Santa Fumia is a 20th century public dependent chapel at Via di Santa Fumia 101 in a locality called Santa Fumia II. This is in the Castel di Leva zone.
The dedication is to St Euphemia of Chalcedon.
History[]
The location was entirely rural until the mid 20th century, with a single farmstead called the Borgo Santa Fumia.
The name seems to refer to a lost nunnery near the Forum called Sant'Eufemia, which in turn alluded to a long-lost basilica of the same name on the site of what is now Bambin Gesù all'Esquilino.
Two separate areas of the locality were subjected to illegal building development in the later 20th century, by the simple expedient of subdividing some fields and selling them off for the purchasers to build what they liked on the plots. There is a lot of this sort of thing in Rome's outer suburbs, and the Italian term is edilizia abusiva.
At some stage a very small chapel was provided by converting part of an old cowshed. The Diocese lists this as dependent on the parish of the Santuario della Madonna del Divino Amore, but its online profile is non-existent.
Location[]
This chapel is on the edge of the city. The Diocese lists it as being at Via Ardeatina km 18, but this is actually only a road junction in open countryside. The Via di Santa Fumia runs for two and a half kilometres to the east before crossing the city limits, passing firstly through Santa Fumia I and then Santa Fumia II where the chapel is. It is located close to the road on the left, just before the boundary.
The locality has no bus service. There is a stop at the Via Ardeatina junction, used by services 044 and 048.
Appearance[]
The chapel is part of a farm range, which closely parallels the road. The farmhouse has been subdivided into three residential units, including an apartment over an arched gateway into the former farmyard behind. To the right of this portal is the long cow-house, of a single storey and also now divided into three units. The two further ones are residential too, but the nearer one is the chapel.
There is no architectural interest here. The fabric might be late 19th century, rendered in pale orange and with a pitched and tiled roof. There are two roadside windows, with slightly curved tops and these are highlighted in maroon as is a dado.
One of the two entrance doorways (side by side) has a flimsy canopy with a pitched and tiled roof on thin metal poles. Next to this is a little campanile, consisting of two parallel steel girders painted white, meeting at an angle at the top and holding a single bell.
Liturgy[]
The only evidence that this is a chapel is the bell. There are no notices or signs on view, and it is probable that Mass is being said only occasionally.