San Lorenzo in Damaso
From Churches of Rome Wiki
| San Lorenzo in Damaso | |
|---|---|
| | |
| English name: | St Lawrence at the House of Damasus |
| Dedication: | Lawrence |
| Denomination: | Roman Catholic |
| Type: | Titular church, ancient titulus |
| Titular church | Antonio Maria Rouco Valera |
| National church: | No |
| Built: | 4th century, rebuilt 15th century |
| Architect(s): | |
| Artists: | |
| Contact data | |
| Address: | 1 Piazza della Cancelleria |
San Lorenzo in Damaso is a church dedicated to the deacon and martyr St Lawrence. It was one of the first parish churches in Rome, known as the Titulus Damasi.
[edit] History
The church is believed to have been founded in the home of the Pope St Damasus (366-383), by the Pope himself.
The church was rebuilt by Bramante in the late 15th century, and has since been restored several times. The restoration was part of the construction of the Palazzo Cancelleria, built 1483–1511 for Raffaele Riario and funded partially with money that Cardinal Riario had won gambling with Franceschetto Cibo. The Cardinal lived at Avignon most of the time, and for a period he lent the palace to St Bridget of Sweden.
In 1944, the church was severly damaged by fire, and has since been restored.
The current titular of the church is Antonio Maria Rouco Valera, Archbishop of Madrid.
[edit] Exterior
The narthex is deep and vaulted, because of the rooms in the palace above.
[edit] Interior
Bramante's church still stands, but the church was lavishly decorated in gilt and marble by Valadier and Vespigniani in the 19th century, and the original harmony is gone. When it was restored after the fire in 1944, it was not reverted to its original state.
The high altar is by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, and was made in 1640. The baldachino is supported by four marble pillars. Beneath the altar are relics of Pope St Damasus, founder of the first church here.
The most interesting thing here is the row of paintings above the colonnades, depicting scenes from the Life of St Lawrence.
At the end of the left aisle there is an ancient icon of Our Lady.
On the right-hand side near the entrance is the Cappella del Crocifisso, the Chapel of the Crucifix. The crucifix is medieval, and St Bridget of Sweden is known to have prayed before it when she lived in the palace in the 14th century. She is depicted in a fresco from c. 1880. In the painting, she is depicted as a Fransiscan tertiary. This is the result of a misunderstanding - for a long time, she was thought to have been a Fransiscan, but this has been disproved. Also depicted in a fresco is St Bridget's daughter, St Catherine of Sweden. She is correctly depicted as a Bridgettine abbess.
Among those buried here are Annibale Caro and Pellegrino Rossi.
A tape-recorded description is available to visitors inside the church.
