San Nicola da Tolentino agli Orti Sallustiani

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San Nicola da Tolentino agli Orti Sallustiani

English name:	St Nicholas of Tolentino in the Gardens of Sallust
Dedication:	Nicholas of Tolentino
Denomination:	Armenian Catholic
Type:	National church



Built:

Architect(s):
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Contact data
Address:	17 Salita S Nicola da Tolentino 00187 Roma
Phone:	06 48 84 654

San Nicola da Tolentino agli Orti Sallustiani is one of the two national churches of Armenia. It's dedicated to the 13th century friar St Nicholas of Tolentino. The Armenian seminary is located next to the church.

[edit] History

The church was built for the Discalced Augustinians in 1599.

The interior was restructured 1614–1620 by Carlo Buti and Martino Longhi, with funds from the Pamphili family. The Milanese architect Francesco Buzio was also involved in the redesign.

As early as 1654, it was rebuilt by Giovanni Maria Baratta, with guidance from Alessandro Algardi.

In 1833, it was given to the Pontifical Armenian College by Pope Leo XIII. The Armenian Catholic Church is in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church.

[edit] Exterior

The Baroque façade was designed by Baratta in 1670. The date of construction and the dedication to St Nicholas is recorded in an inscription on the façade.

A college for students of the Armenian rite is annexed to the church. When they've been ordained, most of them will serve in the USA.

[edit] Interior

There is not much that shows that this is an Oriental Catholic church, apart from the curtain which is drawn across the sanctuary at certain times during Mass, serving a purpose similar to the iconostasis in the Byzantine liturgy.

The church has a Latin cross plan with three chapels on eash side.

Several tombstones are set in the marble floor, which was restored in 1950.

The sculpture of the Madonna with Child offering the Miraculous Bread to St Nicholas, St Augustine and St Monica, over the high altar, was executed in the 17th century by Domenico Guidi and Ercole Ferrata. The high altar itself is by Alessandro Algardi.

The first chapel on the right has a depiction of A Miracle of St Nicholas of Bari by Filippo Laurenzi, made in 1710.

The Chapel of St Gregory the Illuminator is the second on the right side. St Gregory was the Apostle of the Armenians in the 4th century.

In the third chapel on the right side is the sepulchral monument of Cardinal Federico Lante delle Rovere.

In the right arm of the transept is the Chapel of St John the Baptist.

The second chapel on the left is by Pietro da Cortona, made in 1668. It was founded by the Gavotti family, and is dedicated to the Madonna of Savona. It has a depiction of the Apparition of the Blessed Virgin to Blessed Anthony Botta by Cosimo Fancelli, and statues of St Joseph by Ercole Ferrata and St John the Baptist by Antonio Raggi.

The third chapel on the left side is the Chapel of Our Lady of Good Counsel.

In the left transept, the altar is dedicated to the Blessed Gomidas, an Armenian who was martyred at Constantinople in 1707. Part of the original church is visible here. The chapel, known as the Cappella Buratti, was designed by Giovan Battista Mola.

Cardinal Antony Peter Hassen, who was the Patriarch of Cilicia of the Armenians until his death in 1884, is buried here. The best way to find the tomb is to look for his cardinal's hat hanging from the vault. This is a tradition in the Catholic church - when a cardinal dies, his hat is hung by his tomb or in the church of his choice where it will hang until it has decayed so much that it falls down.

In the dome, nave and left transept there are cracks, the result of an earth tremor in the early 20th century. The church has been thoroughly checked, and is considered completely safe despite these damages.

The dome is octogonal, with eight windows. It is decorated with four female figures symbolizing the four fundamental virtues of the Augustinian Order: Chastity, Humility, Poverty and Obedience. They were made by Pietro Paolo Ubaldini in 1643. There is also a fresco depicting The Glory of St Nicholas of Tolentino by Giovanni Coli and Filippo Gherardi.

[edit] Liturgy

The liturgy is that of the Armenian rite, and the Armenian language is used. The rite is Antiochene in origin, but has been influenced by both the Byzantine and the Latin liturgy.

The Feast of St Nicholas of Tolentino is celebrated on 10 September.

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