Santa Maria dell'Orto is a church in the
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 ...
of
Trastevere
Trastevere () is the 13th ''rione'' of Rome: it is identified by the initials R. XIII and it is located within Municipio I. Its name comes from Latin ''trans Tiberim'', literally 'beyond the Tiber'.
Its coat of arms depicts a golden head of a lio ...
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 ...
). It is 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 ...
of
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
in Rome.
History
![Santa Maria dell'Orto (Rome) - Interior](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/Santa_Maria_dell%27Orto_%28Rome%29_-_Interior.jpg)
The church is set in the middle of the area that has been called the ''Prata Mucia'' ("Fields of Mucius") since about 508 BC; it was here that the
Etruscan __NOTOC__
Etruscan may refer to:
Ancient civilization
*The Etruscan language, an extinct language in ancient Italy
*Something derived from or related to the Etruscan civilization
**Etruscan architecture
**Etruscan art
**Etruscan cities
** Etrusca ...
king
Porsena had made his encampment, and that later the
Roman Senate
The Roman Senate ( la, Senātus Rōmānus) was a governing and advisory assembly in ancient Rome. It was one of the most enduring institutions in Roman history, being established in the first days of the city of Rome (traditionally founded in ...
donated to
Mucius Scaevola
The gens Mucia was an ancient and noble patrician house at ancient Rome. The gens is first mentioned at the earliest period of the Republic, but in later times the family was known primarily by its plebeian branches.
Origin
The first of the Mucii ...
as a sign of gratitude of Rome for his heroic actions.
The origins of the church are associated with a
miracle
A miracle is an event that is inexplicable by natural or scientific lawsOne dictionary define"Miracle"as: "A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divin ...
that is supposed to have happened circa 1488. A sick farmer, afflicted with a serious palsy according to oral history, was healed after praying to an image of the
Virgin Mary
Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother o ...
painted close to the entrance to his own market garden. The event led to popular worship for the painting, and subsequently a small votive chapel was erected, soon followed by a greater church, funded by 12 professional associations (''Università''). In 1492,
Pope Alexander VI
Pope Alexander VI ( it, Alessandro VI, va, Alexandre VI, es, Alejandro VI; born Rodrigo de Borja; ca-valencia, Roderic Llançol i de Borja ; es, Rodrigo Lanzol y de Borja, lang ; 1431 – 18 August 1503) was head of the Catholic Churc ...
allowed the establishment of a
confraternity
A confraternity ( es, cofradía; pt, confraria) is generally a Christian voluntary association of laypeople created for the purpose of promoting special works of Christian charity or piety, and approved by the Church hierarchy. They are most c ...
and in 1588 (with a
brief
Brief, briefs, or briefing may refer to:
Documents
* A letter
* A briefing note
* Papal brief, a papal letter less formal than a bull, sealed with the pope's signet ring or stamped with the device borne on this ring
* Design brief, a type of ed ...
dated 20 March)
Pope Sixtus V
Pope Sixtus V ( it, Sisto V; 13 December 1521 – 27 August 1590), born Felice Piergentile, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 24 April 1585 to his death in August 1590. As a youth, he joined the Franciscan order ...
declared it an "
archconfraternity
An archconfraternity ( es, archicofradía) is a Catholic confraternity, empowered to aggregate or affiliate other confraternities of the same nature, and to impart to them its benefits and privileges.
History
In 1569, Charles Borromeo started ar ...
" and bestowed on it the rare privilege of asking for the pardon of a person condemned to death, during its titular feast. During the 1825
Jubilee
A jubilee is a particular anniversary of an event, usually denoting the 25th, 40th, 50th, 60th, and the 70th anniversary. The term is often now used to denote the celebrations associated with the reign of a monarch after a milestone number of y ...
, it was honored with the title of ''Venerable''.
As an archconfraternity, it could attach other confraternities, anywhere in the world; therefore, during the 1600 Jubilee – through a notary deed dated 30 April – it was aggregated to the Confraternity of the Oratory of Nostra Signora di Castello, established in
Savona
Savona (; lij, Sann-a ) is a seaport and ''comune'' in the west part of the northern Italy, Italian region of Liguria, capital of the Province of Savona, in the Riviera di Ponente on the Mediterranean Sea.
Savona used to be one of the chie ...
in 1260.
Construction was begun in 1489 by an unknown architect and completed in 1567. Its façade is largely ascribed to
Vignola
Vignola ( Modenese: ; Bolognese: ) is a city and ''comune'' in the province of Modena (Emilia-Romagna), Italy.
Its economy is based on agriculture, especially fruit farming, but there are also mechanical industries and service companies.
The c ...
(though sometimes attributed to
Martino Longhi the Elder Martino Longhi the Elder (1534–1591) was an Italian architect, the father of Onorio Longhi and the grandfather of Martino Longhi the Younger. He is also known as ''Martino Lunghi''.
He was born in Viggiù into a family of architects, and initiall ...
), while the interior is by
Guidetto Guidetti, a pupil of
Michelangelo
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (; 6 March 1475 – 18 February 1564), known as Michelangelo (), was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was insp ...
who transformed the former Greek-cross design (with four apses) into a Latin-cross structure with three naves.
The church houses works of art by the brothers
Federico Federico (; ) is a given name and surname. It is a form of Frederick, most commonly found in Spanish, Portuguese and Italian.
People with the given name Federico
Artists
* Federico Ágreda, Venezuelan composer and DJ.
* Federico Aguilar Alcuaz, r ...
and
Taddeo Zuccari
Taddeo Zuccaro (or Zuccari) (1 September 15292 September 1566) was an Italian painter, one of the most popular members of the Roman mannerist school.
Biography
Zuccaro was born in Sant'Angelo in Vado, near Urbino, the son of Ottaviano Zuccaro, ...
,
Corrado Giaquinto
Corrado Giaquinto (8 February 1703 – 18 April 1766) was an Italian Rococo painter.
Early training and move to Rome
He was born in Molfetta. As a boy he apprenticed with a modest local painter Saverio Porta, (c1667–1725), escaping the rel ...
and
Giovanni Baglione
Giovanni Baglione (1566 – 30 December 1643) was an Italian Late Mannerist and Early Baroque painter and art historian. He is best remembered for his acrimonious and damaging involvement with the slightly younger artist Caravaggio and ...
.
The church is still guarded by the Archconfraternity of S. Maria dell'Orto that, due to the seniority of its papal establishment, is the most ancient of the Confraternities consecrated to the Holy Virgin still active in Rome, and one of the first overall.
[Antonio Martini, Matizia Maroni Lumbroso - ''Le Confraternite romane nelle loro chiese'' - Marco Besso Foundation, Rome 1963]
The port, the ''Università'' and the Confraternity
![Trastevere - s M dell'Orto - universita pizzicaroli 1060525](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/Trastevere_-_s_M_dell%27Orto_-_universita_pizzicaroli_1060525.JPG)
The area around the church was used for farming and trading - mainly wholesale - until the end of the 19th century. Due to its position on the margin of the walls, not far from
Porta Portese
Porta Portese is an ancient city gate, located at the end of Via Portuense, where it meets Via Porta Portese, about a block from the banks of the Tiber in the southern edge of the Rione Trastevere of Rome, Italy.
History
The gate was built in ...
and close to the
Port of Ripa Grande, it had great commercial importance, and the church became a reference point for the professional associations involved in the food supply of the town and of the ships from and to
Ostia through the
Tiber
The Tiber ( ; it, Tevere ; la, Tiberis) is the third-longest river in Italy and the longest in Central Italy, rising in the Apennine Mountains in Emilia-Romagna and flowing through Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio, where it is joined by the Riv ...
: foodstuffs producers and merchants, as well as brokers and service suppliers.
The Archconfraternity, which was also open to women, gathered 13 ''Università'' (the Roman equivalent of the
guild
A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular area. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradesmen belonging to a professional association. They sometimes ...
s), showing the economic significance of the area:
* the ''Grocers and Greengrocers'' (the founders);
* the ''Fruit sellers'';
* the ''Agents'' of Ripa (brokers of local trades);
* the ''Millers'' (the mills on the Tiber had a great importance for flour supply);
* the ''Vermicellari'' (producers of pasta);
* the ''Chicken-sellers'';
* the ''Cobblers'';
* the ''Winemakers'';
* the ''Young men'' (shop boys and navvies belonging to various universities).
(The term ''Università'' comes from the
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
''universitas'' - that means "union", "association" - with the more specific meaning of "aggregation of all men practicing the same activity").
Relationship with the Japanese community
![First Japanese Embassy to Europe 1586](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/First_Japanese_Embassy_to_Europe_1586.png)
The church is also the reference church for the Catholic
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
ese community of Rome.
The relationship between the Japanese community and the church has an ancient origin: a Japanese mission ("
Tenshō embassy
The Tenshō embassy (Japanese: 天正の使節, named after the Tenshō Era in which the embassy took place) was an embassy sent by the Japanese Christian Lord Ōtomo Sōrin to the Pope and the kings of Europe in 1582. The embassy was led by ...
"), consisting of four dignitaries, came to Rome in 1585 to meet the Pope. One of the feasts, thrown in honour of the guests who had come from such a distance, consisted of a sailing on
Tiber
The Tiber ( ; it, Tevere ; la, Tiberis) is the third-longest river in Italy and the longest in Central Italy, rising in the Apennine Mountains in Emilia-Romagna and flowing through Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio, where it is joined by the Riv ...
from the
Port of Ripa Grande to
Ostia, which should have been followed by a feast on the sea with musicians and singers. But a storm rose and everybody dreaded for his life. So they implored the Virgin of the church that they had visited before leaving, and the storm calmed down. The event gave rise to the tradition of a sung Mass that is celebrated on 8 June (the anniversary day), with the attendance of delegates from the Japan Embassy in 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 ...
and from the Japanese community in Rome (source: Enrico Pucci). Since 2007, in order to guarantee a better exposure, the event is commemorated during the Titular Holiday.
In October 2009, a portrait of Giuliano (Julião) Nakaura – one of the four ambassadors, who suffered martyrdom in 1633 and was beatified in 2008 – was placed in the church.
The ''pro tempore'' Ambassador of
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
in 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 ...
is traditionally honored with the office of Warden of Honour of the association.
Worship and celebrations
![Trastevere - s M dell'Orto - Macchina delle 40ore 1060578](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Trastevere_-_s_M_dell%27Orto_-_Macchina_delle_40ore_1060578.JPG)
Worship is celebrated on Sundays and on the other
feasts of precept at 11 a.m.
In the evening of
Holy Thursday
Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday (also known as Great and Holy Thursday, Holy and Great Thursday, Covenant Thursday, Sheer Thursday, and Thursday of Mysteries, among other names) is the day during Holy Week that commemorates the Washing of the ...
, the monumental ''Macchina delle Quarant'Ore'' ("Machine of the Forty Hours") is set up: it is a 19th-century structure based upon a 17th-century design, with floral decorations, made of carved and gilt wood on which more than two hundred candles are placed, so as to illuminate the mystical dark. It is perhaps the last structure of this kind still used in
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 ...
.
The Titular Holiday of Saint Mary ''dell'Orto'' falls on the third Sunday of October. During the suggestive ceremony, blessed apples are distributed to the faithful, both in remembrance of the former ''Fruttaroli'' ("fruit sellers") guild, that gave a significant contribution to the artistic treasures of the church, and for a devotional reason: the head of the household, during the dinner, will divide the fruit into as many slices as the relatives, to symbolize "the unity into the diversity" of the Mystical Body of the Church, according to
St. 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; ...
's teaching (I Cor. – XII, 12).
Description
The church is not just a sacred edifice consecrated to the Holy Virgin, but a real Marian sanctuary, full of precise symbolisms. For example, the earthly glory of Mary is depicted on the ground level, along the walls, starting from the
Annunciation
The Annunciation (from Latin '), also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation of Our Lady, or the Annunciation of the Lord, is the Christian celebration of the biblical tale of the announcement by the ange ...
through all the other episodes of her life (
Nativity,
Presentation at the Temple
The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple (or ''in the temple'') is an early episode in the life of Jesus Christ, describing his presentation at the Temple in Jerusalem, that is celebrated by many churches 40 days after Christmas on Candlemas, ...
, Marriage,
Visitation,
Flight into Egypt
The flight into Egypt is a story recounted in the Gospel of Matthew ( Matthew 2:13– 23) and in New Testament apocrypha. Soon after the visit by the Magi, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream telling him to flee to Egypt with Mary and the i ...
and so on). Her heavenly glory (Conception,
Assumption
Assumption, in Christianity, refers to the Assumption of Mary, a belief in the taking up of the Virgin Mary into heaven.
Assumption may also refer to:
Places
* Assumption, Alberta, Canada
* Assumption, Illinois, United States
** Assumption Town ...
,
Crowning), on the other hand, is celebrated in the vaults forming the “sky” of the church.
Further interesting symbolic elements can be observed in the ornaments that surround the six windows of the middle nave. Such openings let the light to burst into the church with all its brightness and to enlighten it with the rays of sunshine, an image mirroring the light of Faith descending to dispel the darkness of sin. Similarly,
Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, names and titles), was ...
, the Light of the World, has revealed himself through Mary, and therefore the six windows bear decorations that refer to her. Each window is surmounted by a golden plaster shell, containing a symbol, and stands above a
festoon
A festoon (from French ''feston'', Italian ''festone'', from a Late Latin ''festo'', originally a festal garland, Latin ''festum'', feast) is a wreath or garland hanging from two points, and in architecture typically a carved ornament depicti ...
. The first window on the right side brings a door in the middle of the shell and the writing ''Felix coeli porta'' into the festoon; the second one, a sun on the top and a
steelyard
The Steelyard, from the Middle Low German (sample yard), was the main trading base () of the Hanseatic League in London during the 15th and 16th centuries.
Location
The Steelyard was located on the north bank of the Thames by the outflow o ...
into the festoon; the third one, a star on the top and the writing ''Maris stella'' into the festoon. The first window on the left side brings a tower on the top and the writing ''Iter para tutum'' above; the second one, a moon on the top and a steelyard above; the third one, an ark on the top and the writing ''Foederis arca'' above.
The reading key of such ornamental complex is as simple as admirable. The Tower, the Ark, the Door and the Star are attributes that can be found into the
Litany of Loreto
The Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a Marian litany originally approved in 1587 by Pope Sixtus V. It is also known as the Litany of Loreto (Latin: ''Litaniæ lauretanæ''), after its first-known place of origin, the Shrine of Our Lady of Lor ...
, while the mottoes above – except ''Foederis arca'' – are taken from the verses of the ancient Marian hymn ''
Ave Maris Stella
"Ave maris stella" (Latin for 'Hail, star of the sea') is a medieval Marian hymn, usually sung at Vespers. It was especially popular in the Middle Ages and has been used by many composers as the basis of other compositions.
Background
Authorship ...
''. The windows in the middle bear no writings, but just a steelyard, the attentive emblem of the ''Università'' of the ''Pizzicaroli'' (Grocers), that financed the stuccoes. The shells show a sun and a moon facing on the opposite sides or, if you will, alternating each other in the infinite cycle of days and nights. With regards to light, the reference to the two ''grand lamps of heaven'' (
Genesis
Genesis may refer to:
Bible
* Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind
* Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...
I, 14 et seq.) could not be omitted; the same lamps that
St. Ambrose
Ambrose of Milan ( la, Aurelius Ambrosius; ), venerated as Saint Ambrose, ; lmo, Sant Ambroeus . was a theologian and statesman who served as Bishop of Milan from 374 to 397. He expressed himself prominently as a public figure, fiercely promot ...
called ''the eyes of sky and lighthouses of the world'' (''Hexameron''). Indeed, according to the theological symbology of the Church, Mary is the Moon, reflecting the light of the Sun, that is Christ. The divine light thus can spread over the world, as men could not directly receive such a brilliant light without being dazzled: the mildness and sweetness of the Virgin are an indispensable mediation. For this reason, into the religious iconography Mary is often portrayed wrapped up into a blue, star-adorned mantle and with the feet lying on a crescent moon. A Marian value can also be found into the little and big shells scattered all around the Assumption painted by
Giacinto Calandrucci on the central vault. Just to make a single example among the others, a protochristian text quoted by
John Damascene
John of Damascus ( ar, يوحنا الدمشقي, Yūḥanna ad-Dimashqī; gr, Ἰωάννης ὁ Δαμασκηνός, Ioánnēs ho Damaskēnós, ; la, Ioannes Damascenus) or John Damascene was a Christian monk, priest, hymnographer, and a ...
– the ''Physiologus'' – gives a further confirmation to the vast iconography, according to which Mary is the mirable instrument by which mankind could receive the Savior: ''The divine lightning has penetrated into the purest shell, into Mary, the mother of God, and a valuable pearl has born''.
The church and the cinema
The church, due to its majestic aspect, has been chosen as a set for many movies: above all, in 1945 various scenes of the famous ''
Rome, Open City
''Rome, Open City'' ( it, Roma città aperta, also released as ''Open City'') is a 1945 Italian neorealist war drama film directed by Roberto Rossellini and co-written by Sergio Amidei, Celeste Negarville and Federico Fellini. Set in Rome in 19 ...
'' by
Roberto Rossellini
Roberto Gastone Zeffiro Rossellini (8 May 1906 – 3 June 1977) was an Italian film director, producer, and screenwriter. He was one of the most prominent directors of the Italian neorealist cinema, contributing to the movement with films such ...
were filmed here, and more precisely the ones showing the interior of the church, whose vicar is don Pietro (performed by
Aldo Fabrizi
Aldo Fabrizi (; born Aldo Fabbrizi; 1 November 1905 – 2 April 1990) was an Italian actor, director, screenwriter and comedian, best known for the role of the heroic priest in Roberto Rossellini's ''Rome, Open City'' and as partner of Totò in ...
), while the external location was the church of
S. Elena.
The parvis of the church also appears in an episode of ''
I mostri
''I mostri'' (also known as ''Opiate '67'' or, in a cut version, ''15 from Rome'') is a 1963 commedia all'italiana film by Italian director Dino Risi. It was coproduced with France.
The film was a huge success in Italy. It was censored in Spain. ...
'' (1963) by
Dino Risi
Dino Risi (23 December 1916 – 7 June 2008) was an Italian film director. With Mario Monicelli, Luigi Comencini, Nanni Loy and Ettore Scola, he was one of the masters of ''commedia all'italiana''.
Biography
Risi was born in Milan. He had an ol ...
.
One of the latest movies is ''
Giovanna's Father
''Giovanna's Father'' ( it, Il papà di Giovanna) is a 2008 Italian drama film directed by Pupi Avati.
Plot
In Bologna in the late 1930s, Michele Casali (Silvio Orlando) teaches design at the same institute where his daughter Giovanna (Alba Ro ...
'' (2007), directed by
Pupi Avati
Giuseppe Avati, better known as Pupi Avati (born 3 November 1938), is an Italian film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is known to horror film fans for his two giallo masterpieces, ''The House with Laughing Windows'' (1976) and '' Zeder ...
.
Notes
Bibliography
* Enrico Pucci - ''Maria SS. dell'Orto in Trastevere e la sua venerabile Arciconfraternita''; by the Archconfraternity; Rome, 2006
* Liliana Barroero – ''S. Maria dell'Orto'' – Istituto di Studi Romani; Collana “Chiese di Roma illustrate”; Roma, 1976
* Laura Gigli – ''Rione XIII/Trastevere'' – Parte Quarta; F.lli Palombi Editori – Collection “Guide rionali di Roma”; Rome, 1987
* Luciano Zeppegno and Roberto Mattonelli, ''La chiese di Roma'', Rome, Newton Compton Editore, 1996,
* Bruno Forastieri, ''La devota pratica delle Quarant'Ore e l'antica "macchina" di S. Maria dell'Orto in Trastevere'', 2010
* Domenico Rotella - ''Piccolo dizionario di S. Maria dell'Orto/Cinque secoli di tradizioni romane" - Rome, Aracne Editrice, 2012
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maria Dell'Orto Rome
16th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy
Roman Catholic churches completed in 1567
Renaissance architecture in Rome
Baroque architecture in Rome
National churches in Rome
1567 establishments in the Papal States
Churches of Rome (rione Trastevere)