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| Santa Balbina | |
|---|---|
| Saint Balbina(in English) Sancta Balbina(in Latin) | |
 The façade of Santa Balbina. | |
 Click on the map for a fullscreen view | |
| 41°52′50″N12°29′23″E / 41.880521°N 12.489662°E /41.880521; 12.489662 | |
| Location | Rome |
| Country | Italy |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Status | Titular church |
| Dedication | Balbina of Rome |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Groundbreaking | 4th Century |
| Administration | |
| District | Lazio |
| Province | Rome |
| Clergy | |
| Cardinal protector | vacant |
Santa Balbina is aRoman Catholicbasilicachurch in a quiet area on the side of theAventine Hill, inRome. It is next to theBaths of Caracalla.
This had been the site of the large home ofLucius Fabius Cilo, a wealthy Roman of the late second century. It had been a gift to him fromSeptimius Severus, and is marked on theForma Urbis Romae. Christian ownership resulted in substantial renovation in around 370: walls were heightened and the internal layout was modified along the lines of today's church. The original title of this church is uncertain. It has been suggested it was known astitulus Tigridae, referring perhaps to an early sponsor or founder. It has been handed down that when theEmperor Constantine departed to found the city that becameConstantinople, he bade farewell toPope Sylvester I at this church.
In the eighth century, the basilica was consecrated byPope Gregory III to the entirely mythicalSt Balbina, whose legend has her dying around 130 CE.
The building underwent many revisions, including underPope Paul II in 1464, and underCardinal Pompeo Arrigoni in 1600. Initially affiliated with theAugustinians, the church came into the charge of secular priests ofNaples duringPope Innocent XII's time.
The adjoining monastery has a commanding medieval defence tower. Inside the basilica there is a very fine[citation needed] episcopal chair withCosmatesque decoration from the 13th century. The church was heavily restored in the 1930s. An ancient sarcophagus was discovered during the restoration. It is now used as a font. Frescoes were discovered on the side walls from the 9th to 14th centuries. The Baroque frescoes in the apse and the triumphal arch were painted byAnastasio Fontebuoni in 1599. The triumphal arch is decorated with the figures of Sts Paul and Peter. In the apse the mythical St Balbina is depicted between martyrs.
Previous titulars includeAlfonso de la Cueva, marqués de Bedmar andFrancisco Jiménez de Cisneros.
It was at this church in 1875 that theFranciscan priestSimpliciano of the Nativity founded theFranciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart.
In 1270 the first knownHungarian cardinal,Stephen Báncsa was buried in the basilica. Another 13th-century Hungarian clergyman,Pál, Bishop ofPaphos, erected an altar in the church forSaint Nicolas. Both the altar and the grave disappeared during later centuries, but a plaque commemorates the offerings of Pál. Until 2023, thecardinal priest of this church wasPéter Erdő, Archbishop of Esztergom and Primate of Hungary. He suggested the Hungarian links to the church played a part in the pope's decision to assign him Santa Balbina. Erdő recommended Hungarian pilgrims visit the basilica. The cardinal said he feels a special responsibility for the building.[citation needed] Because the church's physical state had deteriorated, Archbishop Erdő was appointed cardinal priest ofSanta Maria Nuova in March 2023.[1]
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Media related toSanta Balbina at Wikimedia Commons
| Preceded by Santi Apostoli, Rome | Landmarks of Rome Santa Balbina | Succeeded by San Bartolomeo all'Isola |
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