| Santa Francesca Romana | |
|---|---|
| Basilica of Saint Frances of Rome | |
| Santa Maria Nova | |
Basilica di Santa Francesca Romana | |
 Travertine façade (1615) and 12th-century Romanesque bell-tower | |
 Click on the map for a fullscreen view | |
| 41°53′28.21″N12°29′19.87″E / 41.8911694°N 12.4888528°E /41.8911694; 12.4888528 | |
| Location | Piazza di Santa Francesca Romana,Rome |
| Country | Italy |
| Language | Italian |
| Denomination | Catholic |
| Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
| Religious order | Olivetan Benedictine |
| History | |
| Status | minor basilica,titular church |
| Founded | 8th–10th centuries AD |
| Founder | Pope Paul I |
| Dedication | Frances of Rome |
| Dedicated | 16th century |
| Earlier dedication | Mary |
| Relics held | Frances of Rome |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural type | Romanesque |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Rome |
Santa Francesca Romana (Italian:Basilica di Santa Francesca Romana), previously known asSanta Maria Nova, is aCatholic church situated next to theRoman Forum in the rioneCampitelli inRome, Italy.
Anoratory putatively was established in the eighth century underPope Paul I in theportico of the formerTemple of Venus and Roma. Tradition holds that at this site SaintPeter prayed at the site to challengeSimon Magus.[1] According to this legend, Simon Magus wanted to prove his pagan powers were greater than those of the apostles, and startedlevitating in front of Peter. The apostle fell on his knees to prayer, asking God to demonstrate his pre-eminence, and Simon fell, dying. Tradition holds that thebasalt stones where the apostle's knees during prayer are embedded in the wall of the southtransept.[2]A church at the site was known by the tenth century, was namedSanta Maria Nova (or "Nuova", "New St Mary"), to distinguish it from the other church inside the Roman forum devoted to St Mary,Santa Maria Antiqua ("Ancient St Mary"), which had fallen into ruin by then.[3] The relics from the ancient church were moved to this church under Pope Leo.[4] Santa Maria Nuova was enlarged in the second half of the tenth century, and then rebuilt byPope Honorius III in the thirteenth century, adding thecampanile and theapse, as well as being decorated with amosaicMaestà, a depiction of the Madonna enthroned accompanied by saints. The belltower and apse are now located at the east end of former Roman temple, where the portico and entry stairs stood. Behind (East) of the apse and bell tower are a jumble of structures forming the former monastery with two small courtyards. Flanking the north of these structures and extending further west on both sides towards theColosseum are the remaining outer columns of the massive ancient Roman temple.
Since 1352 the church has been in the care of theOlivetans. In the 16th century, the church was rededicated toFrances of Rome (Francesca Buzzi), who was canonized in 1608 and whoserelics are in the crypt. The interior of the church has undergone many refurbishments. The presenttravertine porch and façade (1615) were designed and built byCarlo Lambardi.
The inscriptions found in Santa Francesca Romana (S. Maria Nuova), a valuable source illustrating the history of the church, have been collected and published by Vincenzo Forcella.[5]
The interior, a singlenave with side chapels, was rebuilt by Lombardi in the years preceding Francesca Buzzi's canonization, beginning in 1595. In the middle of the nave is the rectangularschola cantorum of the old church, covered inCosmatesque mosaics. Among the altarpieces are works by Pietro Tedeschi, Padre Pozzi, and Subleyras.
Thesacristy houses the preciousMadonna Glykophilousa ("Our Lady of Tenderness"), an early 5th-century icon brought from Santa Maria Antiqua. The twelfth-centuryMadonna and Child had been painted over. It was meticulously detached from the panel in 1950.
Thetomb of Pope Gregory XI, who returned the papacy to Rome from Avignon, reconstructed to a design by Per Paulo Olivieri (signed and dated 1584) is in the south transept.
The Deaconry was suppressed on 8 August 1661. S. Maria Nova was reestablished, as theTitulus of a Cardinal Priest, on 17 March 1887 by Pope Leo XIII. Thetitulus of the church remainsSancta Mariae Novae; the currentCardinal Priest of theTitulus S. Mariae Novae isPéter Erdő. A Cardinal Priest no longer has any jurisdiction over his titular church or its clergy.[6] He is only the Cardinal Protector.
Saint Francesca Romana has been named the patron of car drivers, because of a legend that an angel used to light her way with a lamp when she travelled at night. Automobiles line up on the day of her feast (9 March) as far as theColosseum, to partake of the blessing.[7]
The facade of the Church ofHoly Cross College, inClonliffe inDublin,Ireland, is a replica of Santa Francesca Romana. It was designed by the Gothic Revival ArchitectJames Joseph McCarthy and is one of the few exceptions to his list of Gothic works.
The confessio is the enclosed area below the altar, built between 1638 and 1649 to a design byGian Lorenzo Bernini. At its center is a sculptural group ofSt Frances and the angel. Bernini's sculpture was taken during theFrench occupation in 1798 and is now lost, and was replaced in 1866 by the sculptorGiosuè Meli.
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Media related toBasilica di Santa Francesca Romana at Wikimedia Commons
| Preceded by Sant'Eustachio | Landmarks of Rome Santa Francesca Romana, Rome | Succeeded by San Giovanni a Porta Latina |
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