San Callisto is a church at Piazza di San Callisto 16 in Trastevere. It is dedicated to the Pope St Callixtus who is also commemorated by the catacombs on the Appian Way. Picture of the church on Wikimedia Commons. [1]

History

The church was built in the 8th century by Pope Gregory III on the site of the supposed residence and place of martyrdom of St Callixtus in 222. The well in which he is supposed to have been drowned is preserved in the church, in the chapel on the left. The saint himself is buried beneath the altar of nearby Santa Maria in Trastevere, however. The church was rebuilt in the 12th century, when it passed into the possession of the Benedictine monks of San Paolo fuori la Mura, and again in 1610 when the adjacent monastery was built. The Benedictine monks living here had had to move from their monastery on the Quirinale when the papal palace was extended. The complex was sacked during the French occupation at the beginning of the 19th century, and monastic life was not renewed here. The Holy See restored the church in 1851, and again in the 1930's.

The church is pastorally redundant, and has been closed for some time. The Diocese lists it as one of the subsidiary churches with their own priests, but in this case the priest concerned is the parochial vicar of neighbouring Santa Maria in Trastevere. Since the church is still consecrated, one Mass a year should be celebrated on its main altar and this is most likely to happen on the feast-day of St Callixtus which is October 14th. The building seems to be in good condition, has been recently repainted and will probably end up in the care of a nationality group or a new religious order in due course.

The latest information, as at October 2011, is that the church is being used by the Sant'Egidio community and may be found open for liturgical purposes. They would not welcome visitors wandering about during the liturgy.

Exterior

It is a small edifice, having an aisleless nave and a small attached rectangular apse. There are two very small

side chapels attached to the nave walls, halfway up each side. The façade was designed by Orazio Torriani and has two storeys, separated by a full entablature with projecting cornice. The doorcase replaces the architrave of this. Each side of the entrance is a blank framed vertical panel crowned with a slightly raised segmental pediment having a broken cornice. A little Ionic pilaster with swags occupies the corners of the first storey, and another identical pair flanks the doorcase. The latter, rather whimsically, are only carved as vertical halves as if the frame to the doorcase covers part of them. There is a triangular pediment on the entablature over the door. The second storey has a central zone which is a large rectangular frame in relief, in which is another pedimented panel with a winged putto's head in the pediment. Above this frame is a blank frieze, a dentillate cornice and a triangular pediment containing the coat of arms of Pope Paul V. The whole composition is crowned by a finial showing the stylized triple mountain bearing a cross, which is a Benedictine motif. Each of the two outer zones of the second storey has a dumpy Doric pilasters on the outer corner, a large horizontally rectangular inset panel between this and the central frame and a large volute connecting the pilaster capital to the central pediment. Sitting on the volute spiral is a finial resembling a candlestick.

Interior

The interior is a rectangular box with an attached rectangular apse having a triumphal arch. There are four Doric pilasters on each side wall, painted so as to resemble pink marble. The paintings on the nave walls have been removed. The left hand chapel contains the well of martyrdom; it has lost its altarpiece. The right hand one is dedicated to St Maurus, one of the disciples of St Benedict while he was at Subiaco. There is a painting of the saint by Pier Leone Ghezzi, but more interesting are the two angels holding it up which are allegedly by Bernini. The flat nave ceiling has a fresco of St Callixtus in glory by Antonio Achilli.

External links

Official diocesan web-page

Italian Wikipedia page