San Salvatore alle Coppelle is a church in Rome, on piazza delle Coppelle in the

Sant'Eustachio Sant'Eustachio is a Roman Catholic titular church and minor basilica in Rome, named for the martyr Saint Eustace. It is located on Via di Sant'Eustachio in the rione Sant'Eustachio, a block west of the Pantheon and via della Rotonda, and a bl ...

district.

History

A wall inscription inside the church states it was completed under

pope Celestine III Pope Celestine III ( la, Caelestinus III; c. 1106 – 8 January 1198), was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 30 March or 10 April 1191 to his death in 1198. He had a tense relationship with several monarchs, ...

on 26 November 1195, though this likely refers to a refurbishment rather than the original construction, which was possibly much earlier. A now-lost ancient inscription refers to the church originally being built on the site of the house of saint Abbasia, a noblewoman who left her estate to charity, forming the basis of a

Monte di Pietà A mount of piety is an institutional pawnbroker run as a charity in Europe from Renaissance times until today. Similar institutions were established in the colonies of Catholic countries; the Mexican Nacional Monte de Piedad is still in operation ...

, giving the church its medieval name of San Salvatore ''de Pietate''. Other sources believe the church gained this name after the

Trajan Trajan ( ; la, Caesar Nerva Traianus; 18 September 539/11 August 117) was Roman emperor from 98 to 117. Officially declared ''optimus princeps'' ("best ruler") by the senate, Trajan is remembered as a successful soldier-emperor who presi ...

ic ''Arco della Pietà'', now lost but still surviving in ruins in the 14th century. This church in turn may be identifiable with that known as San Salvatore ''de Sere'' in some medieval documents. In 1404

pope Innocent VII Pope Innocent VII ( la, Innocentius VII; it, Innocenzo VII; 1339 – 6 November 1406), born Cosimo de' Migliorati, was head of the Catholic Church from 17 October 1404 to his death in November 1406. He was pope during the period of the Western S ...

gave the church to the Università dei Sellai, which owned it for three centuries. In 1633, it became the base for the Confraternity of the Most Holy Sacrament of Divine Perseverance, which assisted pilgrims and foreigners who fell ill in Rome's inns, needed hospital treatment or looking after their bereaved families. In 1750 (a jubilee year), the church was rebuilt by Carlo De Dominicis, including the addition of a still-visible slot in the side of the church for innkeepers to drop off sick people, with a note to the brotherhood. A guide to Rome from the early 19th century cited a main altarpiece by Giovanni Battista Lelli. The church contained a tomb memorial for Cardinal Giorgio Spinola, designed by Bernardino Ludovisi.Guida metodica di Roma e suoi contorni
by Giuseppe Melchiorri, Rome (1836); page 420. Between 1858 and 1860 the church's two 1195 frescoes were defaced. All that remains of the medieval church is the

bell tower A bell tower is a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells even if it has none. Such a tower commonly serves as part of a Christian church, and will contain church bells, but there are also many secular bell tower ...

, built during the 12th century renovation and now partly surrounded by a neighbouring building. On 31 March 1914 the church was made the

national church A national church is a Christian church associated with a specific ethnic group or nation state. The idea was notably discussed during the 19th century, during the emergence of modern nationalism. Samuel Taylor Coleridge, in a draft discussing ...

for the

Greek Catholics The term Greek Catholic Church can refer to a number of Eastern Catholic Churches following the Byzantine (Greek) liturgy, considered collectively or individually. The terms Greek Catholic, Greek Catholic church or Byzantine Catholic, Byzantine Ca ...

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

and began to be used for services in the

Byzantine Rite The Byzantine Rite, also known as the Greek Rite or the Rite of Constantinople, identifies the wide range of cultural, liturgical, and canonical practices that developed in the Eastern Christianity, Eastern Christian Church of Constantinople. Th ...

References

External links

M. Armellini, ''Le chiese di Roma dal secolo IV al XIX'', Roma 1891

Bibliography

* C. Rendina, ''Le Chiese di Roma'', Newton & Compton Editori, Milano 2000, p. 332 * G. Carpaneto, ''Rione VIII Sant’Eustachio'', in AA.VV, ''I rioni di Roma'', Newton & Compton Editori, Milano 2000, Vol. II, pp. 499–555 {{Authority control National churches in Rome Churches completed in 1750 Salvatore Coppelle Eastern Catholic church buildings in Italy Romanian Greek Catholic Church