Santi Nereo e Achilleo

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Basic data
Patronage : Hll. Nereus and Achilles
Cardinal priest : vacant
Parish: Santa Maria in Vallicella
Address: Viale delle Terme
di Caracalla 28
Piazzale Numa Pompilio
00153 Rome
Santi Nereo e Achilleo

Santi Nereo e Achilleo ( Latin : Sancti Nerei et Achillei ) is a church in Rome that is dedicated to Saints Nereus and Achilleus . The early Christian predecessor building, built around 369, is one of the oldest titular churches in Rome under the original name of Titulus Fasciolae .

Location and patronage

The church is in the XXI. Roman Rione San Saba on Piazzale Numa Pompilio with the facade facing northwest to Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, about 100 meters northwest of the Caracalla baths .

Because of the same name, there is a risk of confusion with the basilica of Saints Nereus and Achilles built over the Domitilla catacombs outside the city walls, which is also known as the so-called catacomb basilica and was built in the 5th or 6th century.

Nereus and Achilles were imperial soldiers who were executed for their beliefs around 295 under Emperor Diocletian . Their graves were moved from the Domitilla catacombs to the town church Titulus Fasciolae in the course of the 6th century , which was subsequently renamed Titulus SS. Nerei e Achillei .

The original Patrozinium Titulus Fasciolae goes back to an early Christian legend , according to which Peter lost the bandage (Latin fasciola = bandage) that he had worn on his foot, which was injured by the dungeon chains, when he escaped from the Mamertine dungeon .

In a funerary inscription from the year 377, which was found in the cemetery of the Patriarchal Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls , the late Cinnamius Opas is commemorated, who was a lecturer in the Church of Titulus Fasciolae .

Building history

There are no traces of the early Christian church of Titulus Fasciolae , which was built around 369 under Pope Damasus I (366–384); their architectural forms are not known; it was apparently largely destroyed by floods.

Pope Leo III had today's church building . built around 814 in the same place, but on a higher level. The outer walls of this church as well as the mosaic on the triumphal arch and parts of the altar ciborium still exist today . Because the area around the church was deserted in the 13th century and no longer inhabited, the church gradually fell into disrepair. Therefore, in 1228 under Pope Gregory IX. (1227–1241) transferred the relics of the martyrs Nereus and Achilles and other saints to the church of Sant'Adriano in the Roman Forum . In the "Catalog of Turin" it is reported that the titular church around 1320 no longer had a pastor and was apparently abandoned. Pope Sixtus IV. (1471–1484) had the titular church restored on the occasion of the Holy Year 1475; the nave was shortened and the portico was removed.

It was not until Cesare Baronio , who was appointed cardinal priest of SS. Nereo e Achilleo in 1596 , that a thorough restoration was carried out while largely retaining the older interior: opening of the current light arcades and renewal of the roof, construction of a new campanile , restoration of the high altar and ciborium , Construction of a confessio and installation of the bishop's throne ( cathedra ), restoration of the mosaic above the triumphal arch and replacement of the damaged apse mosaic with a fresco painting on the same theme. In 1597 Cardinal Baronio received papal permission to bring the relics of the martyrs Nereo and Achilleo and other saints, which had been transferred to Sant'Adriano, back to his titular church, which was done in a solemn procession . During this time the church was again integrated into the ecclesiastical life of the city; it also became a resting place for pilgrims to the seven pilgrimage churches of Rome.

Exterior

Facade of the Basilica of Santi Nereo e Achilleo

In the new building of 814 in the style of the Carolingian Renaissance is a three-nave pillar basilica without transept (about 23 x 18 m) with six Jochen , semicircular apse in the southwest and the narthex in the northeast. Originally there were two rectangular towers next to the apse, of which there are no other examples in Rome. Today three walled up arched windows can be seen at the apse ; the surrounding marble architrave and the stones with leaves, flowers and a mask used there come from the neighboring Caracalla thermal baths. The facade is almost unadorned , only decorated with an aedicule portal , on whose columns, according to the Tuscan order, the coats of arms of the reigning Pope and the cardinal priest of the titular church are now attached. A window framed with an openwork segment gable forms the only decoration of the upper half of the facade. The facade still contains painting remains from various centuries.

Interior and outfit

View into the central nave to the high altar and apse

The church also shows the Carolingian design of a three-aisled basilica inside. The side aisles end flat with a passage to the former towers next to the apse. The octagonal pillars with capitals date from the restoration work in the 16th century.

The late mannerist frescoes on the high walls of the nave show scenes from the life and martyrdom of Saints Domitilla, Nereus and Achilles ; they come from the legendary messages in the respective martyrs' acts. These frescoes have been attributed to " il Pomarancio " up to the present day and were thought to be a work by Niccolò Circignani - but the attribution is now being questioned and "under discussion". The attribution is questionable solely because of the very late date of origin for this painter after 1596, since he died between the end of 1597 and 1599 and did not live in Rome at last. The style of the paintings is also clearly influenced by classicism, so they are already in the transition to the early baroque. Below between the arcades there are frescoes of angels, which stand out for their particular elegance and grace and possibly come from another artist.

The frescoes in the side aisles are in a completely different style, which still corresponds completely to Roman mannerism; they show the brutal martyrdoms of various other saints and are considered the work of the "Roman school from the end of the 16th century". In each of the side aisles there is also an altar, the depiction of Saints Nereus, Achilles and Domitilla on the left altar is the work of Cristoforo Roncalli , who, like the Circignani mentioned, is known as "il Pomarancio". On the right altar is a Madonna with angels by Durante Alberti.

The relics of Nereus, Achileus and Flavia Domitilla rest in the vaulted confessio created by Cardinal Baronio under the high altar. Flavia Domitilla, who came from the Flavian family, died a martyr at the end of the 1st century.

The furnishings should also be mentioned: The two ambones from Carolingian times come from the Roman church of San Silvestro in Capite . The choir screens , parts of the floor in the presbytery , the high altar and the bishop's throne are cosmatic works of the 12th and 13th centuries, as are the four marble columns of the altar ciborium. Cardinal Baronio acquired the large Easter candlestick from the 15th century especially for his titular church.

The mosaic on the apse arch from around 815, which, in contrast to the mosaic that was created at the same time in the apse conche, has been preserved is of particular art historical interest . The transfiguration of the Lord on Mount Tabor is depicted on the apse arch : In the center stands Jesus as lux vera (“true light”) with a gesture of blessing in a mandorla , next to Elijah (with a beard) and Moses (with a scroll) and the apostles Peter , John and James , who threw themselves to the ground in front of the transfigured apparition and protect their eyes from the glare with their cloaks. Occasionally, the opinion is also expressed that the apostles are depicted in the posture of Proskynesis , a gesture of adoration and submission adopted from the Byzantine court ceremony. The monogram is written in red letters on the robes of the apostles : P and IH (the initial for James was apparently lost during the last restoration). A scene of the Annunciation can be seen on the left and the Theotokos next to an angel on the right . All the figures - except for the red-clad Maria on the golden throne chair - wear dazzling white robes; except for Elijah and Moses, all have a halo .

The mosaic in the apse was removed during restoration work in 1596 and replaced by frescoes. Since it belongs to the original overall composition, it will be described here using a copy of the 16th century in tempera technique from the Biblioteca Vaticana : In the middle of the apse there was a large gem cross ( crux gemmata ) above the mountain with the four rivers of Paradise behind it a red drapery as a background, surrounded by three sheep on each side. It is unusual for the time of origin that the otherwise usual throne chair is missing and that it is a greatly simplified representation.

The fresco painting created in the apse in 1596 shows the same theme in the style of the 16th century, but with the addition of a group of saints: Achilles and Nereus, Sulpitius and Servilianus (soldier martyrs from the time of Trajan ), Caesarius (from Terracina? ) as well as Domitilla (with crown), Euphrosyna and Theodora (companions of Domitilla), Feliciana and Plautilla, each with martyr's palms in their hands. The fresco below is supposed to remind of a mass celebration by Pope Gregory the Great in this church.

  • High altar

  • Bishop's throne

  • Lion at the cathedra

  • Ambo and pulpit, fresco painting from the 16th century

  • Pillar with capitals, painting from the 16th century

  • Cristoforo Roncalli : Domitilla with Nereus and Achilles , left side altar (around 1598)

Cardinal priest

Web links

Commons : Santi Nereo e Achilleo  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

literature

  • Hugo Brandenburg : The early Christian churches in Rome from the 4th to the 7th century . Schnell & Steiner, Regensburg 2013, pp. 143ff. and 319.
  • Walther Buchowiecki : Handbook of the Churches of Rome. The Roman sacred building in history and art from early Christian times to the present . Volume 3, Hollinek, Vienna 1974, pp. 350-367.
  • Marco Bussagli: Rome - Art & Architecture. Könemann, Cologne 1999, p. 315.
  • Anton Henze u. a .: Art guide Rome . Reclam, Stuttgart 1994, p. 242.
  • Hans Georg Wehrens: Rome - The Christian sacred buildings from the 4th to the 9th century - A Vademecum . Herder, Freiburg, 2nd edition 2017, pp. 161–165.
  • Maria Andaloro / Serena Romano: Roman Middle Ages. Art and culture in Rome from late antiquity to Giotto; Schnell & Steiner, Regensburg 2002, p. 86f. with fig. 66.
  • Walter Oakeshott : The mosaics of Rome from the third to the fourteenth centuries. Schroll, Vienna 1967, p. 211ff.
  • Joachim Poeschke : Mosaics in Italy 300 - 1300. Hirmer, Munich 2009, p. 22 with fig. 17, 180.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Diocese of Rome
  2. ↑ Lexicon for Theology and Church (LThK), Herder, Freiburg 2006, Volume 7, Col. 740
  3. ↑ Anton Henze u. a .: Art guide Rome . Stuttgart 1994, p. 242.
  4. ^ Hugo Brandenburg: The early Christian churches in Rome from the 4th to the 7th century , Regensburg 2013, p. 145.
  5. ↑ Walther Buchowiecki: Handbook of the Churches of Rome. The Roman sacred building in history and art from early Christian times to the present , Volume 3, Vienna 1974, p. 354ff.
  6. ↑ Hans Georg Wehrens: Rome - The Christian sacred buildings from the 4th to the 9th century - A Vademecum . Freiburg, 2nd edition 2017, pp. 161ff. with floor plan
  7. ↑ Walther Buchowiecki: Handbook of the Churches of Rome. The Roman sacred building in history and art from early Christian times to the present , Volume 3, Vienna 1974, p. 361ff.
  8. ↑ There are three different painters known as Pomarancio .
  9. ^ "Arte e architettura - Basilica Ss. Nereo-Achilleo" on the website of the parish of Santa Maria in Vallicella (Italian; last accessed on February 11, 2019). Regarding the frescoes with the martyrdom of Domitilla, Nereus and Achilles in the actual nave, it says: “ La loro attribuzione ” (ie the attribution of the frescoes; note from the author ) “ è discussa. Per molto tempo si è parlato del Pomarancio. ”(In the section“ Gli affreschi ed i mosaici ”).
  10. ↑ Santi Nereo e Achilleo in "romanchurches" (English; last accessed on February 11, 2019). This text says about the frescoes in the nave (not the aisles): “The fresco cycle along the central side walls of the nave, commissioned by Cardinal Baronius, have long been attributed to Niccolò Circignani nicknamed Il Pomarancio. It is now considered that this attribution is uncertain, and the work is best described as 'in the style of'. "
  11. ↑ Michele Cordaro:  CIRCIGNANI (Cincignani, Cercignani, Cirgnani), Nicolo, detto il Pomarancio. In: Alberto M. Ghisalberti (Ed.): Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani (DBI). Volume 25:  Chinzer – Cirni. Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana, Rome 1981. (accessed February 11, 2019). Cordaro also mentions many of Circignani's works - including lost works and those that have only been attributed - but not the cycle of martyrs in Santi Nereo e Achilleo.
  12. ↑ This also does not correspond to the style of Niccolò Circignani
  13. ↑ Mario Moriconi: Brevi notizie storiche e artistiche della Basilica dei SS. Nereo e Achilleo , (official church leader; Italian) o.O., 1970, p. 21
  14. ^ "Arte e architettura - Basilica Ss. Nereo-Achilleo" on the website of the parish of S. Maria in Vallicella (Italian; last accessed on February 11, 2019). " Alle pareti, affreschi di scuola romana della fine del Cinquecento rappresentanti scene di martiri. "; in the section " Le navate laterali ".
  15. ^ "Arte e architettura - Basilica Ss. Nereo-Achilleo" on the website of the parish of S. Maria in Vallicella (Italian; last accessed on February 11, 2019); in the section " Le navate laterali ".
  16. ↑ Marco Bussagli: Rom - Art & Architecture, Cologne 1999, p. 315
  17. ↑ Hans Georg Wehrens: Rome - The Christian sacred buildings from the 4th to the 9th century - A Vademecum . Freiburg 2nd edition 2017, p. 163 with ill.
  18. ^ Walter Oakeshott: The mosaics of Rome from the third to the fourteenth century, Vienna 1967, p. 212f.
  19. ↑ Images of the mosaic on the apse arch and the fresco painting from the 16th century can be found under: "iviaggidiraffaella"
  20. ↑ Hans Georg Wehrens: Rome - The Christian sacred buildings from the 4th to the 9th century - A Vademecum . Freiburg 2nd edition 2017, p. 164

Coordinates: 41 ° 52 ′ 48.5 "  N , 12 ° 29 ′ 41.2"  E