Sant'Alessio all'Aventino
From Churches of Rome Wiki
| Sant'Alessio all' Aventino | |
|---|---|
| | |
| English name: | St Alexis on the Aventine |
| Dedication: | Alexis |
| Denomination: | Roman Catholic |
| Built: | Rebuilt 13th century |
| Contact data | |
| Address: | 23 Piazza Sant'Alessio |
Sant'Alessio all'Aventino is an ancient church dedicated to St Alexis. Picture of the church at Wikimedia Commons.[1]
![[1]](http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ripa_-_s_Alessio_monumento_1050363.JPG){kind=link}
[edit] History
In the 10th century, the church became a centre for the Benedictines , and a departure point for some of the most important evangelizers at that time; St Adalbert of Prague once set out from this church on his mission.
It was built in the 3rd or 4th century, and originally dedicated to St Boniface the Martyr. It is therefore sometimes referred to as Santi Boniface e Alessio. In the 8th century, it became a diaconia.
In 1217, it was also dedicated to St Alexis, the name by which it is known today.
The Catalogue of Turin, c. 1320, mentions five monks in the monastery.
The present church was built in the time of Pope Honorius III (1216–1227), and altered by T. de Marchis in 1750 on the orders of Angelo Maria Quirini. After 1846, when the Somaschi Fathers were installed here, further alterations have been carried out.
[edit] Exterior
Five bell-towers from the 13th century rebuilding have been preserved.
In the portico, there is a statue of Pope Benedict XIII, erected by Cardinal Quirini.
The Renaissance cloister of the Somaschi can be accessed outside the church. It has been taken over by the State, and is used as a centre for Roman studies. The columns of the cloister are of pre-Christian date. To visit the cloister, ring the bell at the first door past the monastery.
In the atrium, there is a porter's lodge where postcards of the church are sold.
[edit] Interior
The church has beautiful Cosmatesque work on the floor, doorway and the two small colums of the choir. On one of the columns, there is an inscription naming the artists as Laurentius and stating that there were 19 columns. The fathers in the church say that the 17 missing columns were carried off by Napoleon.
A statue of St Alexis stands above an altar by the door. It shows him in pilgrim's clothes, clasping the letter which revealed his identity after death. The statue is by Andrea Bergondi, and was made in the late 18th century. Parts of the staircase that the saint lived beneath are preserved here. The crypt is from the 10th or 13th century. It's closed to the public most of the year, but at Christmas a crib, one of the most popular in Rome, is set up here.
A 13th century Byzantine icon of Our Lady is kept in the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, in the right-hand arm of the transept.
The crypt is in the Romanesque style; it is the only crypt in that style in Rome. Relics said to be of St Thomas Becket of Canterbury are preserved here.