Saturday, June 20, 2015

ORATORY OF St. ANDREW AT THE MILVIAN BRIDGE

ORATORIO DI S. ANDREA A PONTE MILVIO


Built on the ruins of an ancient medieval tower in memory of the rest stop in this place on April 11, 1462 of Pius II Piccolomini (1458/64)

The Pope had left Rome to meet Cardinal Bessarion who was carrying the head of St. Andrew from Ancona to Rome

The relic had been saved by the tyrant of Patras in Greece who had fled to avoid the Turks and it was kept in the Basilica of St. Peter as one of the four most important relics of the church

The head of S. Andrea was eventually donated in 1966 by Paul VI Montini (1963/78) to the city of Patras, where the saint had died

The oratory was granted in 1566 to S. Filippo Neri (known as St. Philip Neri in English) and to the Confraternita della SS. Trinità dei Pellegrini (Brotherhood of Holy Trinity of the Pilgrims) which still officiate in it

It was restored in 1805 by Giuseppe Valadier (1762/1839)

ALTAR

Painting “St. Andrew” dating back to the sixteenth century

In the small garden behind the church there is a CEMETERY abandoned for the pilgrims who died in Rome

At the center AEDICULA shaped like a small temple with “Statue of St. Andrew” by Paolo Taccone aka Paul Romano (ABOUT 1415/77)

The aedicula was rebuilt in 1869 after being hit by lightning

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