| Basilica of San Saba | |
|---|---|
 Façade | |
 Click on the map for a fullscreen view | |
| 41°52′43″N12°29′08″E / 41.8786°N 12.4855°E /41.8786; 12.4855 | |
| Location | Piazza Gian Lorenzo Bernini 20 Rome |
| Country | Italy |
| Denomination | Catholic |
| Religious institute | Jesuits |
| Website | sansaba |
| History | |
| Status | Minor basilica,titular church |
| Dedication | Sabbas the Sanctified |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Romanesque |
| Completed | 13th century |
San Saba is an ancientbasilicachurch inRome, Italy. It lies on the so-calledPiccolo Aventino, which is an area close to the ancientAurelian Walls next to theAventine Hill andCaelian Hill.
The currentCardinal Deacon of theTitulus S. Sabae isArthur Roche, succeedingJorge Medina.[1] Both served as prefects ofthe Dicastery of Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments at the time of their elevation. The church was made parochial in 1931 and entrusted to the care of theSociety of Jesus. It was established as a titulus in 1959.
According to legend,St. Silvia, mother ofPope Gregory I, had an estate at the site.[2] After her death, so legend reads, her estate was transformed into an affiliate monastery of St. Andreas, the monastery which Gregory I founded at the site of today'sSan Gregorio al Celio. This legend, however, can be traced back only to the 12th century, when in context ofRenovatio Romae and Church Reform, the monastery of San Saba was meant to be provided with a long and impressive local tradition.
An alternate theory suggests a connection with a hospice for pilgrims founded by Gregory on land that belonged to his family.[3]
The historic origin of the religious site goes back to around 645. In this year, fugitive monks from the monastery ofSt. Sabas (Mar Saba,Palestine), who had fled their home country after theIslamic invasion, came to Rome to attend the Lateran Council. After the council, these Sabaite monks settled down in an olddomus (=noble estate) on the "Piccolo Aventino" (the smaller crest of the Aventine hill,[4] which at this time was deserted due to the big decrease in Rome's population. Here, they founded an eremitic cell. TheSabaites introduced the cult of St. Sabas to Rome. In ancient sources, their monastery however goes by the namecellas novas orcellaenovae, which refers to thecellae (=cells) of their mother abbey, Mar Saba.[3]
The Sabaite monastery prospered quickly[3] and for a long time. In the 8th and 9th centuries, San Saba was one of the most prestigious of Rome and among the leading "Greek" monasteries. It received rich papal donations. Since 680, its abbots held important diplomatic roles in the relationships between Rome andByzantium, and represented the Roman Church and Pope at several church councils in Constantinople.
In 768,Antipope Constantine II was held prisoner in this monastery, before being killed by theLombards.
TheBenedictine monks ofMonte Cassino received the church after it was rebuilt in the 10th century.Anselm, the nephew ofSt Anselm, was one of its abbots before departing toEngland as apapal legate. After many years of decay, the basilica was completely renovated in the 13th century, after being ceded toCluniac monks in 1144.[5]
In 1463,Pope Pius II granted his nephew,Cardinal Francesco Todeschini the monastery of San Sabain commendam. The cardinal, who adopted his uncle's family name "Piccolomini", immediately began extensive restoration, construction, and decoration works on the ancient buildings.[6] He added the loggia to the facade, and a fresco depicting theAnnunciation.[2]
In 1503 theCistercians were entrusted with the church, which in 1573 was conveyed to theJesuits[4] (and their German seminaryCollegium Germanicum et Hungaricum).
The church, preceded by a small porch from the 13th century, has a nave with two aisles. These end with three apses. The interior is characterized by numerous interventions from different ages. The columns are from ancient buildings, and the floor is an example ofCosmatesque marble art from the beginning of the 13th century.
The main artpieces are the notable frescoes that were discovered on the lower church which is close to the public. Fragments of those frescoes, most of which are very small, were detached and are now exhibited on the walls of the coridors leading to the church. On the left side of the lower church were depicted scenes from the life of Christ; on the right, scenes from the life of Mary. They represent the first instance of this Marian subject matter in any church in western Europe.[3] The wall paintings were dated to the first half of the eighth century. Egyptian blue and lapis lazuli have been detected mixed together within the same pictorial layer. These are the oldest western paintings where lapis lazuli has been used as a blue pigment.[7]
The crypt, built on the house of St. Silvia, holds therelics of St. Sabas. Thesacristy houses a fragment of fresco from the first church (8th century).
In 1959, San Saba was made atitular church, to be held by acardinal-deacon.[8]
Media related toSan Saba (Rome) at Wikimedia Commons
| Preceded by Santi Quattro Coronati | Landmarks of Rome San Saba, Rome | Succeeded by Santa Sabina |
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