St. CHRYSOGONUS

S. CRISOGONO
Piazza Sidney Sonnino 44

Fifth century as a basilica with the name of Titulus Chrysogoni on the remains of a building dating back to the early imperial age

It was enlarged in the eighth century by Gregory III (731/741) who also had the roof remade and promoted a new decoration
Rebuilt in the years 1123/29 for Cardinal Giovanni da Crema
Fully restored in the years 1620/26 by G.B. Soria (1581/1651) for Cardinal Scipione Caffarelli Borghese nephew of Paul V (1605/21)
Last renovation in the years 1863/66
It is the national church of the Corsican Nation

BELL TOWER 1124

It is the only church in the world dedicated to St. Chrysogonus, martyred in Aquileia in the year 303 AD

Beautiful coffered ceiling with paintings mirroring the wonderful cosmatesque FLOOR, the best preserved in Rome and one of the most beautiful

CENTER OF THE CEILING

Copy of the painting “Triumph of St. Chrysogonus” by Giovanni Francesco Barbieri aka Guercino (1591/1666)
The original was stolen in 1808 and it is now in the Stafford House in London

TWENTY-TWO COLUMNS IN GRANITE among the largest, precious and rare in Rome. They used to be decorating some ancient Roman building

TO THE LEFT OF THE ENTRANCE

“Monument of Cardinal Giovanni Jacopo Millo” by Carlo Marchionni (1702/86) with statues by Pietro Bracci (1700/73)

RIGHT NAVE

“Three Archangels” by Giovanni Mannozzi aka Giovanni da S. Giovanni (1592/1636)
“St. Frances of Rome” and “Crucifixion” by Paolo Guidotti aka the Cavalier Borghese (1560/1629)

HEAD OF THE RIGHT NAVE - CHAPEL OF THE MOST HOLY SACRAMENT

1641 maybe by Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598/1680)
On the altar “Guardian Angel” by Ludovico Gimignani (1643/97) covered by an eighteenth-century painting
In the vault “Trinity and angels” Giacinto Gimignani (1606/81), father of Ludovico
On the sides “Funerary Monuments of Monsignor Gaudenzio Poli and Cardinal Fausto Poli” about 1680 with busts by Giuseppe Mazzuoli (1644/1725)

PRESBYTERY

Ceiling “Blessed Virgin Mary” by Giuseppe Cesari aka Cavalier d'Arpino (1568/1640)

APSE

In the lower part mosaic “Madonna and Child with Sts. James and Chrysogonus” about 1290 maybe by Pietro de' Cerroni aka Pietro Cavallini (about 1240/about 1325)

CANOPY of the high altar by G.B. Soria (1581/1651) who used “Four pillars of alabaster” formerly used in the ancient basilica of the fifth century

Under the altar relics of one hand and skullcap of St. Chrysogonus

LEFT TRANSEPT

Pipe organ 1938 by Giuseppe Migliorini

CHAPEL IN THE LEFT NAVE

Embalmed body visible in a glass case of the Blessed Anna Maria Taigi (1769/1837)
Born in Siena she lived in Rome from the age of six and worked here as a waitress
She was equipped with incredible prophetic powers that made her announce thousands of historical events before they happened
She claimed to see a mysterious mystical solar orb that was always present above and in front of her

From the sacristy it is possible to go down to the

PALEO CHRISTIAN AND HIGH MIDDLE AGES BASILICA

On the right side

Frescoes of the eleventh century with stories of Sts. Benedict and Sylvester: “Pope Sylvester capturing the dragon”, “St. Pantaleon healing the blind man”, “St. Benedict healing the leper” and “Saving of S. Placido”

On the left side

Frescoes in panels and medallions shaped as clypei of the eight and tenth centuries with “Saints and Martyrs”

“The remains of the classical period discovered during the investigation of the Lower Basilica of St. Chrysogonus allow to reconstruct the ancient Roman street level, nearly 6 m. below the current level, and document the transformation of one (or more?) domus in a titulus, a hall for Christian worship similar to a 'parish' avant la lettre, that, since the beginning of the fifth century AD took the shape of the basilica, with a nave and an external ambulatory (narthex). The Roman house - made entirely in bricks - is almost 2/3 of the volume of the basilica. To build it the forepart of the narthex to the east was added, and the walls were prolonged toward west- in 'opus listatum' with alternating bricks and tufa rocks - in order to build the presbytery and the apse” (Flavia Frauzel - www.trasecoli.it)