Sant'Eusebio all'Esquilino

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Sant'Eusebio St Eusebius 12/A Piazza Vittorio Emanuele

Ancient church dedicated to St Eusebius of Vercelli, 4th century bishop. History

The church was financed by St Eusebius of Bologna, and is first mentioned in 474. This means that it's one of the oldest churches in Rome; it was one of the first parish churches known as the Titulus Eusebi.

The interior was rebuilt by Pope Gregory IX in 1238.

The exterior was altered in the 18th century, and the interior was changed in the 17th and 20th centuries. The Romanesque style from the 13th century was preserved.

Until 1807, the church and adjacent monastery belonged to the Celestines, a Benedictine order founded in 1259 by St Pietro de Murrone, later Pope St Celestine V. The order was dispersed by the French Revolution, and died out in Italy in 1807.

The current titular of the church is H.E. Franz Cardinal König. Exterior

The façade is from the 18th century.

The adjacent monastery has a 16th century cloister. It is now a barracks, and can be difficult to visit. Interior

Behind the high altar is a carved wooden choir from c. 1600, built for the Celestines.

The relics of St Eusebius of Bologna, who financed the church, are interred beneath the high altar. Special notes

The dedication of this church is a difficult one, as there are several saints called Eusebius. It seems quite certain that St Eusebius of Vercelli is the right one. The problem is that it is dedicated to a 4th century Roman martyr, and Eusebius is not a strictly speaking martyr. However, he is often referred to as a martyr because of his sufferings. That he is referred to as Roman is not such a problem; he stayed in Rome for a period before moving on to his see at Vercelli. His popularity in Rome in the 5th century also points to him.