The Church of Saint Lucy in Selci ( it, Santa Lucia in Selci, also known as ' or ') is an ancient Roman Catholic church, located in Rome, dedicated to Saint Lucy, a 4th-century virgin and martyr.

History

Monastero di Santa Lucia in Selci - Plate 143 - Giuseppe Vasi

The church was built no later than the 8th century above the ruins of a Roman structure, the

Portico of Livia 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 cult ...

. According to the tradition, the first church was built under Pope Symmachus (498-514) back in the 6th century. The building was restored by Pope Honorius I in the 7th century and again by

Pope Leo III Pope Leo III (died 12 June 816) was bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 26 December 795 to his death. Protected by Charlemagne from the supporters of his predecessor, Adrian I, Leo subsequently strengthened Charlemagne's position b ...

in the 9th century. The deaconry of Saint Lucy in Silice (or in Orpha) created around 300 is one of the seven original deaconries in Rome. It was confirmed by Pope

Saint Sylvester I Pope Sylvester I (also Silvester, 285 – 31 December 335) was the bishop of Rome from 31 January 314 until his death. He filled the see of Rome at an important era in the history of the Western Church, yet very little is known of him. The acco ...

ca. 314. The church was restored by Pope Honorius I ca 630 in the vicinity of the monumental fountain ''lacus orphei''. It was assigned to one of the seven deacons by Pope Agatho ca. 678. According to

Liber Pontificalis The ''Liber Pontificalis'' (Latin for 'pontifical book' or ''Book of the Popes'') is a book of biographies of popes from Saint Peter until the 15th century. The original publication of the ''Liber Pontificalis'' stopped with Pope Adrian II (867� ...

, this deaconry received donations from

(795-816). After the 10th century it was known as ''Santa Lucia in Silice'' or ''in Selci'' because it was decorated with large flintstones (selci). The deaconry was suppressed in 1587 by

Pope Sixtus V Pope Sixtus V ( it, Sisto 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 ...

. In the 13th century, a monastery was attached to the church, enclosing it. In 1370, it was granted to the Carthusians. In 1534, it was given to the

Benedictines , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

, and in 1568 Pope Pius V granted it to the

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

, who still serve the church. Pope Urban VIII altered the monastery in 1624, enlarging it and dividing it into three parts. One was kept by the Augustinians, one was given to Dominican friars and the last was given to the Poor Clares. The monastery was amplified in 1603 according to designs by Bartolomeo Bassi, active in Rome at that time. However, all that remains of this amplification is the portal of the exterior. In 1878 the Italian state expropriated the convent of the Poor Clares, adjacent to San Lorenzo in Panisperna, but the nuns came to the monastery of Santa Lucia in Selci. Carlo Maderno reconstructed the church in 1604, keeping it enclosed within the Augustinian monastery.

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

worked in the restoration of the church in 1637-1638, in the decoration of the Trinity Chapel, in 1628-1639.

Interior

Monti - s Lucia in Selci interno 1040290

The church is built on a rectangular ground plan and

barrel vault A barrel vault, also known as a tunnel vault, wagon vault or wagonhead vault, is an architectural element formed by the extrusion of a single curve (or pair of curves, in the case of a pointed barrel vault) along a given distance. The curves are ...

. It has a single nave with three shallow chapels on each side. The barrel vault has a 19th-century fresco by an unknown artist that replaced one with the same motif by

Giovanni Antonio Lelli Giovanni Antonio Lelli (1591 – August 3, 1640) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period. He was a pupil of the painter Cigoli. In the church of San Matteo in Merulana in Rome (now demolished), he painted an ''Annunciation''. He painted a ''V ...

, depicting the ''Glory of St Lucy''. The counterfaçade is decorated with the painting ''God the Father'' by

Cavaliere d'Arpino Giuseppe Cesari (14 February 1568 – 3 July 1640) was an Italian Mannerist painter, also named Il Giuseppino and called ''Cavaliere d'Arpino'', because he was created ''Cavaliere di Cristo'' by his patron Pope Clement VIII. He was much patroniz ...

. The high altar dates from the 19th century, and replaces one made by Borromini. The painting above the high altar depicting ''the Annunciation'' is a work of the Florentine painter Anastasio Fontebuoni. The Landi Chapel, commissioned by the prioress Vittoria Landi, is the first chapel on the left. It was decorated by Borromini, and the altarpiece depicts ''The Holy Trinity with Saint Augustine and Saint Monica'' by

. The Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, the second on the left, contains works attributed to Carlo Maderno: a tabernacle in polychrome marble and gilt bronze and the alabaster statues. At the first altarpiece on the right depicts ''Martyrdom of St Lucy'' by

Giovanni Lanfranco Giovanni Lanfranco (26 January 1582 – 30 November 1647) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period. Biography Giovanni Gaspare Lanfranco was born in Parma, the third son of Stefano and Cornelia Lanfranchi, and was placed as a page in the ho ...

. The ''Vision of St Augustine'' by

Andrea Camassei Andrea Camassei (November 1602 – 1649) was an Italian Baroque painter and engraver mainly active in Rome under the patronage of the Barberini. Biography He was born in Bevagna in Umbria to parents of modest means, Angelina d' Anton Maria Ange ...

is at the second altar on the right. In the choir, attributed to Francesco Borromini, several paintings by Baccio Ciarpi are displayed .

List of Cardinal-deacons of Santa Lucia in Selci

List of the Cardinal-deacons until the suppression of the deaconry in 1577: * Cardinal

Cencio Savelli 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 ...

(1193–1201) * Cardinal

Philibert Hugonet Philibert Hugonet (died 1484) (called the Cardinal of Mâcon) was a French Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal. Biography Philibert Hugonet studied in the Diocese of Mâcon, where his uncle, Étienne Hugonet, had been bishop since 1451. He later ...

(17 May 1473 – 17 August 1477) * Cardinal Georg Hesler von Wurzburg (12 December 1477 – 21 September 1482) * Cardinal

Hélie de Bourdeilles Hélie de Bourdeilles (ca. 1423, at the castle of Bourdeilles, Périgord – 5 July 1484, at Artannes near Tours) was a French Franciscan, Archbishop of Tours and Cardinal. Life He was the son of the viscount Arnaud de Bourdeilles. Having en ...

(15 November 1483 – 5 July 1484) * Cardinal

Ippolito I d'Este Ippolito (I) d'Este ( hu, Estei Hippolit; 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 Ca ...

(23 September 1493 – 3 September 1520) * Cardinal Giacomo Savelli (16 April 1540 – 8 January 1543) * Cardinal Ranuccio Farnese (5 May 1546 – 8 October 1546) * Cardinal

Alessandro Campeggio Alessandro Campeggio (12 April 1504 – 21 September 1554) was an Italian Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal. Biography Alessandro Campeggio was born in Bologna on 12 April 1504, the son of Lorenzo Campeggio and Francesca Guastavillani. His fat ...

(4 December 1551 – 21 September 1554) * Cardinal

Johann Gropper :''This is about the 16th century churchman. For the 20th Century political artist, see William Gropper.'' Johann Gropper (John or german: Johannes Gropper; 24 February 1503 – 13 March 1559) was a German cardinal and church politician of th ...

(13 January 1556 – 13 March 1559) * Cardinal

Innico d'Avalos d'Aragona Innico d'Avalos d'Aragona (1535/36–1600) was an Italian Cardinal, from Naples. He was the son of condottiero Alfonso d'Avalos and Maria d'Aragona, from the family of the , Spanish nobility. In 1563, he constructed the Castello d'Avalos on Pr ...

(3 June 1561 – 30 July 1563) * Cardinal Luigi d'Este (22 October 1563 – 31 July 1577)

References

Books and articles

* * * Caroline Goodson, ''The Rome of Pope Paschal I: Papal Power, Urban Renovation, Church Rebuilding and Relic Translation, 817-824'' (Cambridge: CUP 2010), pp. 101-102, 297.

External links

Santa Lucia in Selci - The Hidden Churches of Rome

Official website of the Vicariate of Rome
{{DEFAULTSORT:Santa Lucia in Selci 17th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Roman Catholic churches completed in 1638 Roman Catholic churches in Rome Roman Catholic churches completed in 1604 1604 establishments in Italy 1638 establishments in Italy Lucia in Selci 7th-century establishments in Italy Francesco Borromini buildings