("Saint Mary

Hodegetria A Hodegetria, or Virgin Hodegetria, is an iconography, iconographic depiction of the Theotokos (Virgin Mary) holding the Child Jesus at her side while pointing to him as the source of salvation for humankind. The Virgin's head usually inclines t ...

at the Via Tritone"), sometimes ("Saint Mary of

Sicilians Sicilians () are a European ethnographic group who are indigenous to Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean, as well as the largest and most populous of the autonomous regions of Italy. History The Sicilian people are indigenous to ...

") or ("Saint Mary in

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 ...

"), 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 ...

church in Rome, located at civico 82 on via del Tritone in the Colonna district.

History

The Confraternity of the Sicilians was officially recognized by the papal bull ''Pastoris Aeterni'' of

Pope Clement VIII Pope Clement VIII (; ; 24 February 1536 – 3 March 1605), born Ippolito Aldobrandini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 30 January 1592 to his death in March 1605. Born in Fano, Papal States to a prominen ...

on 5 February 1594 and immediately began construction. The building, consecrated on 17 August 1596, was from the first the

national church A national church is a Christian church associated with a specific ethnic group or nation state. The idea was notably discussed during the 19th century, during the emergence of modern nationalism. Samuel Taylor Coleridge, in a draft discussing ...

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

, then ruled by the

Crown of Aragon The Crown of Aragon (, ) ;, ; ; . was a composite monarchy ruled by one king, originated by the dynastic union of the Kingdom of Aragon and the County of Barcelona (later Principality of Catalonia) and ended as a consequence of the War of the Sp ...

. Upon the integration of Sicily into Italy, it became regional rather than a national church. It is named after the icon of the Virgin Mary venerated in the church – it is of the

("She Who Shows the Way") type and was brought to Rome from

. The confraternity also had an oratory adjoining the church, which now displays a painting of

Saint Rosalia Rosalia (; ; 1130–1166), nicknamed ("the Little Saint"), is the patron saint of Palermo in Italy, Camargo in Chihuahua, and three towns in Venezuela: El Hatillo, , and El Playón. She is especially important internationally as a saint in ...

by the Sicilian painter Gaetano Sottino. During the French occupation of Rome from the end of the 18th century to the start of the 19th century, the church was deconsecrated. It was rebuilt by Francesco Manno between 1814 and 1817. In 1990 its four side chapels were used to display four altar frontals by Giuseppe Migneco (showing popes Leo II, Agaton and Methodius), Salvatore Fiume (Saint Lucy), Sebastiano Milluzzo (Saint Agatha), and Mario Bardi (Saint Rosalia).

Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI (born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding John XXII ...

made the church a cardinal deaconry on 12 February 1973 by the apostolic constitution ''Romana Templa''.*

Holders

Salvatore Pappalardo Salvatore Pappalardo may refer to: * Salvatore Pappalardo (cardinal) (1918–2006), Italian Roman Catholic cardinal * Salvatore Pappalardo (archbishop of Siracusa) (born 1945), Italian Roman Catholic prelate * Salvatore Pappalardo (composer) (181 ...

, title '' pro illa vice'' (March 5, 1973 – ''deceased'' December 10, 2006) *''Vacant'' (2006–2010) *

Paolo Romeo Paolo Romeo (born 20 February 1938) is an Italian cardinal and archbishop emeritus of Palermo. He was appointed to the see of Palermo by Pope Benedict XVI on 19 December 2006. Romeo was the fifth of nine children. After primary school he enter ...

, title ''

pro hac vice Pro is an abbreviation meaning "professional". Pro, PRO or variants thereof might also refer to: People * Miguel Pro (1891–1927), Mexican priest * Pro Hart (1928–2006), Australian painter * Mlungisi Mdluli (born 1980), South African retire ...

'', since November 20, 2010

References

Bibliography

* C. Rendina, ''Le chiese di Roma'', Newton & Compton editori, Roma 2000 {{DEFAULTSORT:Maria Odigitria, Santa Titular churches National churches in Rome Roman Catholic churches completed in 1596 Churches of Rome (rione Colonna) 16th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy 1596 establishments in the Papal States 1596 establishments in Italy