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Sant'Anastasia
| Sant'Anastasia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| English name: | St Anastasia |
| Dedication: | Anastasia |
| Denomination: | Roman Catholic |
| Type: | Titular church, ancient titulus |
| Titular church | Godfried Daneels |
| Built: | |
| Contact data | |
| Address: | Piazza di Sant' Anastasia |
Sant' Anastasia is a church dedicated to the martyr St Anastasia. Pictures of the church at Wikimedia Commons. [1]
Contents |
History
Edit
The first church here was built in the late 3rd or early 4th century, and was one of the first parish churches, tituli, of ancient Rome. It was given by a woman called Anastasia and called titulus Anastasiae after her. It is mentioned in the catalogue of the Roman Synod of 499. Later, it was dedicated to a martyr of the same name. Parts of the 4th century church, as well as parts from the rebuilding in the 6th century, are preserved. It was the official church of representatives of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) empire who resided on the Palatine.
It was restored under Pope St Damasus I (366 – 383), Pope St Hilarius (461–468), Pope John VII (705–707), Pope St Leo III (795–816) who enlarged it and Pope Gregory IV (827–844).
It is listed in the Catalogue of Turin as a presbyterial title with six clerics.
The present church is the result of a 17th century rebuilding under Urban VIII (1623–1644), with some changes made in 1721.
The first titular priest of the church that we know of was St Jerome (died 420), Doctor of the Church. However, he was never actually a cardinal; he was given the title posthumously by in the 13th century, and assigned to this church because of his connections with it (see below). The present titular priest is Godfried Daneels, Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels, who was appointed in 1983.
ExteriorEdit
The façade dates from the 17th century. A new façade had been built between 1598 and 1618, but it was destroyed by a whirlwind in 1638. The rebuilding was carried out by L. Arrigucci, who has studied under Gian Lorenzo Bernini.
Underneath the church are the ruins of an ancient portico from the 1st century AD, as well as ruins of a group of insulae (multi-storied dwellings).
InteriorEdit
The interior was restored at the request of Cardinal Nuno da Cunha e Ataíde in the early 18th century and again under Pius VII (1800–1823) and Pius IX (1846–1878).
The columns placed against the pillars in the nave are from the original basilica.
Beneath the high altar is a statue of St Anastasia by F. Aprile and Ercole Ferrata, clearly influenced by the work of Bernini.
The altar of the Holy Cross was dedicated to the Confraternity of the Cross and St Anastasia in 1615. The confraternity was a guild of tailors and coat-makers.
On the right side is an altar to St Turibius, a Spanish priest and Bishop of Lima. Turibius baptized St Rose of Lima and St Martin de Porres, two of the most popular saints of South America. Because of this altar, there is a tradition that the Peruvian ambassador assists at Mass on the first Sunday of May.
The altar on the left side is ancient, and according to tradition, St Jerome offered Mass and St Gregory the Great distributed ashes on Ash Wednesday here. A chalice preserved in the church is thought to have been used by St Jerome. The outer baldachino is in the style of the Cosmati.
The Chapel of the Relics dates from the 17th century. The paintings of the lives of St Charles Borromeo and St Philip Neri are by Lazzaro Baldi.
In the last chapel on the left side is a painting of St Jerome, attributed to Domenichino.
This church has one of the most striking of the notices that Roman churches tend to display,
Added by BasilwatkinsosbLiturgyEdit
The church has perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and is therefore open 24 hours a day.
St Anastasia is celebrated on 25 December, and since the time of Pope Leo the Great (440-461) the church has been the station church for Mass at dawn on Christmas Day. It has become tradition that students from several colleges take part in this celebration.
