Sant'Anselmo all'Aventino ( en, Saint Anselm on the Aventine) is a complex located on the Piazza Cavalieri di Malta Square on the

Aventine Hill The Aventine Hill (; la, Collis Aventinus; it, Aventino ) is one of the Seven Hills on which ancient Rome was built. It belongs to Ripa, the modern twelfth ''rione'', or ward, of Rome. Location and boundaries The Aventine Hill is the sou ...

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

's Ripa

rione A (; plural: ) is a neighbourhood in several Italian cities. A is a territorial subdivision. The larger administrative subdivisions in Rome are the , with the being used only in the historic centre. The word derives from the Latin , the 14 su ...

and overseen by the

Benedictine Confederation The Benedictine Confederation of the Order of Saint Benedict ( la, Confœderatio Benedictina Ordinis Sancti Benedicti) is the international governing body of the Order of Saint Benedict. Origin The Benedictine Confederation is a union of monasti ...

and the

Abbot Primate The Abbot Primate of the Benedictines, Order of St. Benedict serves as the elected representative of the Benedictine Confederation of monasteries in the Catholic Church. While normally possessing no authority over individual autonomous monasterie ...

. The ''Sant'Anselmo'' complex, also known as the "''Primatial Abbey of Sant'Anselmo''" ( it, Badia Sant'Anselmo) because it is the residence of the Abbot Primate, consists of: an ecclesiastical residential college known as the "

College of Sant'Anselmo The College of Sant'Anselmo ( it, Collegio Sant'Anselmo) is an international Benedictine college founded by Pope Leo XIII in 1887 and located in Rome, Italy. Situated on the Aventine Hill, it is one of four Benedictine institutions that occupy the ...

" ( it, Collegio Sant'Anselmo); a university known as the "

Pontifical Athenaeum of Saint Anselm The Anselmianum, also known as the Pontifical Athenaeum of Saint Anselm ( it, Pontificio Ateneo Sant'Anselmo; ) is a pontifical university in Rome associated with the Benedictines. It offers courses in philosophy, theology, liturgy, monastic studi ...

" ( it, Pontificio Ateneo Sant’Anselmo); the "Church of Sant'Anselmo" ( it, Chiesa Sant'Anselmo); and the curial headquarters of the "

" and

. The complex and associated institutions are named in honor of the Benedictine monk

Saint Anselm Anselm of Canterbury, OSB (; 1033/4–1109), also called ( it, Anselmo d'Aosta, link=no) after his birthplace and (french: Anselme du Bec, link=no) after his monastery, was an Italian Benedictine monk, abbot, philosopher and theologian of the ...

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. ...

History

On January 4, 1887,

Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII ( it, Leone XIII; born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was the head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 to his death in July 1903. Living until the age of 93, he was the second-old ...

issued a papal brief ("''Quae diligenter''") that formally commissioned the re-establishment of a residential college for the new

. The previous ''College of Sant'Anselmo'' that had been founded two hundred years earlier by

Pope Innocent XI Pope Innocent XI ( la, Innocentius XI; it, Innocenzo XI; 16 May 1611 – 12 August 1689), born Benedetto Odescalchi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 21 September 1676 to his death on August 12, 1689. Poli ...

for students from the

Cassinese Benedictine Congregation The Subiaco Cassinese Congregation is an international union of Benedictine houses (abbeys and priories) within the Benedictine Confederation. It developed from the Subiaco Congregation, which was formed in 1867 through the initiative of Dom Pietro ...

was to now be re-established for Benedictine monks from around the world. Housing would become a critical challenge so the Benedictines began a search for more permanent accommodations for this college. Abbot Gaetano Bernardi began the search for suitable land and was approached by Count Allesandro Barbiellini Amidei who owned property on the western Aventine Hill which had contained the previous fortifications of a house for

Pope Paul III Pope Paul III ( la, Paulus III; it, Paolo III; 29 February 1468 – 10 November 1549), born Alessandro Farnese, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 October 1534 to his death in November 1549. He came to ...

. Arrangements were made for the purchase of the 43,000 square meter property for 270,000 lire which was formally titled to the

Vatican Vatican may refer to: Vatican City, the city-state ruled by the pope in Rome, including St. Peter's Basilica, Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museum The Holy See * The Holy See, the governing body of the Catholic Church and sovereign entity recognized ...

as it remains to this day. In his July 26, 1890, circular letter, Abbot Bernardi wrote that "It is on the Aventine Hill on which our St. Odo (of Cluny), thanks to the generosity of Alberich from the family of the Counts of

Tusculum Tusculum is a ruined Roman city in the Alban Hills, in the Latium region of Italy. Tusculum was most famous in Roman times for the many great and luxurious patrician country villas sited close to the city, yet a comfortable distance from Rome ( ...

, built a monastery and church in honor of Mary...." He further mentioned that

Pope Gregory VII Pope Gregory VII ( la, Gregorius VII; 1015 – 25 May 1085), born Hildebrand of Sovana ( it, Ildebrando di Soana), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 22 April 1073 to his death in 1085. He is venerated as a saint ...

had spent his youth in a monastery there and recounted, "Of all the places in Rome what better placed could we have wished for!" The newly envisioned complex would allow for the housing of the residential college, a church, and the central offices of the

. The entire "Sant'Anselmo" complex on the Aventine Hill was designed by Belgian Benedictine Abbot

Hildebrand de Hemptinne Hildebrand de Hemptinne (10 June 1849 - 13 August 1913) was a Belgium Benedictine monk of Beuron Archabbey, the second Abbot of Maredsous Abbey, and the first Abbot Primate of the Order of St. Benedict and the Benedictine Confederation. Biograp ...

and Fidelis von Stotzingen and built by Francesco Vespignani between 1892 and 1896 in a neo-romantic style. Construction began in 1892 and the cornerstone was dedicated on April 19, 1893. The final cost was 2,500,000 lire and was dedicated in honor of the

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

monk

. To honor the founding vision of

, a large sculpture of him was crafted in 1891 by Giuseppe Luchetti and is located in the interior sacristy of the church. A large marble plaque of dedication is also found on the north exterior wall as you approach the entrance to the complex.

Church of Sant'Anselmo

The area of the Sant'Anselmo complex open to the general public is the church which was consecrated on November 11, 1900. The church was consecrated by Cardinal

Mariano Rampolla Mariano Rampolla del Tindaro (17 August 1843 – 16 December 1913) was an Italian Cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church, and the last man to have his candidacy for papal election vetoed through ''jus exclusivae'' by a Catholic monarch. Early li ...

del Tindaro, assisted by twelve cardinals, sixteen archbishops and bishops, fifty-two abbots, rectors of all the major colleges of Rome, superiors general of the major religious orders, and all ambassadors accredited to the

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome ...

. It is constructed of three naves, divided by

granite Granite () is a coarse-grained (phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies undergro ...

column A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...

s, and includes one main altar and two side altars. The ceiling is a

truss A truss is an assembly of ''members'' such as beams, connected by ''nodes'', that creates a rigid structure. In engineering, a truss is a structure that "consists of two-force members only, where the members are organized so that the assembl ...

and the

crypt A crypt (from Latin ''crypta'' "vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, sarcophagi, or religious relics. Originally, crypts were typically found below the main apse of a chur ...

was made of five naves with sixteen side altars. In 1952 there was a renovation of the church interior by architect Fritz Metsger. This saw the construction of elevated choir stalls for the monks in the transepts, the addition of an altar under the arch that allowed the priest to face either direction in celebrating mass, and the creation of three main mosaics by the German monk Radbodus Commandeur. The mosaics are located above the two side altars, as well as above the main apse which depicts the jeweled cross between angels and Saints Benedict and Anselm. Commandeur also completed the mosaic under the main altar covering the reliquary containing the relics of Saint

Alexander of Rome Alexander of Rome (died 289) is a Christian martyr. The date of his birth is unknown. He died in 289 AD and his mother Pimenia buried him near the river Ergina. His mother was a witness of his martyrdom. Alexander was a Roman soldier and he was s ...

. He also produced numerous pieces within the monastic enclosure of the College as seen in the gallery of photos below. The paschal candle stick is modern but in the

Cosmatesque Cosmatesque, or Cosmati, is a style of geometric decorative inlay stonework typical of the architecture of Medieval Italy, and especially of Rome and its surroundings. It was used most extensively for the decoration of church floors, but was also u ...

style. The lower level has now been converted to the use of the library for the University. In the courtyard of the atrium, there is a bronze statue of

made in 1966 by Swiss sculptor Albert Wider from

Widnau Widnau is a municipality in the ''Wahlkreis'' (constituency) of Rheintal in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. History In 1883 the municipality was created when it separated from Diepoldsau.Santa Maria del Priorato The Church of St. Mary of the Priory ( it, Chiesa di Santa Maria del Priorato), also known as St. Mary on the Aventine ( it, Santa Maria in Aventino), is the monastery church of the Priory of the Knights of Malta on the Aventine Hill in Rome, and ...

of the

Knights of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta ( it, Sovrano Militare Ordine Ospedaliero di San Giovanni di Gerusalemme, di Rodi e di Malta; ...

, which lies in an adjacent complex that is closed to the public. In the entrance to the Sant'Anselmo complex, reached from the atrium, is a Roman

Orpheus mosaic Orpheus mosaics are found throughout the Roman Empire, normally in large Roman villas. The scene normally shown is Orpheus playing his lyre, and attracting birds and animals of many species to gather around him. Orpheus was a popular subject in ...

from a second-third century home that was found during construction. There have been four pipe organs in the church since its founding. The first organ (built by William Trice in 1891) was installed in 1896. It would later be moved to the present location in the Chapel of St. Lawrence located in the

Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls The Papal Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls ( it, Basilica Papale di San Paolo fuori le Mura), commonly known as Saint Paul's Outside the Walls, is one of Rome's four major papal basilicas, along with the basilicas of Saint John in the ...

. The second organ (built by

Klais Orgelbau Orgelbau Klais is a German firm that designs, builds and restores pipe organs. It is a family run company, founded in 1882 by Johannes Klais senior and is now run by his great-grandson Philipp Klais. The firm is based in Bonn, Germany, and has co ...

Bonn The federal city of Bonn ( lat, Bonna) is a city on the banks of the Rhine in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, with a population of over 300,000. About south-southeast of Cologne, Bonn is in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr r ...

) had been installed in 1911 in the left side aisle. It would later be moved to the present location in the Basilica of Regina degli Apostoli alla Montagnola. In 1952 the third organ (built by Emanuel Kemper of

Lübeck Lübeck (; Low German also ), officially the Hanseatic City of Lübeck (german: Hansestadt Lübeck), is a city in Northern Germany. With around 217,000 inhabitants, Lübeck is the second-largest city on the German Baltic coast and in the stat ...

) was installed in the central apse when the altar was moved under the arch. In 1966 a further renovation moved the organ from the apse and replaced it with a Celebrant's chair and an area for the concelebrants. This third organ would later be moved to the present location in the Church of San Martino in Campo (Perugia). The present organ by Österreichische Orgelbau was installed in 1967 and renovated by Ditta Mascioni in 1999. It is located on the eastern wall transept above the monastic choir. The church serves as a place of worship for the Benedictine residential college community and the students of the Athenaeum. It is also known, especially to the Romans, for the performances of

Gregorian chant Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainchant, a form of monophonic, unaccompanied sacred song in Latin (and occasionally Greek) of the Roman Catholic Church. Gregorian chant developed mainly in western and central Europe durin ...

offered by the monks during the Sunday liturgical celebrations of

Vespers Vespers is a service of evening prayer, one of the canonical hours in Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic Church, Catholic (both Latin liturgical rites, Latin and Eastern Catholic Churches, Eastern), Lutheranism, Lutheran, and Anglican ...

. Since 1962, the church has also been the starting point of the penitential procession presided over by the Pope on

Ash Wednesday Ash Wednesday is a holy day of prayer and fasting in many Western Christian denominations. It is preceded by Shrove Tuesday and falls on the first day of Lent (the six weeks of penitence before Easter). It is observed by Catholics in the Rom ...

, and which ends at the basilica of

Santa Sabina The Basilica of Saint Sabina ( la, Basilica Sanctae Sabinae, it, Basilica di Santa Sabina all'Aventino) is a historic church on the Aventine Hill in Rome, Italy. It is a titular minor basilica and mother church of the Roman Catholic Order of Pre ...

where the first stationary mass of

Lent Lent ( la, Quadragesima, 'Fortieth') is a solemn religious observance in the liturgical calendar commemorating the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring temptation by Satan, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke ...

is celebrated. The church is named in honor of the

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

monk

. The present Rector of church is Rev. Doroteo Toić, O.S.B..

Cardinal-Deacons

In 1985

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

made the church a "cardinalate diakonia" or titular deaconary. The Cardinal Protectors of the Church of Sant'Anselmo have been: *

Paul Augustin Mayer Paul Augustin Mayer, OSB (23 May 1911 – 30 April 2010) was a German Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He held various positions in the Roman Curia from 1971 to 1991. Biography Mayer was born in Altötting, Germany, which is located nea ...

, O.S.B. (25 May 1985 Appointed - 30 Apr 2010 Died) *

Fortunato Baldelli Fortunato Baldelli (6 August 1935 – 20 September 2012) was an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church who was appointed a cardinal in 2010 after a career in the diplomatic service of the Holy See from 1966 to 2009 that included ten years as Apos ...

(20 Nov 2010 Appointed - 20 Sep 2012 Died) *

Lorenzo Baldisseri Lorenzo Baldisseri () (born 29 September 1940) is an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church who served as Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops from 21 September 2013 until 15 September 2020. He was made a cardinal in 2014. He previously se ...

(22 February 2014 – present)

College of Sant'Anselmo

The ''

'' ( it, Collegio Sant'Anselmo) is an ecclesiastical residential college in the Roman tradition that serves as both a house of formation for Benedictines, but also as a residence for over one hundred monks from around forty countries,

religious Religion is usually defined as a social system, social-cultural system of designated religious behaviour, behaviors and practices, morality, morals, beliefs, worldviews, religious text, texts, sacred site, sanctified places, prophecy, prophecie ...

diocesan priests In Christianity, the term secular clergy refers to deacons and priests who are not monastics or otherwise members of religious life. A secular priest (sometimes known as a diocesan priest) is a priest who commits themselves to a certain geogra ...

, and lay people. It offers a monastic environment for those who study at the onsite

or at other Roman pontifical universities. The present Rector of the College is Rev.

Mauritius Wilde Mauritius Wilde (born 27 October 1965) is a German Benedictine monk, priest, professor, podcaster, spiritual director, and author. He is a member of Münsterschwarzach Abbey located in Bavaria, Germany, which is part of the Benedictine Congreg ...

, O.S.B..

Pontifical University of Sant'Anselmo

The ''

Anselmianum The Anselmianum, also known as the Pontifical Athenaeum of Saint Anselm ( it, Pontificio Ateneo Sant'Anselmo; ) is a pontifical university in Rome associated with the Benedictines. It offers courses in philosophy, theology, liturgy, monastic studi ...

'', also known as the ''

'' ( it, Pontificio Ateneo Sant'Anselmo; ), is a

pontifical university A pontifical university is an ecclesiastical university established or approved directly by the Holy See, composed of three main ecclesiastical faculties (Theology, Philosophy and canon law (Catholic Church), Canon Law) and at least one other facu ...

associated with the

Benedictines , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

. The institution includes faculties of Philosophy, Theology (Sacramental Theology, Monastic Studies), the Institute of Historical Theology, as well as the Pontifical Institute of Liturgy. It grants certificates and diplomas in various subjects, as well as Bachelor, Licentiate, and Doctoral degrees. Originally the university exclusively served only

Benedictines , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

, but now is open to external students. The present Rector of the Pontifical Athenaeum is Rev. Bernhard A. Eckerstorfer, O.S.B..

Curia of the Benedictine Confederation & Abbot Primate

The ''

'' is a union of monastic

congregation A congregation is a large gathering of people, often for the purpose of worship. Congregation may also refer to: *Church (congregation), a Christian organization meeting in a particular place for worship *Congregation (Roman Curia), an administra ...

s that nevertheless retain their own autonomy, established by

on July 12, 1893, in his brief "''Summum semper''". The Confederation has its headquarters at Sant'Anselmo, is the seat of the

, and hosts the quadrennial Congress of Abbots. The present Abbot Primate of the

is Abbot Gregory Polan, O.S.B..

Gallery

Intern At Sant Anselmo.jpg SantAnselmo Exterior Entrance.jpg Sant'Anselmo Exterior Wall.jpg Sant'Anselmo Pope Leo XIII Dedication.jpg External Marian Mosaic SantAnselmo.jpg Avantin - panoramio.jpg SantAnselmo Door with JC Mosaic.jpg Sant'Anselmo Mosaic Jesus Christ.jpg Chiesa Sant'Anselmo 7704.jpg Chiesa Sant'Anselmo 3956.jpg Chiesa Sant'Anselmo 3941.jpg Chiesa Sant'Anselmo 1585 2.jpg Sant'Anselmo Right Side Altar.jpg Sant'Anselmo Mosaic Left Side Altar.jpg Organ Sant'Anselmo.jpg Sant'Anselmo Monastic Choir Stalls.jpg Relics of Alexander at Sant'Anselmo.jpg Relics of Elena Lucrezia Cornaro Piscopia at Sant'Anselmo.jpg Pope Leo XIII Sant'Anselmo.jpg Orpheus Mosaic at Sant'Anselmo.jpg Interior Courtyard Mosaic at Sant'Anselmo.jpg Interior Courtyard Mosaic at Sant'Anselmo Joseph Jesus.jpg Refectory Mosaic at Sant'Anselmo Mary and baby Jesus.jpg Sant'Anselmo College Refectory.jpg Interior Courtyards at Sant'Anselmo.jpg

Notes

References

External links

Church of Sant'Anselmo
(in Italian and English)
Chiesa Sant'Anselmo

The Benedictine Confederation of Congregations of Monasteries of the Order of Saint Benedict

Collegio Sant'Anselmo
(in Italian and English)
Pontificio Ateneo Sant'Anselmo
(in Italian and English) {{DEFAULTSORT:Anselmo all'Aventino, Sant' Anselmo Roman Catholic churches completed in 1900 19th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Benedictine Confederation Seminaries and theological colleges in Italy Romanesque Revival church buildings in Italy Churches of Rome (rione Ripa)