Friday, March 12, 2010

Stational Churches of Lent: Friday after the Third Sunday in Lent

Station: S. Lorenzo in Lucina
(Collecta: S. Maria ad Martyres)









(Image source)


From the Churches of Rome wiki:
The church was, according to tradition, built in the 4th century on the ruins of a house belonging to the Roman lady Lucina, who sheltered Pope St Marcellus (308-309) during Maxentius' persecution. Pope St Damasus was elected here in 366. It is mentioned in a 5th century document as Titulus Lucinae.

It was restored by Pope Benedict II in 685 and by Pope Adrian I in 780.

Pope Paschal II has it completely rebuilt in 1112. It was apparently considerably altered later in the same century, as there is a record of Pope Celestine III reconsecrating it on 26 May 1196.

The interior was restored in 1650 by Cosimo Fanzago, when the church was granted to the Minorites. He also carried out minor restoration on the façade.

[...]

Excavations below the church have revealed remains of Roman houses from the reign of Emperor Hadrian and an apartment complex, or 'insula' from the 3rd century. The fourth century church was built within the ruins of this.

The façade looks largely as it did after the 1112 rebuilding, as the 1650 restoration did not change much on the exterior. The six Ionic columns in the portico are reused from ancient Roman buildings.

The Romanesque bell-tower was added in the 1112 rebuilding.

In the rebuilding of 1650, the basilical plan was destroyed, and the side naves were replaced by Baroque chapels.

The marble throne of Pope Paschal II stands in the apse.

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