S. APOLLINARE
Built after
the year 638 on the site where the Ludi
Apollinares, games in honor of Apollo, used to be held in antiquity
Rebuilt in
1741/48 by Ferdinando Fuga (1699/1782)
The saint
of the first century Apollinaris was a native of Antioch in Syria and was the
first bishop of Ravenna
In 1990
Renato De Pedis was buried in the crypt
He was a
criminal and a murderer, the boss of the notorious gang Banda della Magliana
(Gang of the Magliana District)
Opus Dei
owns now the church and authorized the burial, given the large donations De
Pedis had given which, it should be mentioned, were made of money generated
from violent crime and bloodshed. Furthermore, according to the current Canon
Law, the law of the church, burials of lay people in churches are absolutely
forbidden
Only De
Pedis' wife was allowed to visit the tomb which was removed in 2012 to
investigate on the case of Emanuela Orlandi, the girl mysteriously disappeared
in Rome in 1983
VESTIBULE
Much
venerated “Image of Our Lady” of the fifteenth century by an artist of the Umbrian-Roman school
This image
of the Virgin Mary in 1494 was covered with lime to hide it from the ravages of
the soldiers of Charles VIII and was rediscovered by chance in the earthquake
of 1648
VAULT
“Glory of
S. Apollinare” 1746 by the Roman Stefano Pozzi
(1699/1768)
1st
RIGHT - CHAPEL OF S. LUIGI GONZAGA
Altarpiece “S. Luigi Gonzaga” by Ludovico
Mazzanti (1686/1775)
2nd
RIGHT - CHAPEL OF St. JOSEPH
Altarpiece “Holy
Family” by Giacomo Zoboli (1681/1767)
3rd
RIGHT - CHAPEL OF S. FRANCIS XAVIER
Statue of “St. Francis Xavier” by the extraordinary French
sculptor Pierre Legros (1666/1719)
The
original statue was holding a crucifix now disappeared
At the
saint's feet there is a bronze crab in reference to the miracle that would have
taken place in Indonesia during a storm that had caught S. Francis Xavier on
board a small boat
During his
prayers he tried to touch the stormy sea with a small crucifix that, however,
slipped out of his hand
The next
day, landed safely on the island of Ceram, he saw a crab approaching him on the
beach with his crucifix between its claws
Some
scholars doubt the likelihood of this miracle and think it was copied from a
Buddhist story, some others even believe that it was Buddhism that took this
miracle for itself
Canvas “St.
Apollinaris” by the Bolognese Ercole Graziani
(1688/1765)
Above the
pediment of the altar “Angels” in marble 1746 by Bernardino
Ludovisi (about 1713/49)
“Crucifix
and candlesticks” by Luigi Valadier (1726/85)
3rd
LEFT - CHAPEL OF St. IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA
Statue of “St.
Ignatius of Loyola” by Carlo Marchionni
(1702/86)
2nd
LEFT - CHAPEL OF S. JOSEMARÍA ESCRIVÁ DE BALAGUER
S.
Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer (1902/75) was the founder of the Opus Dei
Recent
painting by Angelo Zarcone
1st
LEFT - CHAPEL OF St. JOHN OF NEPOMUK
Altarpice “Mary
and St. John of Nepomuk” by Placido Costanzi
(1702/59)
In the
church is buried the composer Giacomo Carissimi (1605/74) from Marino, who was
here the chapel's composer
SACRISTY
The relic
of an arm of St. Apollinaris is kept here. The rest of the body is buried in
Ravenna
Palazzo di S. Apollinare
Palace of St. Apollinaris
Home of
cardinals since the fourteenth century
From 1574
to 1773 it was the seat of the German Hungarian College
Restored in
the years 1745/48 by Ferdinando Fuga
It now
houses the PONTIFICIA UNIVERSITÀ DELLA SANTA CROCE (Pontifical University of
the Holy Cross) owned by the Opus Dei
An extra
floor was added in 1853
In the
CHAPEL paintings maybe by Andrea Pozzo
(1642/1709)
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