The Basilica of Saint Sylvester the First, also known as ( it, San Silvestro in Capite, la, Sancti Silvestri in Capite), is a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

minor basilica In the Catholic Church, a basilica is a designation given by the Pope to a church building. Basilicas are distinguished for ceremonial purposes from other churches. The building need not be a basilica in the architectural sense (a rectangular ...

and

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 ...

dedicated to

Pope Sylvester I Pope Sylvester I (also Silvester, 285 – 31 December 335) was the bishop of Rome from 31 January 314 until his death. He filled the see of Rome at an important era in the history of the Western Church, yet very little is known of him. The acco ...

(d. AD 335). It is located on the Piazza San Silvestro, at the corner of Via del Gambero and the Via della Mercede, and stands adjacent to the central Post Office. Built in the 8th century as a shrine for the relics of the saints and martyrs from the

Catacombs Catacombs are man-made subterranean passageways for religious practice. Any chamber used as a burial place is a catacomb, although the word is most commonly associated with the Roman Empire. Etymology and history The first place to be referred ...

, the church is the national church of

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

. 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 ...

words "in capite" refers to the canonical title of Pope Sylvester the First, to which ''in capite'' means ''in First, in Chief, or in Head''. The basilica is also famous for a

relic In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tangi ...

, a fragment of a head purported to be that of

John the Baptist John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...

, kept in a chapel to the left of the entrance. A second Roman church dedicated to

San Silvestro al Quirinale San Silvestro al Quirinale (or ''St. Sylvester on Quirinal Hill'') is a historic church in central Rome, Italy. It is located near Via XXIV Maggio corner with Via Mazzarino, a few blocks south of the Piazza del Quirinale. History The first ment ...

. The current Cardinal-Priest is Louis-Marie Ling Mangkhanekhoun, Apostolic Vicar of Vientiane.

History

The original church was built with an adjoining Basilian monastery, in the 8th century by the Popes

Paul I Paul I may refer to: *Paul of Samosata (200–275), Bishop of Antioch *Paul I of Constantinople (died c. 350), Archbishop of Constantinople *Pope Paul I (700–767) *Paul I Šubić of Bribir (c. 1245–1312), Ban of Croatia and Lord of Bosnia *Paul ...

and Stephen III, atop ruins of a pagan temple dedicated to

Sol Invictus Sol Invictus (, "Unconquered Sun"), sometimes simply known as Helios, was long considered to be the official sun god of the later Roman Empire. In recent years, however, the scholarly community has become divided on Sol between traditionalists a ...

, to house venerated relics of early Christian saints who were buried in the

catacombs Catacombs are man-made subterranean passageways for religious practice. Any chamber used as a burial place is a catacomb, although the word is most commonly associated with the Roman Empire. Etymology and history The first place to be referred ...

. The church was rebuilt and the

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 ...

with Romanesque arcades added in 1198 during the papacy of

Innocent III Pope Innocent III ( la, Innocentius III; 1160 or 1161 – 16 July 1216), born Lotario dei Conti di Segni (anglicized as Lothar of Segni), was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 January 1198 to his death in 16 J ...

, who transferred the relic of the head of St. John the Baptist to it and the name was changed to St. John in Capitol. In the 13th century the church was donated to the

Poor Clares The Poor Clares, officially the Order of Saint Clare ( la, Ordo sanctae Clarae) – originally referred to as the Order of Poor Ladies, and later the Clarisses, the Minoresses, the Franciscan Clarist Order, and the Second Order of Saint Francis ...

. It was rebuilt by the architects Francesco Capriani da Volterra and

Carlo Maderno Carlo Maderno (Maderna) (1556 – 30 January 1629) was an Italian architect, born in today's Ticino, who is remembered as one of the fathers of Baroque architecture. His façades of Santa Susanna, St. Peter's Basilica and Sant'Andrea della Valle ...

during 1591–1601, and subsequently restored in 1681. The relics of

Pope Stephen I Pope Stephen I ( la, Stephanus I) was the bishop of Rome from 12 May 254 to his death on 2 August 257.Mann, Horace (1912). "Pope St. Stephen I" in ''The Catholic Encyclopedia''. Vol. 14. New York: Robert Appleton Company. He was later canonized ...

and

Pope Dionysius Pope Dionysius was the bishop of Rome from 22 July 259 to his death on 26 December 268. His task was to reorganize the Roman church, after the persecutions of Emperor Valerian I and the edict of toleration by his successor Gallienus. He also h ...

were exhumed and re-enshrined beneath the high altar when the new church was consecrated in 1601. The church also contains the relics of

Tarcisius Tarsicius or Tarcisius was a martyr of the early Christian church who lived in the 3rd century. The little that is known about him comes from a metrical inscription by Pope Damasus I, who was pope in the second half of the 4th century. History Th ...

. The church of San Silvestro was granted to the English Catholics by

Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII ( it, Leone XIII; born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was the head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 to his death in July 1903. Living until the age of 93, he was the second-old ...

in 1890, and is now served by Irish

Pallottine Fathers The Pallottines officially named the Society of the Catholic Apostolate ( la, Societas Apostolatus Catholici), abbreviated SAC is a Society of Apostolic Life of Pontifical Right for men in the Roman Catholic Church, founded in 1835 by the Roman C ...

. Mass is thus regularly celebrated in the English language. The church is the National Church in Rome of

, although the structures of the Catholic Church continue to be organized separately for England and Wales,

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

and Ireland. The Scottish national church in Rome,

Sant'Andrea degli Scozzesi Sant' Andrea degli Scozzesi (English: St Andrew of the Scots) is a former Catholic church in Rome, near Piazza Barberini on Via delle Quattro Fontane. Once a haven for Scottish Catholics in Rome, it was deconsecrated in 1962 and still stands. Hi ...

, was deconsecrated in 1962.

Exterior

The church has an

atrium Atrium may refer to: Anatomy * Atrium (heart), an anatomical structure of the heart * Atrium, the genital structure next to the genital aperture in the reproductive system of gastropods * Atrium of the ventricular system of the brain * Pulmona ...

and

narthex The narthex is an architectural element typical of early Christian and Byzantine basilicas and churches consisting of the entrance or lobby area, located at the west end of the nave, opposite the church's main altar. Traditionally the narthex ...

, which isolates the church from the busy square outside. There are fragments of early Christian sculpture, many with inscriptions, embedded in the walls of the atrium. The facade was completed in 1703. It has an unusual giant order topped with four baroque statues: ''San Silvestro'' by Lorenzo Ouone, ''

Saint Stephen Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ''Stéphanos'', meaning "wreath, crown" and by extension "reward, honor, renown, fame", often given as a title rather than as a name; c. 5 – c. 34 AD) is traditionally venerated as the protomartyr or first ...

'' by Michelangelo Borgognone, '' Saint Clare'' by Giuseppe Mazzoni and '' Saint Francis'' by Vincenzo Felice.

Interior

It is believed that the high altar, which predates the present church, was influenced by the style 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 ...

. The interior is rich in marble, gilding, and artistic decoration. The nave has an ''Assumption with Saints'' frescoed (1680) by

Giacinto Brandi Giacinto Brandi (1621 – 19 January 1691) was an Italian painter from the Baroque era, active mainly in Rome and Naples. left, 250px, ''Christ in Gesthemane'', Pinacoteca Vaticana left, 250px, Dome of the church of San Carlo al Corso ...

. The main altar carved ciborium or canopy (1667) by

Carlo Rainaldi Carlo Rainaldi (4 May 1611 – 8 February 1691) was an Italian architect of the Baroque period. Biography Born in Rome, Rainaldi was one of the leading architects of 17th century Rome, known for a certain grandeur in his designs. He worked at f ...

. The cupola was frescoed (1605) by

Cristoforo Roncalli Cristoforo Roncalli (c. 1552–1626) was an Italian mannerist painter. He was one of the three painters known as ''Pomarancio'' or ''Il Pomarancio''. Life Roncalli was born in Pomarance, a town near Volterra. His training occurred in ...

. A ''Martyrdom of San Stephan I'' and a ''Messengers of Constantine call on San Silvestro'' (1610) were frescoed in the apse by

Orazio Borgianni Orazio Borgianni (6 April 1574 – 14 January 1616) was an Italian painter and etcher of the Mannerist and early- Baroque periods. He was the stepbrother of the sculptor and architect Giulio Lasso. Borgianni was born in Rome, where he was doc ...

. In the baptistry apse, there is a ''Baptism of Constantine'' by

Ludovico Gimignani Ludovico Gimignani (1643 – 26 June 1697) was an Italian painter, who is mainly known for his altarpieces for churches in Rome. Biography Ludovico was born in Rome as the son of the painter Giacinto (1611–1681). His father was one of the mai ...

. The transept has a ''History of San Silvestro'' (1690) also by Gimignani, and a ''Madonna with Child'' by

Baccio Ciarpi Baccio Ciarpi (1574–1654) was an Italian painter of the late- Mannerism and early- Baroque style. Born in Barga in Tuscany, he was active in Rome and Florence. He is best known for having mentored briefly Pietro da Cortona. He painted a number o ...

. In the first chapel to the right is a ''Madonna with Child & Saint Anthony of Padua & Stephen I'' and other saints (1695) by

Giuseppe Chiari Giuseppe Bartolomeo Chiari (10 March 1654 – 8 September 1727), also known simply as ''Giuseppe Chiari'', was an Italian painter of the late-Baroque period, active mostly in Rome. Biography Born in Rome, he was one of the main assistants, alon ...

. In the second chapel is a ''Saint Francis receives stigmata'' (1610) by

Orazio Gentileschi Orazio Lomi Gentileschi (1563–1639) was an Italian painter. Born in Tuscany, he began his career in Rome, painting in a Mannerist style, much of his work consisting of painting the figures within the decorative schemes of other artists. After ...

accompanied by paintings of the life of the saint by

Luigi Garzi Luigi Garzi (1638 – 1721) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, whose work displayed heavy influences of the Bolognese painter, Guido Reni. Biography Born in Pistoia. He started learning from a poorly known landscape painter, Salomo ...

. In the third, a ''Pentecost'' by

Giuseppe Ghezzi Giuseppe Ghezzi (November 6, 1634–1721) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, active mainly in Rome. Biography Born in Comunanza, in the Marche (then part of the Papal States), he was the son of the painter Sebastiano Ghezzi, a painte ...

. The left transept has a ''Madonna & Child'' by Terenzio Terenzi. In the third chapel on the left is a fresco of the ''Immaculate Conception'' by Gimignani. On the walls are an ''Adoration by the Magi'' and ''Visitation'' by the Milanese il Morrazzone. In the second chapel is a ''Pope San Marcello has a vision of the Sacred Family'' and a ''Transit and Glory of San Giuseppe'' by Gimignani. In the first chapel are canvases of the ''Passion'' (1695) by

Francesco Trevisani 200px, ''Portrait of Cardinal Pietro Ottoboni ''by Francesco Trevisani. The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, County Durham">Barnard_Castle.html" ;"title="Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle">Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, County Durham, England. Frances ...

Convent

convent A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...

, dedicated to

and

, was built adjacent to the church. The nuns remained in that convent until 1876 when they were dispossessed. The convent has recently been renovated and continues to serve as the main Post Office of Rome.

List of Cardinal-Priests since 1517

List of the cardinal titulars of the church Cardinal Title S. Silvestro in Capite
/ref> * Louis II de Bourbon de Vendôme (6 July 1517 – 11 June 1521) * Uberto Gàmbara (28 January 1540 – 23 March 1541) *

Tommaso Badia Tommaso Badia (1483 – 6 September 1547) was an Italian Dominican cardinal. Badia was born in Modena in 1483. He contributed to the establishment of the Jesuits and was the theological advisor of cardinal Gasparo Contarini. Badia was disputant ...

(12 June 1542 – 6 September 1547) * Fabio Mignanelli (4 December 1551 – 12 June 1556) *

Taddeo Gaddi Taddeo Gaddi (c. 1290, in Florence – 1366, in Florence) was a medieval Italian painter and architect. He was the son of Gaddo di Zanobi, called Gaddo Gaddi. He was a member of Giotto's workshop from 1313 until the master's death in 1337. A ...

(24 March 1557 – 22 December 1561) *

Annibale Bozzuti Annibale Bozzuti (1521–1565) was an Italian Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal. Biography Annibale Bozzuti was born in Montecalvo Irpino, Kingdom of Naples on 2 February 1521, the son of Ludovico Bozzuti and Lucrezia Guindazzi. He was from a ...

(15 May 1565 – 6 October 1565) * Marcantonio Bobba (8 February 1566 – 2 June 1572) *

François de Joyeuse François de Joyeuse (24 June 1562 – 23 August 1615) was a French churchman and politician. Biography Born at Carcassonne, François de Joyeuse was the second son of Guillaume de Joyeuse and Marie Eléanor de Batarnay. As the younger son of a ...

(20 May 1585 – 11 December 1587) * Francisco de Ávila (21 April 1597 – 8 January 1599) *

Pierre de Gondi Pierre de Gondi, cardinal de Retz (1533–1616) was a French bishop and cardinal of the Gondi family. Life Born in Lyon, he was a brother of Albert de Gondi (two of whose sons, Henri and Jean-François, succeeded Pierre as bishop of Paris) and a ...

(23 May 1588 – 17 February 1616) * Franz Seraph von Dietrichstein (17 March 1599 – 27 September 1623) *

Melchior Klesl Melchior Khlesl (Klesl,Klesel,CleseliusHe uses the spelling Khlesl himself in his German-language correspondence: Victor Bibl, Klesl's Briefe an K. Rudolfs II. Obersthofmeister Adam Freiherrn von Dietrichstein (1583-1589). Ein Beitrag zur Geschic ...

(20 November 1623 – 1 July 1624) *

Giovanni Battista Maria Pallotta Giovanni Battista Maria Pallotta (also Palotta or Palotto) (23 January, 1594 – 22 January, 1668) was an Italian Catholic Cardinal. Early life Pallotta was born in 1594 in Caldarola to a well respected family. He was the nephew of Cardinal Gio ...

(26 May 1631 – 23 September 1652) *

Girolamo Colonna Girolamo Colonna (23 March 1604 – 4 September 1666) was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and member of the noble Colonna family. Biography Colonna was born at Orsogna into the Colonna family and his extended family included m ...

(23 September 1652 – 9 June 1653) *

Carlo Rossetti Carlo Rossetti, ca. 1654-1672. Carlo Rossetti (Roscetti) (1614 – 23 November 1681) was an Italian Catholic Cardinal, born of the noble Rossetti family in Ferrara. Earlier in his career he went to London as a secret nuncio on behalf of Pope Urb ...

(9 March 1654 – 14 November 1672) *

Gasparo Carpegna Gaspare Carpegna (8 April 1625 – 6 May 1714) was an Italian Catholic Cardinal. Early life Gaspare was born in 1625 in Rome. His mother was from the Spada family. He was a relative of the Cardinal Ulderico Carpegna of the Holy Roman Cath ...

(14 November 1672 – 19 October 1689) *

Giovanni Francesco Albani Pope Clement XI ( la, Clemens XI; it, Clemente XI; 23 July 1649 – 19 March 1721), born Giovanni Francesco Albani, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 23 November 1700 to his death in March 1721. Clement XI w ...

(30 March 1700 – 23 November 1700) * Girolamo Casanate (7 November 1689 – 3 March 1700) * Johannes Philipp von Lamberg (3 January 1701 – 21 October 1712) * Luigi Pico della Mirandola (21 November 1712 – 24 April 1728) * Prospero Marefoschi (20 September 1728 – 24 February 1732) * Vincenzo Bichi (20 May 1743 – 23 September 1743) *

Francesco Scipione Maria Borghese Francesco Scipione Maria Borghese (20 May 1697, in Rome – 21 June 1759, in Rome) was an Italian cardinal from the Borghese family. He was elevated to cardinal by Pope Benedict XIII in the consistory of 6 July 1729. References Sources ...

(31 March 1732 – 20 May 1743) * Antonio Maria Ruffo (23 September 1743 – 22 February 1753) * Federico Marcello Lante Montefeltro della Rovere (9 April 1753 – 13 July 1759) * Ferdinando Maria De Rossi (19 November 1759 – 14 December 1767) *

François-Joachim de Pierre de Bernis François-Joachim de Pierre de Bernis, comte de Lyonnais (22 May 1715 – 3 November 1794) was a French cardinal and diplomat. He was the sixth member elected to occupy Seat 3 of the Académie française in 1744. Bernis was one of the most pro ...

(26 June 1769 – 18 April 1774) * Innocenzo Conti (3 April 1775 – 15 December 1783) * Giovanni Maria Riminaldi (29 January 1787 – 12 October 1789) * Francesco Carrara (11 April 1791 – 26 March 1793) * Carlo Livizzani Forni (21 February 1794 – 1 July 1802) *

Bartolomeo Pacca Bartolomeo Pacca (27 December 1756, Benevento – 19 April 1844) was an Italian cardinal, scholar, and statesman as Cardinal Secretary of State. Pacca served as apostolic nuncio to Cologne, and later to Lisbon. Biography Bartolomeo Pacca was ...

(9 August 1802 – 2 October 1818) * Antonio Pallotta (16 May 1823 – 19 July 1834) * Luigi Bottiglia Savoulx (1 August 1834 – 14 September 1836) *

Costantino Patrizi Naro Costantino Patrizi Naro JUD (4 September 1798 – 17 December 1876) was a long-serving Italian Cardinal who became Dean of the College of Cardinals. Cardinal Benedetto Naro was his great-uncle. Biography Born in Siena, Naro was educated in the C ...

(21 November 1836 – 20 April 1849) * Jacques-Marie-Adrien-Césaire Mathieu (18 March 1852 – 9 July 1875) * Louis-Marie Caverot (25 June 1877 – 24 March 1884) * Vicenzo Vannutelli (4 June 1891 – 19 April 1900) *

Donato Sbarretti Donato Raffaele Sbarretti Tazza (NovemberSources differ as to whether he was born on 10 or 12 November. 1856 – 1 April 1939)(2 April 1939)Donato Sbaretti, Cardinal, 82, Dead ''The New York Times'' was an Italian Roman Catholic Cardinal w ...

(6 December 1916 – 17 December 1928) *

Luigi Lavitrano Luigi Lavitrano (7 March 1874 – 2 August 1950) was an Italian cardinal of the Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Palermo from 1928 to 1944, and as prefect of the Sacred Congregation for Religious from 1945 until his death. Lavitr ...

(19 December 1929 – 2 August 1950) *

Valerio Valeri Valerio Valeri (7 November 1883 – 22 July 1963) was an Italian Cardinal of the Catholic Church. He served as Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for Religious in the Roman Curia from 1953 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate ...

(15 January 1953 – 22 July 1963) *

John Carmel Heenan John Carmel Heenan (26 January 1905 – 7 November 1975) was a senior-ranking English prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Westminster from 1963 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1965. Biography E ...

(25 February 1965 – 7 November 1975) * George Hume (24 May 1976 – 17 June 1999) *

Desmond Connell Desmond Connell (24 March 1926 – 21 February 2017) was an Irish cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church. He was an Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland. Cardinal Connell was one of a number of senior clergy to have been heavily criticised ...

(21 February 2001 – 21 February 2017) *

Louis-Marie Ling Mangkhanekhoun Louis-Marie Ling Mangkhanekhoun I.V.D. (born 8 April 1944) is a Laotian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. A bishop since 2001, he has been a cardinal since 28 June 2017 and the Apostolic Vicar of the Apostolic Vicariate of Vientiane, in Laos ...

(28 June 2017 – present)

Notes

External links

Basilica of San Silvestro in Capite (church website)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Silvestro In Capite Basilica churches in Rome Titular churches 8th-century churches in Italy Baroque architecture in Rome 17th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy National churches in Rome Pallottines Catholic Church in the United Kingdom Churches of Rome (rione Colonna)