The Basilica dei Santi Bonifacio e(d) Alessio is a

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 ...

, rectory church served by the Somaschans, and

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 ...

for a

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. ...

on 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 the third prefecture of central

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. It is dedicated to

Saint Boniface of Tarsus Saint Boniface of Tarsus (Greek language, Greek: Βονιφάτιος) was, according to legend, executed for being a Christians, Christian in the year 307 at Tarsus (city), Tarsus, where he had gone from Rome in order to bring back to his mistre ...

and

Saint Alexius Saint Alexius of Rome or Alexius of Edessa (, ''Alexios''), also Alexis, was a fourth-century Greek monk who lived in anonymity and is known for his dedication to Christ. Two versions of his life exist, one in Syriac and the other in Greek. Sy ...

, the former the original and the latter added in the 10th century. It lies on Piazza Sant’Alessio 23, near the historical gardens of St. Alexius and Via di santa Sabina.

Basilica

Founded between the 3rd and 4th centuries, it was restored in 1216 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 ...

(some columns of his building survive in the present building's eastern apse); in 1582; in 1743 designed by

Giovanni Battista Nolli Giambattista Nolli (or Giovanni Battista) (April 9, 1701 – July 3, 1756), was an Italian architect and surveyor. He is best known for his ichnographic plan of Rome, the ''Pianta Grande di Roma'' which he began surveying in 1736 and engraved i ...

and in the 1750s reelaborated by Tommaso De Marchis (his main altar survives); and between 1852 and 1860 by the

Somaschi The Somaschi Fathers, also known as the Somascans and officially as the Order of Clerics Regular of Somasca (), are a Catholic order of Clerics Regular of Pontifical Right for men. It was founded in Italy in the 16th century by Jerome Emiliani ...

Fathers, who still serve it as a rectory church. The 16th century style façade, elaborated from the De Marchis phase, is built onto the medieval-style

quadriportico This page is a glossary of architecture. A B C The Caryatid Porch of the Athen ...

. The church has a Romanesque

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 ...

. On the south side of the nave is the funerary monument Eleonora Boncompagni

Borghese The House of Borghese ( , ) is a family of Italian noble and papal background, originating as the Borghese or Borghesi in Siena, where they came to prominence in the 13th century and held offices under the '' commune''. During the 16th century, t ...

of 1693, to a design of Giovan Contini Batiste, and in the south transept the Chapel of

Charles IV of Spain Charles IV (; 11 November 1748 – 20 January 1819) was King of Spain and ruler of the Spanish Empire from 1788 to 1808. The Spain inherited by Charles IV gave few indications of instability, but during his reign, Spain entered a series of disa ...

, with the icon ''

Madonna di sant'Alessio Madonna di Sant'Alessio ''(Madonna of St. Alexis; Madonna of Intercession)'' is an icon, probably of Byzantine art, Byzantine origin, of the Mary (mother of Jesus), Blessed Virgin now in the Santi Bonifacio ed Alessio, Basilica of the Saints Bon ...

'', an

Edessa Edessa (; ) was an ancient city (''polis'') in Upper Mesopotamia, in what is now Urfa or Şanlıurfa, Turkey. It was founded during the Hellenistic period by Macedonian general and self proclaimed king Seleucus I Nicator (), founder of the Sel ...

icon of the

Intercession Intercession or intercessory prayer is the act of prayer, praying on behalf of others, or Intercession of saints, asking a saint in heaven to pray on behalf of oneself or for others. The Apostle Paul's exhortation to Saint Timothy, Timothy speci ...

of the

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...

dating from the 12-13th centuries, thought to have been painted by

St Luke Luke the Evangelist was one of the Four Evangelists—the four traditionally ascribed authors of the canonical gospels. The Early Church Fathers ascribed to him authorship of both the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. Prominent figu ...

the Evangelist and brought from the East by St Alexius. The church also contains the tombstone of Peter Savelli (of the same family as Pope Honorius III). In a Romanesque

crypt A crypt (from Greek κρύπτη (kryptē) ''wikt:crypta#Latin, crypta'' "Burial vault (tomb), vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, Sarcophagus, sarcophagi, or Relic, religiou ...

that survives below the church, the main altar contains relics of

St Thomas of Canterbury Thomas Becket (), also known as Saint Thomas of Canterbury, Thomas of London and later Thomas à Becket (21 December 1119 or 1120 – 29 December 1170), served as Lord Chancellor from 1155 to 1162, and then as Archbishop of Canterbury fr ...

. The crypt's 12th-century wall of frescoes depicts the

Agnus Dei is the Latin name under which the "Lamb of God" is honoured within Christian liturgies descending from the historic Latin liturgical tradition, including those of Roman Catholicism, Lutheranism and Anglicanism. It is the name given to a spec ...

and symbols of the

Four Evangelists In Christian tradition, the Four Evangelists are Matthew the Apostle, Matthew, Mark the Evangelist, Mark, Luke the Evangelist, Luke, and John the Evangelist, John, the authors attributed with the creation of the four canonical Gospel accounts ...

, and on the north aisle ''St Gerolamo Emiliani introducing orphans to the Virgin'' by Jean Francois De Troy, and at the end of the aisle ''The Holy Steps and the titular church of Saint Alexius'' in wood and stucco by Andrea Bergondi. Connected to the basilica are the buildings of the former

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

monastery, which accepted the

Camaldolese The Camaldolese Hermits of Mount Corona () are a Catholic Church, Catholic monastic order of pontifical right for men founded by Romuald, St. Romuald. Its name is derived from the Holy Hermitage () in Camaldoli, high in the mountains of Tuscany, ...

reforms of St. Romuald in the 10th century. The buildings now belong to the Italian state. In 2015, and again on 29 June 2019, the discovery of a medieval fresco in an exceptional state of preservation and integrity was noticed by the Italian press. The painting has been restored and its subject has been identified by the Italian art historian Claudia Viggiani with Christ the Pilgrim. The fresco was firstly discovered in 1965 by the Italian Genio Civile during the stabilization's works of the bell tower, and then discarded for forty years, until 2005.

Burials

Giovanni Vincenzo Gonzaga Giovanni Vincenzo Gonzaga (1540–1591) was an Italian Roman Catholic cardinal. Biography A member of the House of Gonzaga, Giovanni Vincenzo Gonzaga was born in Palermo on December 8, 1540, the son of Ferrante Gonzaga and his wife Isabella di ...

Cardinal title

The basilica has been a

for

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. ...

s (the second order) from 1587, originally called ''Sant'Alessio''. In the 19th century, the former dedication of the basilica was renewed, and from that time on the official name of the basilica and the cardinal ''titulus'' are Santi Bonifacio e(d) Alessio.

Cardinal-protectors

(All Italian unless specified) *

(1587–1591) *

Ottavio Paravicini Ottavio Paravicini (1552–1611) was a Roman Catholic cardinal. Early life Born into the Paravicini, noble family from Valtellina, he was the son of Giovanni Michele Paravicini and Lomellina Laudata of Gaeta. Biography On 15 Jul 1584, he was co ...

(1592–1611) *

Metello Bichi Metello Bichi (1541–1619) was a Roman Catholic cardinal. Biography On 18 Feb 1596, he was consecrated bishop by Alessandro Ottaviano de' Medici, Archbishop of Florence, with Matteo Sanminiato, Archbishop of Chieti, and Cristóbal Robuster y ...

(1611–1619) *

Roberto Ubaldini Roberto Ubaldini (1581 – 22 April 1635) was a bishop and cardinal of the Catholic Church. Biography He was born in Florence. He was appointed Bishop of Montepulciano in 1607, and ordained to that post on 3 Feb 1608 by Jacques Davy du Perron, ...

(1621–1629) *

Giovanni Francesco Guidi di Bagno Giovanni Francesco Guidi di Bagno (1578 – 1641) (also known as Gian Francesco Guidi di Bagno, Gianfrancesco Guidi di Bagno, Giovanni Francesco Bagni or Gianfrancesco de' Conti Guidi di Bagno) was an Italian cardinal, brother of cardinal Nicola ...

(1629–1641) * Mario Theodoli (1641–1649) *

Luigi Omodei Luigi Omodei may refer to one of two Italian cardinals: * Luigi Omodei (1607–1685) *Luigi Omodei (1657–1706) Luigi Omodei (20 March 1657, in Madrid – 18 August 1706, in Rome) was a cardinal of Italian descent. His uncle Luigi Omodei (1607� ...

(1652–1676) * ''vacant'' (1676–1681) * Federico Visconti (1681–1693) * Taddeo Luigi del Verme (1696–1717) * Giberto Borromeo (1717–1740) *

Carlo Gaetano Stampa Carlo III Gaetano Stampa (1667–1742) was an Italian cardinal and Archbishop of Milan from 1737 to 1742. Early life Carlo Gaetano Stampa was born on 1 November 1667 in Milan to count Cristiano Stampa and Giustina of the House of Borromeo. ...

(1740–1742) * ''vacant'' (1742–1753) * Antonio Andrea Galli (1753–1757) *

Giuseppe Maria Castelli Giuseppe is the Italian form of the given name Joseph, from Latin Iōsēphus from Ancient Greek Ἰωσήφ (Iōsḗph), from Hebrew יוסף. The feminine form of the name is Giuseppa or Giuseppina. People with the given name include: :''Note: ...

(1759–1780) * Paolo Francesco Antamori (1781–1795) * ''vacant'' (1795–1801) * Giovanni Filippo Gallarati Scotti (1801–1814) * Emmanuele de Gregorio (1816–1829); ''

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 ...

'' (1829–1839) * ''vacant'' (1839–1843) * Francesco di Paola Villadecani (1843–1861) * (French) Alexis Billiet (1862–1873) * (Austrian) Johannes Baptist Franzelin,

Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

(S.J.) (1876–1886) *

Giuseppe d' Annibale Giuseppe d'Annibale (22 September 1815 – 18 July 1892) was an Italian Catholic cardinal and theologian. Biography He was appointed professor in the Seminary of Rieti and later vicar-general of the diocese. He was preconized Titular Bishop ...

(1889–1892) * Angelo Di Pietro (1893–1903) * (Spanish) Sebastián Herrero y Espinosa de los Monteros, C.O. (1903) * (Brazilian)

Joaquim Arcoverde de Albuquerque Cavalcanti Cardinal Dom Joaquim Arcoverde de Albuquerque Cavalcanti (January 17, 1850 – April 18, 1930) was a Brazilian prelate of the Catholic Church, who served as Archbishop of Rio de Janeiro from 1897 to 1930. He was made a cardinal in 1905, the fir ...

(1905–1930) * (Brazilian)

Sebastião Leme da Silveira Cintra Sebastião is Portuguese for ''Sebastian''. This name may refer to: People * Sebastião (given name) Places * Sebastião Barros, a town in the state of Piauí, Brazil * Sebastião Laranjeiras, a city in the state of Bahia, Brazil * Sebastião Lea ...

(1933–1942) * (Brazilian)

Jaime de Barros Câmara Jaime de Barros Câmara (July 3, 1894 – February 18, 1971) was a Brazilian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro from 1943 to 1971, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1946 by ...

(1946–1971) * (Brazilian)

Avelar Brandão Vilela Avelar Brandão Vilela (June 13, 1912 – December 19, 1986) was a Brazilian Cardinal (Catholicism), Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Roman Catholic Archdiocese of São Salvador da Bahia, Archbishop of São Salvador da Bahia ...

(1973–1986) * ''(Brazilian)

Lucas Moreira Neves Lucas Moreira Neves, OP (16 September 1925 – 8 September 2002) was a Brazilian Catholic prelate who served as Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops from 1998 to 2000. He previously served as Archbishop of São Salvador da Bahia from 19 ...

Dominican Order The Order of Preachers (, abbreviated OP), commonly known as the Dominican Order, is a Catholic Church, Catholic mendicant order of pontifical right that was founded in France by a Castilians, Castilian priest named Saint Dominic, Dominic de Gu ...

(O.P.) (1988–1998); ''

'' (1998–2002) * (Brazilian)

Eusébio Oscar Scheid Eusébio da Silva Ferreira (; 25 January 1942 – 5 January 2014), nicknamed the "Black Panther", the "Black Pearl" or "O Rei" ("The King"), was a Portuguese footballer who played as a striker. He is considered one of the greatest players of ...

, Dehonian (S.C.J.) (2003–2021) * (Brazilian)

Paulo Cezar Costa Paulo Cezar Costa (born 20 July 1967) is a Brazilian prelate of the Catholic Church who has been Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brasilia, Metropolitan Archbishop of Brasilia since December 2020. He has been a bishop since 2010 and served as Roma ...

(2022-present)

References

External links

GCatholic cardinal title

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rome, Santi Bonifacio Santi Bonifacio Titular churches 4th-century churches Santi Bonifacio Churches of Rome (rione Ripa)