Tuesday, December 17, 2019

St. STEPHEN OF THE ABYSSINIANS

S. STEFANO DEGLI ABISSINI
Città del Vaticano

Maybe originally built in the fifth century at the time of Leo I the Great (440/461) 
Restored in the eighth century at the time of Hadrian I (772/795)

It is also known as S. Stefano Maggiore (St. Stephen Major) or S. Stefano degli Indiani (St. Stephen of the Indians)

In 1479 Sixtus IV Della Rovere (1471/84) gave it to the Coptic monks coming from Abyssinia and known, at that time, as Indians

Restructured and reduced in size in 1706 by the Roman Antonio Valeri (1648/1736) for Clement XI Albani (1700/21) 
Restored in the years 1927/28 and 1931/33 by Gustavo Giovannoni (1873/1947)

“Jambs and lintel” of the entrance portal made out of ancient Roman marble sculpted again and modified at the end of the twelfth century

“Ancient columns” embedded in the right wall maybe moved here in the twelfth of thirteenth century

RIGHT ALTAR
“S. Silverius Pope” by Biagio Puccini (1673/1721)

MAIN ALTAR
“St. Stephen stoned” by an unknown seventeenth-century artist

No comments:

Post a Comment