- 1 Talk
-
Santa Maria in Aracoeli
| Santa Maria in Aracoeli | |
|---|---|
 | |
| English name: | Our Lady at the Heavenly Altar |
| Dedication: | Blessed Virgin Mary |
| Denomination: | Roman Catholic |
| Type: | Titular church |
| Titular church | Salvatore De Giorgi |
| Built: | |
| Artists: | Carlo Rainaldi, Andrea Sansovino, Andrea Bregno et.al. |
| Contact data | |
| Address: | 4 Piazza del Campidoglio 00186 Roma |
| Phone: | 06 69 76 38 38 |
Santa Maria in Aracoeli is the city church of Rome, a basilica dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Pictures of the church at Wikimedia Commons. [1]
History
Edit
A 4th century legend in two versions claims that the Blessed Virgin appeared to the emperor Augustus at this site, on the northern side of the Capitol hill or alternatively that the birth of the Son of God was foretold to the emperor by an oracle here. The legend is mentioned in the Mirabilia, c. 1140.
The first church was built in the 6th century by Greek monks, on the site of a temple of the pagan goddess Juno. After some time, probably no later than the 10th century, the Benedictines replaced the Greeks. In 1249, a Papal bull granted the church to the Franciscans, and that is when the present church was built, incorporating many elements from the older church.
In the 14th century, Cola di Rienzo seized power in Rome, and proclaimed himself Tribune and Liberator of the Holy Roman Republic. After winning a battle against the nobles, he dedicated his sword at the altar of Santa Maria in Aracoeli. A few years later, he was killed at the foot of the steps to the church. In the middle ages, condemned criminals were executed at the foot of the steps
On 15th October, 1764, the British historian Gibbon sat in this church when, according to himself, «the idea of writing the decline and fall of the city first started to [his] mind». 23 years later, he published the last volume of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.
ExteriorEdit
Added by Lox federicoThe façade is largely original, but was never completed according to the original plans. The three doors are of a later date. Above the south door, the tympanon has a mosaic of The Madonna and Two Angels by the school of Pietro Cavallini.
From the Piazza del Campidoglio, you can see that it has Gothic windows, but this is the only Gothic element.
The stairs leading up to the church are impressing - 124 wide steps steeply ascending the Capitol hill. It was designed by L. di Simone Andreozzi in 1348, donated as thanksgiving for deliverance from the plague.
InteriorEdit
Added by Lox federicoThe church was decorated with frescoes by Pietro Cavallini, but tragically they were sacrificed in the redecorations carried out in the late 16th century. Only one of them may have been partially preserved: a fresco of the Madonna and Child enthroned between Sts Matthew and John is attributed to Cavallini; however, it may be a 15th century Sienese work. It can be seen on the fourth column on the left side, counting from the entrance.
Among the tombs in the floor is that of Cardinal Francesco Mantica, created cardinal in 1801 and died a year later.
There are three aisles, divided by 22 columns salvaged from other buildings. One of them - the third on the left, again counting from the entrance - has the words IN CUBICULO AUGUSTORUM carved on it, and it is said that it comes from one of the bedrooms (cubicula) of the palaces of the Emperors on the Palatine.
The wooden ceiling is decorated with a painting of the Battle of Lepanto (1571, painted 1575), with the Virgin Mary and the Holy Child in the middle.
Sancturary and high altarEdit
In the sanctuary, there is a Byzantine icon of the Madonna and Child, known as the Madonna d'Aracoeli. It is painted on beech wood, and is traditionally dated to the 11th century. Some scholars claim that it might be older, perhaps as old as the 6th century; they connect it with the Greek monks who built the first church here. This icon was venerated and carried through the streets of Rome during the great plague of 1348, and the short duration of that plague is ascribed to the intercession of the Madonna of Aracoeli. It was crowned in 1636, but the crown was stolen by French troops in 1797. A new crown was added in 1938, and in 1949 the Roman people were consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary before this icon. Raphael's Madonna of Foligno hung here from 1512 to 1565; it is now in the Vatican gallery. The tomb of Sigismondo Conti, who commissioned the painting, is in the pavement on the right side.
There are two Cosmatesque ambones, pulpits. They are constructed with parts from a single ambo made and signed by Lorenzo di Cosma and his son Giacomo c. 1200.
Tombs by the entranceEdit
To the right of the entrance is the tomb of Archdeacon Giovanni Crivelli, signed by Donatello. The tombstone was seemingly designed to be set into the floor, but it has been left standing - probably because of the artist's signature. It was made 1432-1433, and is now very worn. On the same side is also the tomb of Cardinal Louis d'Albret (died 1465) by Andrea Bregno.
On the left-hand side is the tomb of the astronomer Ludovico Grato Margani (died 1531). It is by the school of Andrea Sansovino, and the master himself made the figure of Christ.
Cappella Bufalini / Cappella di San BernardinoEdit
On the right-hand side, the first chapel has early Renaissance paintings of the life of St Bernardino of Siena by Pinturicchio, painted c. 1480-1485. Note that the Burial of the Saint on the left-hand wall slants to the right to adjust for the position of the viewer standing just outside the chapel. The frescoes were restored by Vincenzo Camuccini.
Between the second and third chapels (Cappella della Pietá and Cappella di San Bonaventura) is a colossal statue of Pope Gregory XIII by Pier Paolo Olivieri (16th century).
Cappella de San Pietro d'AlcantarEdit
This recently restored chapel has 16th century paintings by Girolamo Muziano. The next chapel was designed by Giovanni Battista Contini in the 17th century.
Side entranceEdit
By the side entrance is a monument to Pietro da Vicenza by Andrea Sansovino on the right side, and the tomb of Cecchino Bracchi (died 1545) on the left. The latter was made by Pietro Urbano after a design by Michelangelo.
Cappella di San PasqualeEdit
The chapel has two paintings by Daniele Seiter, in the style of Caravaggio.
Cappella di San Francesco / C. di SavelliEdit
Here you will find the tomb of Fra Juniper, a companion of St Frances known from the Fioretti.
The tombs of Pope Honorius IV (1285-1287) and Luca Savelli (made c.1287) are just outside the chapel, in the right arm of the transept. The latter is attributed to Arnolfo di Cambio. The papal tomb was designed for Vana Aldobrandeschi, wife of Luca Savelli and mother of Pope Honorius IV.
Cappella di Santa RosaEdit
The mosaic of Our Lady Enthroned between St John the Baptist and St Francis is dated to the late 13th century.
Cappella del Santo BambinoEdit
In the chapel of the Holy Child, there is a copy of the Santissimo Bambino. The 15th century original, made from olive wood from the Garden of Gethsemane, is kept in the sacristy (except at Christmas), and you may ask to see it - or actually, the copy which has replaced it since the original was stolen in 1994. It is not the most beautiful of statues, but many miraculous cures have been attributed to it. The church gets many letters addressed to the Holy Child, and these are placed before the statue unopened - they're for the Holy Child, not for the priests.
The colossal statue of Pope Leo X was made in 1514 by Domenico Aimo.
In the corner is the early 14th century tomb of Cardinal Matteo d'Acquasparta O.F.M. (died 1302), with a mosaic attributed to Cavallini.
In another corner you can find the gravestone of Felis de Fredis. He was the man who found the Laocöon, the great statue of the Trojan pagan priest Laocöon and his two sons, now in the Vatican Museums.
Chapel of St HelenaEdit
In the left-hand transept, the 17th century chapel of St. Helena has a cosmatesque altar, and a 12th century figure of Mary appearing to a kneeling Augustus. Relics of St Helena are kept in an urn stored in an 18th century monument in the shape of an octagonal temple. Through a grille at the foot of the monument, you can see some early Christian sculpture. St Frances of Rome is said to have levitated while praying in this chapel. It was reconstructed in the 19th century.
PulpitEdit
The pulpit, or ambo as it is called in the Byzantine tradition, was made c. 1200 by L. og G. Tebaldo.
Cappella di San MicheleEdit
The chapel, dedicated to St Michael the Archangel, was designed by Carlo Rainaldi.
Cappella di San PaoloEdit
The painting of St Paul the Apostle is by Girolamo Muziano. On the left is the tomb of Filippo della Valle, made c. 1494 by Michele Marini or by the school of Andrea Riccio.
Cappella di Sant'AntonioEdit
The fresco was painted c. 1450 by Benozzo Gozzoli. On the right is the Tomb of Antonio Albertoni, made c. 1509.
Between this and the second chapel from the entrance is a statue of Pope Paul III.
Cappella del Presepio/CribEdit
The second chapel on the left, counting from the entrance, is open only around Christmas, when the Santissimo Bambino is placed in a crib. The church is often crowded at this time, especially when children come to recite poems by the crib.
