Its foundation is linked, according to an improbable tradition, to the TITULUS PRAXEDIS of Praxedes daughter of Senator Pudens and sister of St. Pudenziana
It is testified in 489 with different orientation
Rebuilt by Paschal I (817/824) who transferred the relics of about 2,300 martyrs from the catacombs. They were later translated by Eugene II (824/827) to S. Sabina
It was conceived as a small copy of the Basilica of St. Peter
Limestone blocks taken from the Servian Walls were used for the foundations with an artificial terrace to level the elevation inequalities of the area
It was renovated several times over the centuries
In 1564 St. Charles Borromeo was the titular. He ordered to build the two little balconies at the sides of the arch to expose the precious relics preserved in the Basilica: a fragment of the Cross of Jesus, a fragment of the robe of Jesus, three thorns from the Holy Crown and the sponge with which St. Praxedes collected the blood of the martyrs
From 1594 to 1600 the titular was Cardinal Alessandro de' Medici, later Pope Leo XI (1605)
In the middle of the FLOOR disc of porphyry marble that covers the well where St. Praxedes would have collected the remains of the martyrs
Coffered CEILING 1868
IN THE NAVE
Frescoes "Cycle of the Passion of Christ" 1594/96 for Cardinal Alessandro de' Medici:
COUNTER FAÇADE
"Annunciation" by Stefano Pieri (1542/1629)
1st BAY
"Agony in the Garden, Road to Calvary, Symbols of the Passion, Figures of apostles, angels and cherubs" by Giovanni Balducci aka Cosci (about 1560/after 1631)
2nd BAY
Paintings by Paris Nogari (about 1536/1601), except for "Ecce Homo" by Agostino Ciampelli (1565/1630)
3rd BAY
Paintings by Girolamo Massei (?/1614-19) except for the "Crowning with Thorns" by Baldassare Croce (about 1553/1628)
4th BAY
Paintings by Agostino Ciampelli (1565/1630)
PILLARS OF THE PRESBYTERY
"St. Peter" and "St. Paul" by Antonio Bicchierai (1688/1766)
1st RIGHT - CHAPEL OF S. BERNARDO DEGLI UBERTI
"S. Bernardo degli Uberti stop the flood of the River Po" about 1716 Filippo Luzi (1665/1722) a pupil of Lazzaro Baldi
2nd RIGHT - CESI CHAPEL
Vault, wall on the right "Family of the Virgin", wall on the left "Adoration of the Magi" by Guillaume Courtois aka Borgognone (1628/79)
Lunettes by Ciro Ferri (1634/89)
3rd RIGHT - CHAPEL OF St. ZENO
Decorated with marvelous mosaics, the most important monument of the Carolingian Renaissance in Rome. It was known in the Middle Ages as the "Garden of Eden"
Paschal I erected it as a mausoleum for his mother Theodora represented with the nimbus of the living and the inscription "Theodora bishop"
The floor is one of the oldest examples of opus sectile with polychrome marble
Columns, capitals and pulvinos reused here from ancient Roman buildings
"Four pedestals": one from the fifth century and three others from the ninth century roughly but unmistakably mimicking the older one
In the small room on the right "Pillar of the scourging of Jesus" brought from Jerusalem in 1223. Pieces were cut off to be used as relics
ON THE THIRD PILLAR
Fresco "Crucifixion" late 1200
Funerary memorial with "Bust of Bishop G.B. Santoni" about 1614 one of the first works of Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598/1680) who was sixteen years old at the time
4th CHAPEL ON THE RIGHT
"Tomb of Cardinal Alain Coëtivy" 1474 recently attributed to Andrea Bregno (1418/1503)
CHAPEL AT THE END OF THE NAVE
"Wooden Crucifix" sixteenth century
Opposite "Tomb of Cardinal de Troyes Pantaléon Anchier" who died in 1286 possibly by Arnolfo di Cambio (about 1245/1302)
TRIUMPHAL ARCH
Mosaics from the time of Paschal I:
At the center "Jesus flanked by angels", lower "Apostles with St. Paul preceded by John the Baptist and Our Lady", on the sides "Moses and Elijah with an Angel", "Angels waiting for the Lord's elects", "Monogram of Paschal I"
PRESBYTERY AND CRYPT
Modified 1730 by Francesco Ferrari (active in Rome 1721/44) who also did the canopy using four porphyry columns from the previous ciborium of Paschal I
"Angels" on the pediment by Giuseppe Rusconi (1688/1758)
In the small cupola frescoes about 1730 by Antonio Bicchierai
In the crypt "Four Christian sarcophagi" one of which with Sts. Pudenziana and Praxedes whose relics were brought from the catacombs of St. Priscilla
On the walls "Ancient fluted columns"
APSE
Mosaics maybe also from the time of Paschal I:
At the center "Christ", on the left "Sts. Paul, Praxedes and Paschal I offering the church", on the right "St. Peter, Pudenziana and Zeno", on the sides "Palm trees", below "Jordan River, lamb, sheep, Jerusalem and Bethlehem"
APSE ARCH
Mosaics in the center "Agnus Dei", on the sides "Candelabra, archangels, symbols of the Evangelists and twenty-four seniors offering crowns"
"In the portraits that usually appear in the sumptuous mosaics of the churches he had built, Paschal I appears with his elegant face and rather sharp features. Only in the apse mosaic of St. Praxedes his features seem a bit heavy. Although this is risky, it is difficult to resist the temptation to imagine him as a very fine gentleman, not without a tinge of vanity: it cannot be accidental that his artists reached such a high level of illusionistic style and that the images of their mosaics are so elegant and sophisticated. Perhaps too much, I dare say, especially in the thin, undulating female figures luxuriously dressed. For their delicate and a bit naughty faces of immature girls, they were jokingly defined "Lolitas of Paschal I" by the best expert on these mosaics" (Richard Krautheimer)
WALL BEHIND THE ALTAR
"St. Praxedes collects the blood of martyrs" 1735 by Domenico Maria Muratori (1661/1742)
4th LEFT - CHAPEL OF S. GIOVANNI GUALBERTO
1933 Ernesto Leschiutta
Frescoes and mosaics 1935 by Giulio Bargellini (1896/1936)
3rd LEFT - OLGIATI CHAPEL
Martino Longhi il Vecchio (1534/91)
On the altar "Jesus under the Cross" tempera on board by Federico Zuccari (about 1542/1609)
Vault "Ascension of Christ with prophets and sibyls" 1587 by Giuseppe Cesari aka Cavalier d'Arpino (1568/1640)
"A composition with a simple and noble monumentality, with its breathtaking fore-shortenings, made to be seen from below. (...) The center piece with the Ascension of Christ is set up so lean and concise. (...) The decorative idea, in its originality and compactness now has very little to do with the conventional scheme of the Mannerist painters and hints already significantly to the great works of the Carraccis" (Hermann Voss)
Dinner table of St. Charles Borromeo
2nd LEFT - CHAPEL OF St. CHARLES BORROMEO
"Prayer of St. Charles" and on the sides "St. Charles in meditation" and "St. Charles in ecstasy" 1739 by Ludovico Stern (1709/77)
Chair of St. Charles Borromeo
ALTAR "S. Giovanni Gualberto" by Agostino Ciampelli (1565/1630)
On the walls:
"Flagellation" maybe by Giulio Pippi aka Giulio Romano (1499/1546)
"Deposition of Christ and the saints" by Giovanni De Vecchi (about 1537/1615)
"S. Giovanni Gualberto hermit" by Francesco Gai (1835/1917)
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