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

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its name ...

rectory church A rector is, in an ecclesiastical sense, a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations. In contrast, a vicar is also a cleric but functions as an assistant and representative of an administrative leader. A ...

served by the

Somaschans , image = SomascosEscut.jpg , image_size = 200px , caption = Coat of arms of the Somascan Fathers , abbreviation = CRS , nickname = Somascans , formation = , founder ...

, and

titular church In the Catholic Church, a titular church is a church in Rome that is assigned to a member of the clergy who is created a cardinal. These are Catholic churches in the city, within the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Rome, that serve as honorary de ...

for a

cardinal-priest A cardinal ( la, Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae cardinalis, literally 'cardinal of the Holy Roman Church') is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. Cardinals are created by the ruling pope and typically hold the title for life. Col ...

on the

Aventine Hill The Aventine Hill (; la, Collis Aventinus; it, Aventino ) 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 ...

in the third prefecture of central

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, Italy. It is dedicated to Saint Boniface of Tarsus and (originally only)

Saint Alexius Saint Alexius of Rome or Alexius of Edessa ( el, Ἀλέξιος, ''Alexios''), also Alexis, was a fourth-century Greek monk who lived in anonymity and is known for his dedication to Christ. There are two versions of his life that are known, a Sy ...

. 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 import ...

(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) pril 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 in ...

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

Somaschi , image = SomascosEscut.jpg , image_size = 200px , caption = Coat of arms of the Somascan Fathers , abbreviation = CRS , nickname = Somascans , formation = , founder ...

, which congregation still serves it as a rectory church. The 16th century style facade, elaborated from the De Marchis phase, is built onto the medieval-style quadriportico. 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 (building), church, and will contain church bells, but there are also many ...

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

Borghese The House of Borghese is a princely 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 centur ...

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

Charles IV of Spain Charles IV (Carlos Antonio Pascual Francisco Javier Juan Nepomuceno José Januario Serafín Diego) 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 ...

, with the icon ''

Madonna di sant'Alessio Madonna di Sant'Alessio ''(Madonna of St. Alexis; Madonna of Intercession)'' is an icon, probably of Byzantine origin, of the Blessed Virgin now in the Basilica of the Saints Bonifacio and Alexis on the Aventine Hill in Rome, Italy. It is o ...

'', an

Edessa Edessa (; grc, Ἔδεσσα, Édessa) was an ancient city ('' polis'') in Upper Mesopotamia, founded during the Hellenistic period by King Seleucus I Nicator (), founder of the Seleucid Empire. It later became capital of the Kingdom of Os ...

icon of the

Intercession Intercession or intercessory prayer is the act of praying to a deity on behalf of others, or asking a saint in heaven to pray on behalf of oneself or for others. The Apostle Paul's exhortation to Timothy specified that intercession prayers sho ...

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

St Luke Luke the Evangelist (Latin: '' Lucas''; grc, Λουκᾶς, '' Loukâs''; he, לוקאס, ''Lūqās''; arc, /ܠܘܩܐ לוקא, ''Lūqā’; Ge'ez: ሉቃስ'') is one of the Four Evangelists—the four traditionally ascribed authors of t ...

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 Latin '' crypta'' " vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, sarcophagi, or religious relics. Originally, crypts were typically found below the main apse of a ...

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), was an English nobleman who served as Lord Chancellor from 1155 to 1162, and then ...

. 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 the Catholic Mass and other Christian liturgies descending from the Latin liturgical tradition. It is the name given to a specific prayer that occurs in these liturgies, and i ...

and symbols of the Four Evangelists, 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 monastery, which now belong to the Italian state. In 2015 and again on

June 29 Events Pre-1600 * 226 – Cao Rui succeeds his father as emperor of the Kingdom of Wei. *1149 – Raymond of Poitiers is defeated and killed at the Battle of Inab by Nur ad-Din Zangi. *1194 – Sverre is crowned King of Norway, le ...

2019, it was noticed by the Italian press the discovery of a Middle Age fresco in an exceptional state of preservation and integrity. 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 Italians, Italian Catholic Church, Roman Catholic Cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal. Biography A member of the House of Gonzaga, Giovanni Vincenzo Gonzaga was born in Palermo on December 8, 1540, th ...

Cardinal title

The basilica has been a

for

Cardinal-priest A cardinal ( la, Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae cardinalis, literally 'cardinal of the Holy Roman Church') is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. Cardinals are created by the ruling pope and typically hold the title for life. Col ...

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

Roman Rite The Roman Rite ( la, Ritus Romanus) is the primary liturgical rite of the Latin Church, the largest of the '' sui iuris'' particular churches that comprise the Catholic Church. It developed in the Latin language in the city of Rome and, while d ...

Cardinal-Priest A cardinal ( la, Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae cardinalis, literally 'cardinal of the Holy Roman Church') is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. Cardinals are created by the ruling pope and typically hold the title for life. Col ...

s and Italian unless otherwise mentioned) *

(1587–1591) *

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

(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 (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 Gui ...

(1629–1641) * Mario Theodoli (1641–1649) * Luigi Omodei (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. He ...

(1740–1742) * ''vacant'' (1742–1753) * Antonio Andrea Galli (1753–1757) * Giuseppe Maria Castelli (1759–1780) * Paolo Francesco Antamori (1781–1795) * ''vacant'' (1795–1801) * Giovanni Filippo Gallarati Scotti (1801–1814) *

Emmanuele de Gregorio Emmanuele de Gregorio (18 December 1758 – 7 November 1839) was an Italian cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and son of Leopoldo de Gregorio, Marquis of Esquilache. Biography De Gregorio was born at sea while his mother was travelling t ...

(1816–1829); ''

in commendam In canon law, commendam (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 ecclesiastical ...

'' (1829–1839) * ''vacant'' (1839–1843) *

Francesco di Paola Villadecani Francesco di Paola Villadecani (22 February 1780 – 13 June 1861) was a cardinal of the Catholic Church who was Archbishop of Messina from 1823 to 1861. He was born on 22 February 1780 in Messina, Sicily, Italy. In 1820 he was named titular ...

(1843–1861) * (French)

Alexis Billiet Alexis may refer to: People Mononym * Alexis (poet) ( – ), a Greek comic poet * Alexis (sculptor), an ancient Greek artist who lived around the 3rd or 4th century BC * Alexis (singer) (born 1968), German pop singer * Alexis (comics) (1946–19 ...

(1862–1873) * (Austrian) Johannes Baptist Franzelin, Jesuit (S.J.) (1876–1886) *

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

(1889–1892) *

Angelo Di Pietro Angelo Di Pietro (22 May 1828 – 5 December 1914) was a cardinal of the Catholic Church and prefect of the Congregation of the Council. Biography Angelo Di Pietro was born in Vivaro Romano, Tivoli. He was educated at the Seminary of Tivoli ...

(1893–1903) * (Spanish)

Sebastián Herrero y Espinosa de los Monteros Sebastián Herrero y Espinosa de los Monteros C.O. (20 January 1822 – 9 December 1903) was a Spanish prelate of the Catholic Church who beginning in 1875 served briefly as the Bishop of Cuenca, Vitoria, and Oviedo, and then 15 years as Bishop ...

, C.O. (1903) * (Brazilian)

Joaquim Arcoverde de Albuquerque Cavalcanti 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 first cardinal b ...

(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 ...

(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 ...

(1946–1971) * (Brazilian)

Avelar Brandão Vilela Avelar Brandão Vilela (June 13, 1912 – December 19, 1986) was a Brazilian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of São Salvador da Bahia from 1971 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1973. Biograp ...

(1973–1986) * ''(Brazilian)

Lucas Moreira Neves Lucas Moreira Neves O.P. (16 September 1925 – 8 September 2002) was a Brazilian Cardinal Bishop and Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops. Biography Moreira Neves was born in São João del Rei, in Minas Gerais state, Brazil. He was orda ...

Dominican Order The Order of Preachers ( la, Ordo Praedicatorum) abbreviated OP, also known as the Dominicans, is a Catholic mendicant order of Pontifical Right for men founded in Toulouse, France, by the Spanish priest, saint and mystic Dominic of C ...

(O.P.) (1988–1998); ''

'' (1998–2002) * (Brazilian) Eusébio Oscar Scheid,

Dehonian The Congregation of the Priests of the Sacred Heart ( la, Congregatio Sacerdotum a Sacro Corde Iesu) abbreviated SCI, also called the Dehonians, is a Catholic Church, Catholic clerical religious congregation of Pontifical Right for men in the ...

(S.C.J.) (2003–2021) * (Brazilian) Paulo Cezar Costa (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)