Sant'Elena or Sant'Elena fuori Porta Prenestina is a church in

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 ...

(

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

), in the Prenestino-Labicano Quarter, facing on

Via Casilina The Via Casilina is a medieval road in Latium and Campania. It led from Rome to Casilinum (present-day Capua), to present-day Santa Maria Capua Vetere. It was created from the fusion of two ancient Roman roads, the ''Via Latina'' and the '' Via La ...

History

The church was built by

Pope Pius X Pope Pius X ( it, Pio X; born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto; 2 June 1835 – 20 August 1914) was head of the Catholic Church from 4 August 1903 to his death in August 1914. Pius X is known for vigorously opposing modernist interpretations of C ...

as a memorial of the 16th centenary of the

Edict of Milan The Edict of Milan ( la, Edictum Mediolanense; el, Διάταγμα τῶν Μεδιολάνων, ''Diatagma tōn Mediolanōn'') was the February 313 AD agreement to treat Christians benevolently within the Roman Empire. Frend, W. H. C. ( ...

(313), when Roman Emperors

Constantine I Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to Constantine the Great and Christianity, convert to Christiani ...

and

Licinius Valerius Licinianus Licinius (c. 265 – 325) was Roman emperor from 308 to 324. For most of his reign he was the colleague and rival of Constantine I, with whom he co-authored the Edict of Milan, AD 313, that granted official toleration to C ...

acknowledged Christianity as a licit and lawful religion within the Empire; it was dedicated to Constantine's mother, Helena. The church – based on a design by the architect Giuseppe Palombi – was built between 1913 and 1914, opened to worship on 2 April 1914 and was consecrated on 17 September 1916. Lapide padre melis roma

The church rises in the so-called ''Quarto di Sant'Elena'' ("Quarter of St. Helen"), mentioned into documents dating back to the last years of the 14th century. An act by notary A. Scambi dated 10 May 1379 refers to an eight-''rubbi'' (14,7 hectares) vineyard placed "''in quartum qui dicitur sancta Erina''". The prior of the cloister of

Santa Maria Nova Santa Francesca Romana ( it, Basilica di Santa Francesca Romana), previously known as Santa Maria Nova, is a Roman Catholic church situated next to the Roman Forum in the rione Campitelli in Rome, Italy. History An oratory (worship), oratory ...

, on 15 October 1382, sold the fruits from the "''terre da sancta Helena''" ("lands of St. Helen") through an administrative deed by the Roman notary Venettini. St. Helen's estate bordered on the hamlet of

St. John Lateran The Archbasilica Cathedral of the Most Holy Savior and of Saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist in the Lateran ( it, Arcibasilica del Santissimo Salvatore e dei Santi Giovanni Battista ed Evangelista in Laterano), also known as the Papa ...

and on the hamlet of

Santa Croce in Gerusalemme The Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem or Basilica di Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, ( la, Basilica Sanctae Crucis in Hierusalem) is a Catholic Minor basilica and titular church in rione Esquilino, Rome, Italy. It is one of the Seven Pilgrim ...

. On 25 November 1424 the cloister of Santa Maria Nova sold to the Lateran Chapter a plot of 25 ''rubbi'' (46,2 hectares) through a deed by the Roman notary Nardo Venettini (Arch. Cap., Sez. I, t. 785 bis, vol. 10 f. 186). The edifice received the title of Parish Church on 19 March 1914 by Pope Pius X, through the apostolic constitution "''Quod iam pridem''", thus receiving the rights and incomes of the suppressed Parish of

Santi Quirico e Giulitta The Roman Catholic titular church of Santi Quirico e Giulitta (Saints Quiricus and Julietta) in Rome is named after a son and mother who were martyred in 304 AD in Tarsus. The church is located in central Rome behind the Forum of Augustus. The add ...

in the

Forum of Augustus The Forum of Augustus ( la, Forum Augustum; it, Foro di Augusto) is one of the Imperial fora of Rome, Italy, built by Augustus (). It includes the Temple of Mars Ultor. The incomplete forum and its temple were inaugurated in 2 BC, 40 years after ...

. Since 1985 it is a

titular church In the Catholic Church, a titular church is a church in Rome that is assigned to a member of the clergy who is created a cardinal. These are Catholic churches in the city, within the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Rome, that serve as honorary de ...

with the name ''Sant'Elena fuori Porta Prenestina''. On the railway protective wall, close to the crossing between Via del Mandrione and via Casilina, a

travertine Travertine ( ) is a form of terrestrial limestone deposited around mineral springs, especially hot springs. It often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, cream-colored, and even rusty varieties. It is formed by a pro ...

cross commemorates the vicar Raffaele Melis, killed on 13 August 1943 by the second bombing of Rome – that struck the train of the former Rome–Fiuggi railway, full of people repatriating from Africa – while giving aid to wounded people.

Bibliography

* C. Rendina, ''Le Chiese di Roma'', Newton & Compton Editori, Milan 2000, p. 96–97 * * G. Carpaneto, ''Quartiere VII. Prenestino-Labicano'', in VV.AA, ''I quartieri di Roma'', Newton & Compton Editori, Rome 2006 {{coord, 41.8873, N, 12.5263, E, source:wikidata-and-enwiki-cat-tree_region:IT, display=title 20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Roman Catholic churches completed in 1914

Elena Elena may refer to: People * Elena (given name), including a list of people and characters with this name * Joan Ignasi Elena (born 1968), Catalan politician * Francine Elena (born 1986), British poet Geography * Elena (town), a town in Veliko ...

Rome Q. VII Prenestino-Labicano