The basilica of Santi Cosma e Damiano is a titular church in Rome, Italy. The lower portion of the building is accessible through the

Roman Forum The Roman Forum, also known by its Latin name Forum Romanum ( it, Foro Romano), is a rectangular forum (plaza) surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the center of the city of Rome. Citizens of the ancient ...

and incorporates original Roman buildings, but the entrance to the upper level is outside the Forum. The circular building located at the entrance of the Forum, which now houses a small archeological exhibit, was built in the early 4th century as a Roman temple. It is thought to have been dedicated to Valerius Romulus, deified son of the emperor

Maxentius Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maxentius (c. 283 – 28 October 312) was a Roman emperor, who reigned from 306 until his death in 312. Despite ruling in Italy and North Africa, and having the recognition of the Senate in Rome, he was not recognized ...

. The main building was perhaps the library of an imperial forum. It became a church in 527 and contains important but much restored early Christian art, especially in its mosaics. Today it is one of the ancient churches called ''

tituli :''See also Titulus (Roman Catholic) for Roman churches called tituli, or titulus (disambiguation) for more meanings.'' ''Titulus'' (Latin "inscription" or "label", the plural ''tituli'' is also used in English) is a term used for the labels or ...

'', of which cardinals are patrons as cardinal-deacons. Since 28 November 2020 the title has been held by Cardinal Mario Grech. The basilica, devoted to the two

Arabian The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate. ...

Christian brothers, doctors, martyrs and saints Cosmas and Damian, is located in the Forum of Vespasian, also known as the ''Forum of Peace''.

History

The Temple is traditionally held to have been dedicated by Emperor

to his son and co- consul Valerius Romulus, who died in 309 and was given divine honours. The temple building was probably part of a rebuilding program of "incredible intensity" undertaken by Maxentius in the area, following a disastrous fire in 306; the project was only part-complete at his death. The temple's identification with Valerius Romulus is tentative, based on the spot-find of a coin dated to 307 AD showing the distinctive shape of the building, and a nearby dedication to Valerius Romulus as a divinised mortal. The temple has also been speculated as a rebuilding of the original temple of "Jupiter Stator", or one dedicated to Penates, restored by Maxentius. The temple was Christianized and dedicated to ''Sancti Cosma et Damianus'' in 527, when Theodoric the Great, king of the Ostrogoths, and his daughter Amalasuntha donated the library of the

Forum of Peace Forum or The Forum (plural forums or fora) may refer to: Common uses *Forum (legal), designated space for public expression in the United States *Forum (Roman), open public space within a Roman city **Roman Forum, most famous example *Internet ...

(''Bibliotheca Pacis'') and a portion of the Temple of Romulus to

Pope Felix IV Pope Felix IV (489/490 – 22 September 530) was the bishop of Rome from 12 July 526 to his death. He was the chosen candidate of Ostrogoth King Theodoric the Great, who had imprisoned Felix's predecessor, John I. Rise Felix came from Samnium, t ...

. The pope united the two buildings to create a basilica devoted to two

Christian brothers and saints, Cosmas and Damian, in contrast with the ancient pagan cult of the two brothers Castor and Pollux, who had been worshipped in the nearby Temple of Castor and Pollux. The apse was decorated with a Roman-Byzantine mosaic, representing a '' parousia'', the Second Coming of Christ at the end of time. The bodies of Saints Mark and Marcellian were translated, perhaps in the ninth century, to this church, where they were rediscovered in 1583 during the reign of Pope Gregory XIII. In 1632,

Pope Urban VIII Pope Urban VIII ( la, Urbanus VIII; it, Urbano VIII; baptised 5 April 1568 – 29 July 1644), born Maffeo Vincenzo Barberini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 6 August 1623 to his death in July 1644. As po ...

ordered the restoration of the basilica. The works, projected by Orazio Torriani and directed by Luigi Arrigucci, raised the floor level seven metres, bringing it equal with the ''

Campo Vaccino The Roman Forum, also known by its Latin name Forum Romanum ( it, Foro Romano), is a rectangular forum (plaza) surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the center of the city of Rome. Citizens of the ancient ...

'', thus avoiding the infiltration of water. Also, a cloister was added. The old floor of the basilica is still visible in the lower church, which is actually the lower part of the first church. In 1947, the restorations of the Imperial Forums gave a new structure to the church. The old entrance, through the ''Temple of Romulus'', was closed, and the temple restored to its original forms; with the Pantheon, the ''Temple of Romulus'' is the best preserved pagan temple in Rome. A new entrance was opened on the opposite side (on ''via dei Fori Imperiali''), whose arch gives access to the cloister, and through this to the side of the basilica.

Structure and art

Next to the new entrance to the complex, there are the rooms with the original marble paving of the Forum of Peace, and the wall where the 150 marble slabs of the '' Forma Urbis Romae'' were hung. Through the cloister, the entrance to the church opens on the side of the single nave. The plan of the basilica followed the norms of the

Counter-Reformation The Counter-Reformation (), also called the Catholic Reformation () or the Catholic Revival, was the period of Catholic resurgence that was initiated in response to the Protestant Reformation. It began with the Council of Trent (1545–1563) a ...

: a single nave, with three chapels per side, and the big apse, which now looks quite oversized because of the reduction in height of the 17th-century restoration, framed by the triumphal arch, also mutilated by that restoration. The mosaics are masterpieces of 6th- and 7th-century art. In the middle is Christ, with Saint Peter presenting Saint Cosmas and Saint Theodorus (right), and

Saint Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...

presenting

Saint Damian Cosmas and Damian ( ar, قُزما ودميان, translit=Qozma wa Demyaan; grc-gre, Κοσμᾶς καὶ Δαμιανός, translit=Kosmás kai Damianós; la, Cosmas et Damianus; AD) were two Arabs, Arab physicians in the town Cyrrhus, and ...

and

; the latter holds a model of the church.

History of medicine

The importance of this basilica for the history of medicine is not only related to the fact that the two brothers were physicians and were honoured as patron saints of physicians, surgeons, pharmacists and veterinarians, with veneration dating from the mid 5th century CE, but also to the tradition according to which

Claudius Galen Aelius Galenus or Claudius Galenus ( el, Κλαύδιος Γαληνός; September 129 – c. AD 216), often Anglicized as Galen () or Galen of Pergamon, was a Greek physician, surgeon and philosopher in the Roman Empire. Considered to be one ...

himself lectured in the Library of the Temple of Peace ("Bibliotheca Pacis"). Furthermore, for centuries, in this "medical area" Roman physicians had their meetings.Cfr L. Temperini, ''Basilica Santi Cosma e Damiano'', Edizioni Casa Generalizia TOR, Roma, s.d., p. 5.

Gallery

Image:Pope Felix presents church to Cosmas and Damian.jpg,

presents Saints Cosmas and Damian with the basilica he rededicated File:Church of Cosmas and Damian, apse mosaic in the Roman Forum.jpg, Apse mosaic

Cardinal-deacons

* Pietro Pierleoni (1106–1120) * Gionata (1120–1130) *

Guido da Vico Guido is a given name Latinised from the Old High German name Wido. It originated in Medieval Italy. Guido later became a male first name in Austria, Germany, the Low Countries, Scandinavia, Spain, Portugal, Latin America and Switzerland. The mea ...

(1130–1150) *

Rolando Bandinelli Pope Alexander III (c. 1100/1105 – 30 August 1181), born Roland ( it, Rolando), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 September 1159 until his death in 1181. A native of Siena, Alexander became pope after a con ...

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(1152–1155) * Boso (1155–1165) *

Graziano da Pisa Graziano da Pisa (Gratianus Pisanus) (died 1205) was a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He was a native of Pisa, and the nephew of Pope Eugenius III (1145-1153). He had studied law in Bologna, and held the rank of ''Magister''. He was a prom ...

(1178–1205) * Giovanni Colonna (1205–1216) * Gil Torres (1216–1254) * Giordano Pironti (1262–1269) * Benedetto Caetani (1295–1297) *

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(1305–1306) * Luca Fieschi (1306–1336) *

Leonardo Cybo Leonardo is a masculine given name, the Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese equivalent of the English, German, and Dutch name, Leonard. People Notable people with the name include: * Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519), Italian Renaissance scientist ...

(1402–1404) * Jean Gilles (1405–1408) * Pietro Stefaneschi (1409–1410) * '' Francesco Zabarella ''(1411–1417) * Ardicino della Porta, seniore (1426–1434) * Pierre de Foix, il giovane (1477–1485) * Alessandro Farnese (1493–1503; later Pope Paul III) * Innocenzo Cybo (1513–1517) * Giovanni Salviati (1517–1543) *

Giacomo Savelli Pope Honorius IV (c. 1210 – 3 April 1287), born Giacomo Savelli, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 2 April 1285 to his death in 1287. During his pontificate he largely continued to pursue the pro-French politi ...

(1543–1552) * Girolamo Simoncelli (1554–1588) * Federico Borromeo (1589) * Guido Pepoli (1590–1592) * Flaminio Piatti (1592–1593) *

Agostino Spinola Basadone Agostino may refer to: * Agostino (name) * ''Agostino'' (film), an Italian film directed by Mauro Bolognini * ''Agostino'' (novel), a short novel by Alberto Moravia *, an Italian coaster See also * Agostini (disambiguation) * D'Agostino (disambig ...

(1623–1631) *

Alessandro Cesarini (iuniore) Alessandro Cesarini, iuniore (1592 – 25 January 1644) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Cardinal-Deacon of Sant'Eustachio (1638–1644), Cardinal-Deacon of Santa Maria in Cosmedin (1637–1638), Bishop of Viterbo e Tuscania (1636� ...

(1632–1637) * Benedetto Odescalchi (1645–1659) *

Odoardo Vecchiarelli Odoardo is a given name. Notable people with the name include: *Odoardo Barri (1844–1920), the pseudonym of Edward Slater *Odoardo Beccari (1843–1920), Italian naturalist, discovered the titan arum in Sumatra in 1878 *Odoardo Borrani (1833–19 ...

(1660–1667) * Leopoldo de' Medici (1668–1670) * Niccolò Acciaioli (1670–1689) *

Fulvio Astalli Fulvio is a given name. Notable people with the name include: * Andrea Fulvio (c. 1470 – 1527), Renaissance humanist, poet and antiquarian of Rome, advisor to Raphael *Fulvio de Assis (born 1981), Brazilian professional basketball player *Fulvio ...

(1689–1710) * Bartolomeo Ruspoli (1730–1741) *

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(1743–1747) *

Carlo Vittorio Amedeo delle Lanze Carlo Vittorio Amedeo Delle Lanze (1712–1784) was an Italian clergyman, a Roman Catholic cardinal.
From Prof.Miranda website< ...

(1747) *

Ludovico Maria Torriggiani Ludovico Maria Torrigiani. Luigi Maria Torreggiani (October 18, 1697 – January 6, 1777) was an Italian Cardinal. Some refer to him also as ''Ludovico Maria Torrigiani''. Born to an aristocratic family in Florence. His skills in ecclesiastical o ...

(1753–1754) * Girolamo Colonna di Sciarra (1756–1760) *

Cornelio Caprara Cornelio or Cornélio may refer to: *Cornelio Bentivoglio (1668–1732), Italian nobleman and cardinal *Cornelio Da Montalcino, Franciscan friar who embraced Judaism, burned alive in 1554 * Cornelio Fabro (1911–1995), Italian Catholic priest and ...

(1762–1765) *

Benedetto Veterani Benedetto is a common Italian name, the equivalent of the English name Benedict. Notable people named Benedetto include: People with the given name * Benedetto Accolti (disambiguation), several people * Benedetto Aloi (1935–2011), American mob ...

(1766–1776) *

Antonio Maria Doria Pamphilj Antonio Doria Pamphilj (March 28, 1749 in Naples – January 31, 1821 in Rome) was an Italian Cardinal (Catholicism), Cardinal from a prominent Neapolitan noble family of Genoa, Genoese heritage. As protodeacon, he announced the election of car ...

(1785–1789) *

Ludovico Flangini Ludovico () is an Italian masculine given name. It is sometimes spelled Lodovico. The feminine equivalent is Ludovica. Persons with the name Ludovico Given name * Ludovico D'Aragona (1876–1961), Italian socialist politician * Ludovico Ariost ...

(1789–1794) *

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(1816–1833) * Pietro de Silvestri (1858–1861) * Tommaso Maria Zigliara (1879–1891) * Raffaele Pierotti (1896–1905) * Ottavio Cagiano de Azevedo (1905–1915) * Andreas Frühwirth (1916–1927) *

Vincenzo Lapuma Vincenzo Lapuma (22 January 1874 – 4 November 1943) was an Italian people, Italian Cardinal (Catholicism), Cardinal of the Catholic Church. He spent forty years in the Roman Curia and served as Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated L ...

(1935–1943) * Crisanto Luque Sánchez (1953–1959) * Francesco Morano (1959–1968) * Johannes Willebrands (1969–1975) * Eduardo Francisco Pironio (1976–1987) * Giovanni Cheli (1998–2008) * Beniamino Stella (2014–2020) * Mario Grech (2020–present)

References

Books and articles

* Pietro Chioccioni, ''La Basilica E Il Convento Dei Santi Cosma E Damiano in Roma'' (Roma: Curia Generalizia dell'Ordine, 1963). * Roberta Budriesi, ''La Basilica dei Ss. Cosma e Damiano a Roma'' (Bologna: Patron 1968). * Vitaliano Tiberia, ''Il Restauro Del Mosaico Della Basilica Dei Santi Cosma E Damiano a Roma'' (Todi, Perugia: Ediart, 1991) rte e restauro, 7 * ''Roma'', Touring Club Italiano, 2004, pp. 276–277. * Tucci, Pier Luigi, "Nuove acquisizioni sulla basilica dei Santi Cosma e Damiano", ''Studi Romani'' 49 (2001) 275–293 * Tucci, Pier Luigi, "The Revival of Antiquity in Medieval Rome: the Restoration of the Basilica of SS. Cosma e Damiano in the Twelfth Century", ''Memoirs of the American Academy in Rome'' 49 (2004) 99–126. * Jacalyn Duffin, ''Medical Saints: Cosmas and Damian in a Postmodern World'' (NY-Oxford: Oxford University Press 2013).

External links

Photo

Official Website

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cosma e Damiano, Santi 527 4th-century churches 6th-century churches 17th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Cosma e Damiano Cosma Conversion of non-Christian religious buildings and structures into churches Centralized-plan churches in Italy Churches of Rome (rione Campitelli) Buildings converted to Catholic church buildings