Santa Bibiana
From Churches of Rome Wiki
| Santa Bibiana | |
|---|---|
| | |
| English name: | St Bibiana |
| Dedication: | St Bibiana |
| Denomination: | Roman Catholic |
| Built: | 5th century, rebuilt in 17th century |
| Consecrated: | 467 |
| Architect(s): | Bernini |
| Artists: | da Cortona A. Ciampelli |
| Contact data | |
| Address: | 154 Via Giovanni Giolitti 00185 Roma |
| Phone: | 06-44.65.235 |
| Homepage: | www.santabibiana.com |
Santa Bibiana in an ancient church dedicated to St Bibiana, a 4th century virgin and martyr.
Contents |
[edit] History
The first church was built by Simplicius (Pope 468-483) and consecrated in 467. The Pope also declared that it was a pilgrimage shrine. A building beneath it, from the 4th century, may have been used a chapel. The site originally belonged to St Bibiana's family, and it is built above her grave; according to legend a chapel was built here by the matron Olimpina, a Christian relative of Bibiana, soon after the martyr's death in 361-363.
It was restored by Pope Honorius III in 1224. At the same time, a convent was built adjacent to the church. This has since been abandoned.
The present church is the result of a 17th century rebuilding, when Bernini turned it into a Baroque church in the years 1624-1626. This was the first architectural work he did in his distinguished career. The work was commissioned by Pope Urban VIII.
[edit] Exterior
The façade was completed in 1625, and is the work of Bernini, ordered by Pope Urban VIII.
[edit] Interior
By the altar is a statue of St Bibiana, by Bernini. This too is a first for Bernini - it is the first fully clothed statue he sculpted. Below the altar is a 4th century alabaster urn in which the relics of St Bibiana, her mother Dafrosa and her sister Demetria, who were both martyred with Bibiana, are preserved. The relics had been lost, but were rediscovered beneath the altar in 1624. The identities of the relics were confirmed by an inscription on a piece of metal buried with them.
Paintings on the walls of the nave, by Pietro da Cortona (left side) and Agostino Ciampelli (right side), show scenes from the Life of St Bibiana. Made in 1624, they were ordered after Cardinal Francesco Barberini, Pope Urban VIII's nephew, had discovered da Cortona's talent. There are also other works by the two artists in the church.
Behind the entrance door is a still-life of torture instruments, a horrible reminder of the sufferings of the martyrs.
An ancient column near the entrance is said to be the one St Bibiana was tied to when she was flogged to death in the persecution of emperor Justin the Apostate. Until the 18th century, dust scraped off from this column was mixed with mint that grew on the saint's grave and used as a remedy against epilepsy.
The columns are from the 5th century church.
On the walls, there are plaques marking the tombs of several abbesses from the adjacent convent.
[edit] Special notes
According to tradition, 10.000 Christian martyrs were buried in a cemetery on this site, but this seems to have no basis in fact.
