Monday, May 21, 2018

St. BALBINA


S. BALBINA
Titulus Sanctae Balbinae mentioned in the year 595, probably erected in the halls of the house of the consul of 193 and 204 Lucius Fabius Cilone, which was given to him by his friend Septimius Severus (193/211)
The remains of the house (Domus Cilonis) perhaps belonged previously to Hadrian (117/138) (Domus private Hadriani) are in the convent of the church
In this house the Titulus Tigridae was instituted, mentioned in the year 499 and therefore before the Titulus Sanctae Balbinae
Restored in the eighth century
Restored again in 1489 for Marco Barbo nephew of Pope Paul II Barbo (1464/71). On this occasion the columns of the portico were replaced with pillars
It was abandoned in early 1600s
Restored and reopened in 1698, again restored in 1813, 1825 and finally in the years 1927/30 by Antonio Muñoz (1884/1960)
On the floor “Black and white mosaics” from the necropolis excavated in 1929 for the opening of the Imperial Way, the ancestor of today's Via Cristoforo Colombo, which began from the Circus Maximus
TO THE RIGHT OF THE ENTRANCE
“Tomb of Stephen de Surdis” d. 1303 from the ancient Basilica of S. Peter
4th NICHE ON THE RIGHT
Marble relief “Crucifixion” maybe by Mino da Fiesole (1429/84) and John Duknovich aka Giovanni Dalmata (about 1440/1510)

MAIN ALTAR
1742 jasper urn with the relics of St. Balbina, Felicissimus and others
APSE
Frescoes “Redeemer in Glory with the Sts. Balbina, Felicissimus and Quirinus with a pope” 1599 by the Florentine pupil of Passignano Anastasio Fontebuoni (1571/1626) for Clement VIII Aldobrandini (1592/1605) with coat of arms on the triumphal arch
“Cosmatesque chair” of the thirteenth century

6th NICHE ON THE LEFT
Altar with small well for the relics in the floor
On the wall very damaged fresco “Crucifixion of St. Peter”
3rd NICHE ON THE LEFT
“Memorial stone with mosaic cross” of the fourteenth century
Frescoes on the walls “Madonna, Child and apostles” and on the apse “Christ” end of thirteenth century by an artist from the school of Pietro de' Cerroni aka Pietro Cavallini (about 1240/1325)
In the lower and oldest layer of frescoes it is possible to see a “Madonna and Child with Sts. Peter and Paul”

No comments:

Post a Comment