San Nicola in Carcere (Italian, " St Nicholas in prison") is a

titular Titular may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Title character in a narrative work, the character referred to in its title Religion * Titular (Catholicism), a cardinal who holds a titulus, one of the main churches of Rome ** Titular bisho ...

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 ...

near the

Forum Boarium The Forum Boarium (, it, Foro Boario) was the cattle ''forum venalium'' of ancient Rome. It was located on a level piece of land near the Tiber between the Capitoline, the Palatine and Aventine hills. As the site of the original docks of Rome ...

in rione Sant'Angelo. It is one of the traditional stational churches 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 ...

History

The first church on the site was probably built in the 6th century, and a 10th-century inscription may be seen on a fluted column next to the entrance, but the first definite dedication is from a plaque on the church dating to 1128. The inscriptions found in S. Angelo, a valuable source illustrating the history of the Basilica, have been collected and published by Vincenzo Forcella. It was constructed in and from the ruins of the

Forum Holitorium The Forum Holitorium ( it, Foro Olitorio; en, Vegetable-sellers' Market) is an archaeological area of Rome, Italy, on the slopes of the Capitoline Hill. It was "oddly located" outside the Porta Carmentalis in the Campus Martius, crowded between ...

and its

Roman temple Ancient Roman temples were among the most important buildings in Roman culture, and some of the richest buildings in Roman architecture, though only a few survive in any sort of complete state. Today they remain "the most obvious symbol of Ro ...

s, along with a jail (carcer) which a tradition (supported by

Pliny Pliny may refer to: People * Pliny the Elder (23–79 CE), ancient Roman nobleman, scientist, historian, and author of ''Naturalis Historia'' (''Pliny's Natural History'') * Pliny the Younger (died 113), ancient Roman statesman, orator, w ...

's history of Rome) states was sited in the temples' ruins. However, the ''in Carcere'' (in jail) part of the name of the church was only changed to "in Carcere Tulliano" in the 14th century, owing to an erroneous identification. The prison was really that of Byzantine times (LPD i.515, n13; ii.295, n12). Rom BW 1

Spolia ''Spolia'' (Latin: 'spoils') is repurposed building stone for new construction or decorative sculpture reused in new monuments. It is the result of an ancient and widespread practice whereby stone that has been quarried, cut and used in a built ...

from all these ancient remains is still apparent in the church's construction, most particularly three columns from the

Temple of Juno Sospita A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

which are incorporated into both the 10th century and 1599 frontal façades of the church. The columns of the Temple of Janus, dedicated by

Gaius Duilius Gaius Duilius ( 260–231 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. As consul in 260 BC, during the First Punic War, he won Rome's first ever victory at sea by defeating the Carthaginians at the Battle of Mylae. He later served as censor in 258, ...

after his naval victory at the

Battle of Mylae The Battle of Mylae took place in 260 BC during the First Punic War and was the first real naval battle between Carthage and the Roman Republic. This battle was key in the Roman victory of Mylae (present-day Milazzo) as well as Sicily itself. ...

in 260 BC, can still be seen as being incorporated into the northern wall of the church. Six columns from the Temple of Spes are visible in the southern wall. The dedication to St Nicholas was made by the Greek population in the area. In the 11th century, it was known as the ''church of Petrus Leonis'', referring to the converted Jewish family, the

Pierleoni The family of the Pierleoni, meaning "sons of Peter Leo", was a great Roman patrician clan of the Middle Ages, headquartered in a tower house in the quarter of Trastevere that was home to a larger number of Roman Jews. The heads of the family ofte ...

, who rebuilt the nearby

Theatre of Marcellus The Theatre of Marcellus ( la, Theatrum Marcelli, it, Teatro di Marcello) is an ancient open-air theatre in Rome, Italy, built in the closing years of the Roman Republic. At the theatre, locals and visitors alike were able to watch performances o ...

as a fortress. One of their members, Pietro Pierleone, was an important cardinal in the 1120s and was elected Pope

Anacletus II Anacletus II (died January 25, 1138), born Pietro Pierleoni, was an antipope who ruled in opposition to Pope Innocent II from 1130 until his death in 1138. After the death of Pope Honorius II, the college of cardinals was divided over his succ ...

, though he was later branded a schismatic antipope.Mary Stroll, ''The Jewish Pope: Ideology and Politics in the Papal Schism of 1130'' (New York: Brill Academic Pubs. 1987)., ''passim''. The church was rebuilt in 1599, with a new facade by

Giacomo della Porta Giacomo della Porta (1532–1602) was an Italian architect and sculptor, who worked on many important buildings in Rome, including St. Peter's Basilica. He was born at Porlezza, Lombardy and died in Rome. Biography Giacomo Della Porta was b ...

(though the medieval

campanile 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 ...

- originally a fortified tower, then adapted to a bell tower after being abandoned - was not altered). Stairs under the altar lead to the crypt and to the base of the former Roman temples. Beneath the high altar is also an ancient

basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...

bath tub A bathtub, also known simply as a bath or tub, is a container for holding water in which a person or animal may bathe. Most modern bathtubs are made of thermoformed acrylic, porcelain-enameled steel or cast iron, or fiberglass-reinforced poly ...

containing martyrs' relics.

Present

The church is known for celebrations to the devotion of the Madonna; one is the Italian Our Lady of

Pompeii Pompeii (, ) was an ancient city located in what is now the ''comune'' of Pompei near Naples in the Campania region of Italy. Pompeii, along with Herculaneum and many villas in the surrounding area (e.g. at Boscoreale, Stabiae), was buried ...

, whose feast is celebrated here, and the other is the Mexican

Our Lady of Guadalupe Our Lady of Guadalupe ( es, Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe), also known as the Virgin of Guadalupe ( es, Virgen de Guadalupe), is a Catholic title of Mary, mother of Jesus associated with a series of five Marian apparitions, which are believed t ...

, a reproduction of whose miraculous painting, sent here from Mexico in 1773, is shown. Nearby structures include: *

Piazza Venezia Piazza Venezia () is a central hub of Rome, Italy, in which several thoroughfares intersect, including the Via dei Fori Imperiali and the Via del Corso. It takes its name from the Palazzo Venezia, built by the Venetian Cardinal, Pietro Barbo (l ...

Campidoglio The Capitolium or Capitoline Hill ( ; it, Campidoglio ; la, Mons Capitolinus ), between the Forum and the Campus Martius, is one of the Seven Hills of Rome. The hill was earlier known as ''Mons Saturnius'', dedicated to the god Saturn. ...

*Theatre of Marcellus * Temple of Portunus in the Forum Boarium *

Santa Maria in Cosmedin The Basilica of Saint Mary in Cosmedin ( it, Basilica di Santa Maria in Cosmedin or ''de Schola Graeca'') is a minor basilica church in Rome, Italy. It is located in the rione of Ripa. History According to Byzantine historian Andrew Ekonom ...

and the

Bocca della Verità The Mouth of Truth ( it, Bocca della Verità ) is a marble mask in Rome, Italy, which stands against the left wall of the portico of the Santa Maria in Cosmedin church, at the Piazza della Bocca della Verità, the site of the ancient Forum Boar ...

List of cardinal-deacons

* Ottaviano de Monticello (1138–1151) * Ottone (1152–1174) * Vibiano (1175) * Gerardo (1175–1178) * Bernardo (1178–1181) * Pietro Diana (1185–1188) * Egidio Pierleoni (1190–1194) * Gerard OCist (1198–1199) * Guido Pierleone (1205–1221) *

Otto of Tonengo Otto of Tonengo (c. 1190 – 1250/1251) was an Italian papal diplomat and cardinal, first as deacon of San Nicola in Carcere from 1227 and then as bishop of Porto e Santa Rufina from 1244. Otto had a legal education, and had joined the Roman ...

(1227–1244) * Giovanni Gaetano Orsini (1244–1277) *

Guglielmo Longhi Guglielmo () is the Italian form of the masculine name William. It may refer to: People with the given name Guglielmo: * Guglielmo I Gonzaga (1538–1587), Duke of Mantua and Montferrat * Guglielmo Achille Cavellini (1914–1990), influential I ...

(1294–1319) ** Giovanni Arlotti (1328),

pseudocardinal Pseudocardinals, quasi-cardinals or anticardinals were the uncanonical Cardinals created by six of the Antipopes, in or rival to Rome, including two of Avignon Papacy and one of Pisa, as princes of their schismatic government of the Catholic Ch ...

* Landolfo Maramaldo (1381–1415) * Rodrigo Lanzol-Borja y Borja (1456–1484) * Giovanni Battista Savelli (1484–1498) *

Amanieu d'Albret Amanieu d'Albret (1478 – 1520) (called the Cardinal d'Albret) was a French Roman Catholic cardinal. Biography Amanieu d'Albret was born in the Kingdom of France ca. 1478, the son of Alain I of Albret Alain I of Albret (1440–1522), called ...

(1500–1520) * Agostino Trivulzio, ''

in commendam In canon law, commendam (or ''in commendam'') was a form of transferring an ecclesiastical benefice ''in trust'' to the ''custody'' of a patron. The phrase ''in commendam'' was originally applied to the provisional occupation of an ecclesiastical ...

'' (1520–1531) *

Íñigo López de Mendoza y Zúñiga Don Íñigo López de Mendoza y Zúñiga (1489 – 9 June 1535), cardinal, archbishop of Burgos and bishop of Coria, was a Castilian clergyman and diplomat in the service of Emperor Charles V. Biography Don Íñigo was born in Aranda de ...

(1531–1537) * Rodrigo Luis de Borja y de Castre Pinòs (1537) * Girolamo Grimaldi, ''in commendam'' (1537–1538) * Niccolò Caetani di Sermoneta (1538–1552) * Giacomo Savelli (1552–1558) * Giovanni Battista Consiglieri (1558–1559) *

Carlo Carafa Carlo Carafa (29 March 1517 – 6 March 1561) was an Italian cardinal, and Cardinal Nephew of Pope Paul IV Carafa, whose policies he directed and whom he served as papal legate in Paris, Venice and Brussels. Early years He was born at Naples in ...

(1560–1561) *

Francesco II Gonzaga Francesco II (or IV) Gonzaga (10 August 1466 – ) was the ruler of the Italian city of Mantua from 1484 until his death. Biography Francesco was born in Mantua, the son of Marquess Federico I Gonzaga. Francesco had a career as a condottiero act ...

(1561–1562) *

Georges d'Armagnac Georges d'Armagnac (c. 1501 – July 1585) was a French humanist, patron of arts, Cardinal and diplomat deeply embroiled in the Italian Wars and in the French Wars of Religion. Biography He was born at Avignon, the son of Pierre d'Armagna ...

(1562–1585) *

Francesco Sforza Francesco I Sforza (; 23 July 1401 – 8 March 1466) was an Italian condottiero who founded the Sforza dynasty in the duchy of Milan, ruling as its (fourth) duke from 1450 until his death. In the 1420s, he participated in the War of L'A ...

(1585–1588) * Ascanio Colonna (1588–1591) *

Federico Borromeo Federico Borromeo (18 August 1564 – 21 September 1631) was an Italian cardinal and Archbishop of Milan, a prominent figure of Counter-Reformation Italy. Early life Federico Borromeo was born in Milan as the second son of Giulio Cesare Borrom ...

(1591–1593) *

Pietro Aldobrandini Pietro Aldobrandini (31 March 1571 – 10 February 1621) was an Italian cardinal and patron of the arts. Biography He was made a cardinal in 1593 by his uncle, Pope Clement VIII. He took over the duchy of Ferrara in 1598 when it fell to the Pa ...

(1593–1604) *

Carlo Emmanuele Pio di Savoia Carlo Emanuele Pio di Savoia (5 January 1585 in Ferrara – 1 June 1641 in Rome) was an Italian cardinal of the Pio di Savoia family. He was the uncle of Cardinal Carlo Pio di Savoia. Life His father was Enea Pio di Savoia, Signore di Sassuolo ...

(1604–1623) * Carlo di Ferdinando de' Medici (1623–1644) * Giangiacomo Teodoro Trivulzio (1644) * Rinaldo d'Este (1644–1668) *

Friedrich von Hessen-Darmstadt Frederick of Hesse-Darmstadt (28 February 1616 – 19 February 1682) was a German protestant and soldier who converted to Catholicism, became a cardinal and was appointed Crown-cardinal of Austria. Early life Frederick was born in Darmstadt, ...

(1668–1670) * Paolo Savelli (1670–1678) * Urbano Sacchetti (1681–1689) *

Gianfrancesco Ginetti Gianfrancesco is a given name. Notable people with the name include: * Gianfrancesco Guarnieri (1934–2006), Italian–Brazilian actor, lyricist, poet, and playwright * Gianfrancesco Penni (1488/1496–1528), Italian painter * Gian Francesco Pogg ...

(1689–1691) * ''vacant'' (1691–1699) *

Henri Albert de La Grange d'Arquien Henri Albert de La Grange d'Arquien, Marquis of Arquien (8 September 1613 – 24 May 1707) was born in Calais, France, the son of Antoine de La Grange d'Arquien, governor of Calais, and Anne d'Ancienville. His surname is also listed as ''Lagra ...

(1699–1707) *

Lorenzo Altieri Lorenzo may refer to: People * Lorenzo (name) Places Peru * San Lorenzo Island (Peru), sometimes referred to as the island of Lorenzo United States * Lorenzo, Illinois * Lorenzo, Texas * San Lorenzo, California, formerly Lorenzo * Lorenzo State ...

(1707–1718) * Damian Hugo Philipp Reichsgraf von Schönborn-Buchheim (1721) * ''vacant'' (1721–1728) *

Antonio Banchieri Antonio Banchieri (19 May 1667 - 16 September 1733) was an Italian cardinal. Life Born in Pistoia, he belonged to the Banchieri noble family and was the son of Niccolò, gonfaloniere of Pistoia and knight of Santo Stefano, and his wife lady Cate ...

(1728–1733) * ''vacant'' (1733–1738) * Carlo Della Torre di Rezzonico (1738–1747) * Mario Bolognetti (1747–1751) * Domenico Orsini d'Aragona (1751–1763) * ''vacant'' (1763–1770) * Giovanni Battista Rezzonico (1770–1783) *

Romoaldo Braschi-Onesti Romoaldo Braschi-Onesti (Cesena, 19 July 1753 – Rome, 30 April 1817) was a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. Life His uncle, Pope Pius VI, made him a cardinal on 18 December 1786, making him the last cardinal-nephew to date (in the n ...

(1787–1800) *

Marino Carafa di Belvedere Marino, Mariño or Maryino may refer to: Places * Marino, Lazio, a town in the province of Rome, Italy * Marino, South Australia, a suburb of Adelaide ** Marino Conservation Park ** Marino Rocks Greenway, a cycling route ** Marino Rocks railway ...

(1801–1807) * ''vacant'' (1807–1816) * Pietro Vidoni (1816–1830) * ''vacant'' (1830–1834) * Nicola Grimaldi (1834–1845) * (1845) * Pietro Marini (1847–1863) * ''vacant'' (1863–1874) *

Camillo Tarquini Camillo Tarquini (27 September 1810 in Marta, located in the Montefiascone region of Italy – 15 February 1874 in Rome) was an Italian Cardinal, Jesuit canonist and archaeologist. Tarquini entered the Society of Jesus on August 27, 1837. Pr ...

SJ (1874) * (1875–1876) *

Joseph Hergenröther Joseph Hergenröther (15 September 1824 – 3 October 1890) was a German Church historian and canonist, and the first Cardinal-Prefect of the Vatican Archive. Biography Born in Würzburg, he was the second son of Johann Jacob Hergenröth ...

(1879–1888) * ''vacant'' (1888–1907) *

Gaetano De Lai Gaetano de Lai (26 July 1853 – 24 October 1928) was an Italian cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He was part of the Roman Curia. He was an outspoken defender of the French monarchist Action française. Biography De Lai was born in Malo, ...

(1907–1911) * ''vacant'' (1911–1922) *

Giuseppe Mori Giuseppe Mori (24 January 1850 — 30 September 1934) was an Italian cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as secretary of the Sacred Congregation of the Council from 1916 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in ...

(1922–1933) ''

pro hac vice In the legal field, ''pro hac vice'' () is a practice in common law jurisdictions whereby a lawyer who has not been admitted to practice in a certain jurisdiction is allowed to participate in a particular case in that jurisdiction. Although ''pro ...

'' (1934) *

Nicola Canali Nicola Canali (6 June 1874 – 3 August 1961) was an Italian cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as president of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State from 1939 and as Major Penitentiary from 1941 until his death, and was ...

(1935–1961) * ''vacant'' (1961–1967) * Patrick Aloysius O'Boyle ''pro hac vice'' (1967–1987) *

Hans Urs von Balthasar Hans Urs von Balthasar (12 August 1905 – 26 June 1988) was a Swiss theologian and Catholic priest who is considered an important Catholic theologian of the 20th century. He was announced as his choice to become a cardinal by Pope John Paul II, b ...

SJ (1988) * ''vacant'' (1988–1994) * Alois Grillmeier SJ (1994–1998) *

Zenon Grocholewski Zenon Grocholewski (11 October 1939 – 17 July 2020) was a Polish prelate of the Catholic Church, who was elevated to the rank of cardinal in 2001. He joined the Roman Curia in 1972 and served from 1999 until 2015 as Prefect of the Congregation ...

(2001–2020) *

Silvano Maria Tomasi Silvano Maria Tomasi C.S. (born 12 October 1940) is an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church who has served as the Special Delegate to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta since 1 November 2020. He was the Permanent Observer of the Holy See ...

(2020-present)

References

Bibliography

* Andreina Palombi, La basilica di San Nicola in Carcere: il complesso architettonico dei tre templi del Foro Olitorio (Roma: Istituto nazionale di studi romani, 2006). * Franco Astolfi, ''I templi di San Nicola in Carcere'' (Roma : E.S.S. Editorial Service System, 1999). orma Urbis, 5. 1999, Supplemento * ''S. Nicola in Carcere'' (Roma : Istituto nazionale di studi romani, 1991). o author* Giovanni Battista Proja, ''San Nicola in Carcere'' (Roma: Istituto di Studi Romani, 1981). n Italian* Vincenzo Golzio, ''San Nicola in Carcere e i tre templi del Foro Olitorio'' (Roma: Libreria Fratelli Treves dell'Anonima Libraria Italiana, 1928). n Italian

External links

Spherical panorama of the church interior
*High-resolution 360° Panoramas and Images o
San Nicola in Carcere , Art Atlas
{{DEFAULTSORT:San Nicola In Carcere Nicola Nicola Nicola 6th-century churches Roman Catholic churches completed in 1599 1599 establishments in Italy Nicola Carcere 16th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Saint Nicholas