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| Saint Stephen of the Abyssinians | |
|---|---|
Santo Stefano degli Abissini | |
 The church | |
 Click on the map for a fullscreen view | |
| 41°54′06.47″N012°27′06.74″E / 41.9017972°N 12.4518722°E /41.9017972; 12.4518722 | |
| Location | Vatican City,Rome,Italy |
| Denomination | Eastern Catholic (Ethiopian Catholic Church) |
| Tradition | Alexandrian (Coptic) Rite |
| History | |
| Status | national church ofEthiopia |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Groundbreaking | 5th century[1] or 8th century |
| Completed | 9th century |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 35 metres (115 ft) |
| Width | 20 metres (66 ft) |
| Nave width | 10 metres (33 ft) |
Saint Stephen of the Abyssinians (Italian:Santo Stefano degli Abissini) is anEthiopian Catholicchurch located in theVatican City. The church dedicated toStephen the Protomartyr is thenational church ofEthiopia. The liturgy is celebrated according to theAlexandrian rite of theEthiopian Catholic Church. It is one of the only standing structures in the Vatican to survive the destruction ofOld St. Peter's Basilica (c.1505), and thus it is the oldest surviving church (in terms of architectural history) in Vatican City.[1]
The church was, by tradition, built byPope Leo I (ca. 400–461), and namedSanto Stefano Maggiore.[2]
In 1479,Pope Sixtus IV restored the church and assigned it to theCoptic Catholic monks in the city. It was at this time that the name was changed to reflect that it was served by Ethiopians (Abyssinians). Situated behind Saint Peter's Basilica, Santo Stefano had long been associated with the Ethiopian diaspora. To Italians, it was known as Santo Stefano dei Mori (Moors), degli Indiani (Indians), and degli Abissini. To Ethiopians, it was Däbrä Qeddus Esṭifanos (Amharic:ደብረ ቅዱስ እስጢፋኖስ), 'Monastery of Saint Stephen'; the church had been part of a monastery which was already in existence at the time of the constitutive synod called byPope Gregory III in 732.[3] The biography of PopeHadrian I, 772-795, names the site asLatin:monasterium S. Stephani cata Barbara patricia situm ad S. Petrum apostolum 'monastery of Saint Stephen associated with the noblewoman Barbara located next to [the church of] Saint Peter the apostle.' The last location mentioned is the Old Saint Peter's Basilica.[3] Other names through history attested in papal documents include "Monastery of Saint Stephen...which is called 'associated with the noblewoman Galla', "oratory of Saint Stephen by Saint Peter['s Basilica] which is called 'The Greater'", and "Saint Stephen the Greater next to Saint Peter, of the Indians."[4] By the 1530s, it was the most famous community of free Africans in Europe andLeo Africanus referred to it in his Descrittione dell'Africa (1550), describing "certain religious who are friars and have their faces branded; they can be seen throughout Europe but especially in Rome."[5] The most notable Abyssinian monk at St. Stephens was AbbaTäsfa Ṣeyon, also known as Pietro Abissino, a monk ofShewan origin who had served in the royal court ofDawit II. "The peak of Santo Stefano's intellectual influence was the mid-16th century, for it was in this period that Täsfa Ṣǝyon, who'd arrived in Rome by 1536 and died there in 1552, tirelessly disseminated knowledge of Ethiopian language and culture."[6]
It was altered underPope Clement XI (1700–1721), and again in 1928.
The façade is in the style of the early 18th century. The 12th century doorway, decorated with theLamb and the Cross, has been preserved.
The church has a singlenave with ancientcolumns along the sides. The most important work of art is afresco of theMadonna with Child in the Roman style from the 15th century.
TheFeast of St. Stephen is celebrated on 26 December.
It is the oldest surviving church in the Vatican, for it dates back to Pope Leo the Great (440-461)
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