few exceptions to his list of Gothic works.

Confessio

The confessio is the enclosed area below the altar, built between 1638 and 1649 to a design by

Gian Lorenzo Bernini Gian Lorenzo (or Gianlorenzo) Bernini (, ; ; Italian Giovanni Lorenzo; 7 December 1598 – 28 November 1680) was an Italians, Italian sculptor and Italian architect, architect. While a major figure in the world of architecture, he was more prom ...

. At its center is a sculptural group of St Frances and the angel. Bernini's sculpture was taken during the French occupation in 1798 and is now lost, and was replaced in 1866 by the sculptor Giosuè Meli.

Cardinal Deacons of S. Maria Nova

12th century

* Teobaldo Boccapecci (c.1103 – December 1123)"Celestine (d. 1124)", ''A Dictionary of Popes'', 2 ed., (J. N. D. Kelly and Michael J. Walsh, eds.) OUP
* Aymery de la Châtre (December 1123 – 28 May 1141) * Giovanni (17 December 1143 – 1153) * Hieronymus ( 1164 – 1167 ?) * Ughizio ( 1172 – 1173) * Matthaeus (March 1178 – 1182) * Bernardo (12 March 1188 – 1193)

14th century

* Pietro Valeriano Duraguerra (17 December 1295 – 17 December 1302) * Raimundus de Got (15 December 1305 – 26 June 1310) * Raimundus de Fargis (19 December 1310 – 5 October 1346) * Pierre Roger de Beaufort (29 May 1348 – 30 December 1370); elected

Pope Gregory XI Pope Gregory XI (; born Pierre Roger de Beaufort; c. 1329 – 27 March 1378) was head of the Catholic Church from 30 December 1370 to his death, in March 1378. He was the seventh and last Avignon pope and the most recent French pope. In 1377, ...

(1370–1378) * Ludovico de Altavilla (18 September 1378 – ca. 1380) y Urban VI* Amadeo de Saluzzo (23 December 1383 – 28 June 1419) vignon Obedience* Marino Buleanus, OSB ulcani, Vulcani (17 December 1384 – 8 August 1394) y Urban VI

15th century

* Jacobus (Giacopo) de Torso Utinensis (9 May 1408 – 1413) y Gregory XII, Roman Obedience* Pietro Barbo (1 July 1440 – 16 June 1451); translated to S. Marco, later Pope Paul II (1464–1471) * Francesco Gonzaga (2 April 1462 – 21 October 1483) * Giovanni Arcimboldo (15 November 1483 – 2 October 1488) * Giovanni Battista Orsini (23 March 1489 – 27 February 1493); translated to SS. Giovanni e Paolo *

Cesare Borgia Cesare Borgia (13 September 1475 – 12 March 1507) was a Cardinal (Catholic Church)#Cardinal_deacons, cardinal deacon and later an Italians, Italian ''condottieri, condottiero''. He was the illegitimate son of Pope Alexander VI of the Aragonese ...

(23 September 1493 – 18 August 1498); resigned * Raymond Pérault, OSA (Peraudi) (29 April 1499 – 5 September 1505)

16th century

* Francesco Lloris y de Borja (17 December 1505 – 22 July 1506) *

Sigismondo Gonzaga Sigismondo Gonzaga (1469, Mantua – 3 October 1525, Mantua) was an Italian cardinal. He was the third son of Federico I Gonzaga, Marquess of Mantua. Life He was the son of Frederick I of Mantua and commanded his brother Francesco II's troops ...

(16 December 1506 – 3 October 1525) *

Ercole Gonzaga Ercole Gonzaga (23 November 1505 – 2 March 1563) was an Italian Cardinal. Biography Born in Mantua, he was the son of the Marquis Francesco Gonzaga and Isabella d'Este, and nephew of Cardinal Sigismondo Gonzaga. He studied philosophy at Bo ...

(5 May 1527 – 3 March 1563) * Federico Gonzaga (4 March 1563 – 21 February 1565) *

Ippolito d'Este Ippolito (I) d'Este (; 20 March 1479 – 3 September 1520) was an Italian Roman Catholic cardinal, and Archbishop of Esztergom. He was a member of the ducal House of Este of Ferrara, and was usually referred to as the Cardinal of Ferrara. T ...

(13 April 1565 – 2 December 1572) * Filippo Guastavillani (14 July 1574 – 8 November 1577) * Andreas von Austria (11 December 1577 – 12 November 1600)

17th century

Alessandro d'Este Alessandro d'Este (1568–1624) was a Roman Catholic cardinal. On 3 Apr 1622, he was consecrated bishop by Marco Antonio Gozzadini, Bishop of Recanati with Raffaele Inviziati, Bishop of Cefalonia e Zante, Bishop Emeritus of Cefalonia e Zante, an ...

(15 November 1600 – 11 January 1621); translated to the Deaconry of S. Eustachio *

Maurizio di Savoia Maurice of Savoy (10 January 15933 October 1657, Turin) was an Italian nobleman, politician and cardinal. He was the fourth son of Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy and Infanta Catalina Micaela of Spain. Life Born in Turin, Maurice was the fou ...

(17 March 1621 – 19 April 1621); translated to the Deaconry of S. Eustachio * Ippolito Aldobrandini (17 May 1621 – 16 March 1626); translated to the Deaconry of S. Angelo in Pescheria *

Marzio Ginetti Marzio Ginetti (6 April 1585 – 1 March 1671) was an Italian Catholic Cardinal and Cardinal Vicar of Rome. Early life Ginetti was born in Velletri, the son of a labourer. He was sent to Rome at a very young age to be educated and tried to make ...

(6 October 1627 – 6 February 1634); translated to the Deaconry of S. Angelo in Pescheria *

Giulio Gabrielli Giulio Gabrielli (1601 – 13 August 1677) was an Italian Catholic cardinal. He is sometimes referred to as Giulio Gabrielli the Elder to distinguish him from Giulio Gabrielli the Younger. Early life Gabrielli was born 1601 in Rome, the son ...

(10 February 1642 – 10 November 1642); translated to the Deaconry of S. Agata de' Goti *

Virginio Orsini Gentile Virginio Orsini (c. 1434 – 8 January 1497) was an Italian condottiero and vassal of the papal throne and the Kingdom of Naples, mainly remembered as the powerful head of the Orsini family during its feud with Pope Alexander VI (Rod ...

, OSIoHieros. (10 November 1642 – 14 March 1644); translated to the Deaconry of S. Maria in Cosmedin * Rinaldo d'Este (28 November 1644 – 12 December 1644); translated to the Deaconry of S. Niccolo in Carcere *

Giancarlo de' Medici Giancarlo de' Medici (24 July 1611 – 22 January 1663) was an Italian cardinal of the House of Medici. He was the second son of Grand Duke Cosimo II of Tuscany and his wife, Maria Maddalena of Austria, and the brother of Ferdinando II de' Medi ...

(20 March 1645 – 6 March 1656)

Cardinal Priests of S. Maria Nova

* Charles-Philippe Place (1887–1893) * Léon-Benoit-Charles Thomas (1893–1894) * Joseph-Christian-Ernest Bourret (1894–1896) *

Guillaume-Marie-Joseph Labouré Guillaume-Marie-Joseph Labouré (27 October 1841 – 21 April 1906) was a French Bishop (Catholic Church), archbishop and Cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal. Biography Born in Achiet-le-Petit, he studied at Saint-Sulpice Seminary in Paris and ...

(1898–1906) * Louis-Henri-Joseph Luçon (1907–1930) *

Francesco Marchetti Selvaggiani Francesco Marchetti Selvaggiani (1 October 1871 – 13 January 1951) was an Italian Catholic prelate who served as Secretary of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, Vicar General of His Holiness, Secretary of the Holy Office, ...

(1930–1936) * Enrico Sibilia (1936–1939) * Adam Stefan Sapieha (1946–1951) * Joseph Wendel (1953–1960) * Luis Concha Córdoba (1961–1975) *

Emmanuel Kiwanuka Nsubuga Emmanuel Kiwanuka Nsubuga (5 November 1914 – 20 April 1991) was a Catholic Church in Uganda, Uganda Catholic prelate who served as the first Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kampala, Archbishop of Kampala from 1966 to 1990 and as a Cardinal (Ca ...

(1976–1991) *

Angelo Sodano Angelo Raffaele Sodano (23 November 1927 – 27 May 2022) was an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as the Dean of the College of Cardinals from 2005 to 2019 and previously as the Cardinal Secretary of State from 1991 to 2006; S ...

(1991–1994; ''

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 ...

'' 1994–2022, when he became Cardinal Bishop) *

(2023–present)

Gallery

File:Santa Francesca Romana (Rome) 01.jpg, Apse mosaic, altar File:Santa Francesca Romana (Rome) 08.jpg, Apse mosaic File:Santa Francesca Romana (Rome) 09.jpg, Apse mosaic File:Santa Francesca Romana (Rome) 05.jpg, Coffered ceiling File:Santa Francesca Romana (Rome) 10.jpg, Coffered ceiling File:Santa Francesca Romana (Rome) 11.jpg, Coffered ceiling File:Santa Francesca Romana (Rome) 16.jpg, Nave File:Santa Francesca Romana (Rome) 17.jpg, Nave File:Santa Francesca Romana (Rome) 18.jpg, Nave File:Santa Francesca Romana (Rome) 02.jpg, Body of St Frances of Rome File:Santa Francesca Romana (Rome) 03.jpg, Tomb of Gregory XI File:Tomb of Pope Gregory XI.jpg, Tomb of Gregory XI File:Forum_Romanum_-_Sta_Francesca_Romana_-_Genua_S._Petri.jpg, Stone where saint Peter knelt. File:Santa Francesca Romana (Rome) 04.jpg, Cosmatesque floor File:View from Palatine Hill 2011 6.jpg, View from Palatine Hill File:Santa Francesca Romana (Rome) 07.jpg, View from Palatine Hill File:Temple of Venus and Santa Francesca Romana 2.jpg, Olivetan monastery behind the apse and bell-tower with outer columns of the former Temple of Venus and Roma. File:Santa Francesca Romana (Rome) 15.jpg, Facade File:Santa Francesca Romana (Rome) 14.jpg, Exterior File:Santa Francesca Romana (Rome) 12.jpg, Bell tower

References

Bibliography

* ''Roma'', Touring Club Italiano, 2004. * Placido Lugano, ''S. Maria Nova (S. Francesca Romana)'' (Roma : Libreria Mantegazza, 930?. * Elfriede Kartusch, ''Das Cardinalskollegium in der Zeit von 1181 bis 1227'' (Wien 1948). * P. Ronci, ''Basilica di Santa Maria Nova, Santa Francesca Romana al Foro Romano'' (Christen, 1973). * H. W. Klewitz, ''Reformpapsttum und Kardinalkolleg'' (Darmstadt 1957). * Barbara Zenker, ''Die Mitglieder des Kardinalkollegiums von 1130 bis 1159'' (Würzburg 1964). * R. Hüls, ''Kardinäle, Klerus und Kirchen Roms: 1049-1130'' (Tübingen 1977).

External links

* {{Authority control Francesca Romana Francesca 9th-century churches in Italy Burial places of popes Francesca Romana