The Basilica of Sts. Vitalis, Valeris, Gervase and Protase ( it, Basilica di Santi Vitale e Compagni Martiri in Fovea, la, Ss. Vitalis, Valeriae, Gervasii et Protasii) is an ancient

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played 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 ...

, and is both a

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 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 ...

cardinalatial title. It is commonly called the Basilica di San Vitale.

History

The basilica was built in 400 with funds provided by Vestina, a wealthy widow, and was consecrated by

Pope Innocent I Pope Innocent I ( la, Innocentius I) was the bishop of Rome from 401 to his death on 12 March 417. From the beginning of his papacy, he was seen as the general arbitrator of ecclesiastical disputes in both the East and the West. He confirmed the ...

in 401/402. It was dedicated to Ss. Gervasius and Protasius, and called the "titulus Vestinae". The dedication to St. Vitalis and his family ( Saint Valeria, his wife, and Sts.

Gervasius and Protasius Saints Gervasius and Protasius (also Saints Gervase and Protase, Gervasis and Prothasis and in French (language), French ''Gervais and Protais'') are venerated as Christian martyrs, probably of the 2nd century. They are the patron saints of Milan ...

, their sons) is dated to 412. This church is recorded as ''Titulus Vestinae'' in the acts of the 499 synod of

Pope Symmachus Pope Symmachus (died 19 July 514) was the bishop of Rome from 22 November 498 to his death. His tenure was marked by a serious schism over who was elected pope by a majority of the Roman clergy. Early life He was born on the Mediterranean islan ...

, and three priests from the church subscribed their names. San Vitale was restored several times, most importantly when it was extensively rebuilt by

Pope Sixtus IV Pope Sixtus IV ( it, Sisto IV: 21 July 1414 – 12 August 1484), born Francesco della Rovere, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 August 1471 to his death in August 1484. His accomplishments as pope include ...

before the Jubilee of 1475. Other interventions took place in 1512 under Cardinal del Monte; in 1598, in 1859 by the generosity of

Pope Pius IX Pope Pius IX ( it, Pio IX, ''Pio Nono''; born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878, the longest verified papal reign. He was notable for convoking the First Vatican ...

; in 1938 and 1960. Because of changes in the city over the centuries, the floor level of the church is now several metres below the level of the street on which it is located, the present-day via Nazionale.

Customs

Free bread was distributed to the poor by the church every Friday, according to the will of a gentleman from the Marches, Francesco Silla.

Architectural and Artistic Features

Exterior

The

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cult ...

is the most ancient part of the church, possibly dating back to the 5th century. It was altered at the end of the 16th century. The inscription on the portico, with the arms of Pope Sixtus IV, dates from this time.

built the staircase to the 5th century portico in 1859.

Interior

The church has a single nave, with walls frescoed with scenes of martyrdom, among which a '' Martyrdom of St Ignatius of Antioch'', in which a ruined

Colosseum The Colosseum ( ; it, Colosseo ) is an oval amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, just east of the Roman Forum. It is the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built, and is still the largest standing amphitheatre in the world to ...

is depicted. The apse, a surviving part of the original 5th century church, is decorated with a fresco by

Andrea Commodi Andrea Commodi (1560–1638) was an Italian painter of the early-Baroque period. Born in Florence, but mostly active in Rome, he was a pupil of the painter Cigoli. He painted frescoes in the sacristy of San Carlo ai Catinari and a ''Fall of the Ang ...

, ''The Ascent to Calvary''.

Cardinal Priests

Among the cardinals who previously took their title from the church were:

John Fisher John Fisher (c. 19 October 1469 – 22 June 1535) was an English Catholic bishop, cardinal, and theologian. Fisher was also an academic and Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. He was canonized by Pope Pius XI. Fisher was executed by o ...

, executed for treason in 1535 by

Henry VIII of England Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...

; and

Giovanni Maria Ciocchi del Monte Pope Julius III ( la, Iulius PP. III; it, Giulio III; 10 September 1487 – 23 March 1555), born Giovanni Maria Ciocchi del Monte, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 February 1550 to his death in March 155 ...

, who became Pope Julius III (1550–1555). The titulus was suppressed by

Pope Clement VIII Pope Clement VIII ( la, Clemens VIII; it, Clemente VIII; 24 February 1536 – 3 March 1605), born Ippolito Aldobrandini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 2 February 1592 to his death in March 1605. Born ...

in 1596. It was united with the nearby Jesuit church of S. Andrea. The titulus was restored 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 1880, with the appointment of Cardinal Andon Bedros IX Hassoun. The current

Cardinal Priest A cardinal ( la, Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae cardinalis, literally 'cardinal of the Holy Roman Church') is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. Cardinals are created by the ruling pope and typically hold the title for life. Col ...

is Cardinal

Adam Maida Adam Joseph Maida (born March 18, 1930) is an American cardinal prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. Maida served as the archbishop of the Archdiocese of Detroit in Michigan from 1990 to 2009, and was elevated to cardinal in 1994. Maida previo ...

. *Caelius Januarius (attested 499) ::... *Lictifredus (attested 1128–1130; 1133–1140) *Matthaeus (1130) *Thomas (1141–1146) *

Theodinus Theodinus, O.S.B. (died c. 1186) was a Benedictine monk, and a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He was a native of Arrone, a hilltop town 15 km east of Terni. He became a cardinal priest, and then cardinal bishop of Porto. He served as a ...

(1166–1179) ::... *Gregorius (1202–1207) *Joannes de Castrocoeli (1294–1295) *Petrus de Capella (1305–1306) * Jacques Duèse (1312–1313) *

Bertrand de la Tour Bertrand de la Tour (c. 1262–1332), also known as Bertrand de Turre, was a French Franciscan theologian and Cardinal. De la Tour was born in Camboulit in the old province of Quercy, France. Serving as a provincial minister in Aquitaine from 13 ...

, O.Min . (1320–1323) *Joannes de Convenis (Jean de Comminges) (1327–1331) *Elias de Nabinalis, O.Min. (1342–1348) * Nicolaus Capocci (1350–1361) *

Guillaume de Chanac Guillaume de Chanac (died December 30, 1383) was a French Benedictine who became a Cardinal. He was abbot at Bèze Abbey, and then was abbot at Saint-Florent from 1354 to 1368. He was Bishop of Chartres The oldest known list of bishops of Cha ...

, O.S.B. (1371–1383) *Jean de Muriolo (Murol) (1385–1399) (Avignon Obedience) *

Peter von Schaumberg Peter von Schaumberg (22 February 1388 – 12 April 1469) was Bishop of Augsburg in the 15th century. A member of the nobility, he was studied at the Universities of Heidelberg and Bologna. The bishop was a skilled diplomat and negotiator. Life ...

(1440−1469) * Ausiàs Despuig (1473–1477) *

Cristoforo della Rovere Cristoforo della Rovere (13 June 1434 – 1 February 1478) (called the Cardinal of Tarentaise) was an Italians, Italian Catholic Church, Roman Catholic Bishop (Catholic Church), bishop and Cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal. Biography A member of ...

(1477–1478) *

Domenico della Rovere Domenico della Rovere (1442 – 23 April 1501) was an Italian cardinal and patron of the arts. Life He was born at Vinovo, near Turin, and was not a relative of Pope Sixtus IV (Francesco Della Rovere), who, however, favoured him in the hope ...

(1478–1479) *

Ferry de Clugny Ferry de Clugny, Cardinal and Bishop of Tournai (Autun ca. 1430 – Rome 7 October 1483) was a highly placed statesman and ecclesiastic in the service of the Dukes of Burgundy. He was born at Autun, Burgundy, of a distinguished house that produc ...

(1480–1482) *

Joan Margarit i Pau Joan Margarit i Pau, or in Spanish Juan Margarit y Pau (died 21 November 1484), was a prominent Catalan prelate, a bishop of Girona and a cardinal. Biography Joan Margarit i Pau was born in Girona, around 1424, the son of an aristocratic fami ...

(1483–1484) *

Giovanni Conti Giovanni may refer to: * Giovanni (name), an Italian male given name and surname * Giovanni (meteorology), a Web interface for users to analyze NASA's gridded data * '' Don Giovanni'', a 1787 opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, based on the legend ...

(1489–1493) *

Raymond Peraudi Raymond Peraudi (1435–1505) was a French Augustinian, papal legate, and Cardinal. He was a perpetual traveler, engaging in diplomatic negotiations at various times for the pope, the emperor and the king of France. He was an effective administrato ...

(1496–1499) *

Jaime Serra i Cau Jaume Serra i Cau (, es, Jaime Serra y Cau; died 1517) was a Spanish Valencian cardinal, from the city of Valencia. He was tutor to the young Giovanni Borgia, and a close associate of his father Pope Alexander VI. He was archbishop of Orist ...

(1500–1502) *

Gianstefano Ferrero Giovanni Stefano Ferrero (1474–1510) (called the Cardinal of Bologna) was an Italian Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal. Biography Giovanni Stefano Ferrero was born in Biella on May 5, 1474, the son of Sebastiano Ferrero and Tomena Avogadro ...

(1502–1505) *

Antonio Ferrero Antonio Ferrero (died 1508) (called the Cardinal of Gubbio) was an Italian Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal. Biography Antonio Ferrero was born into a poor family in Savona. As a youth, he was a squire of Cardinal Girolamo Basso della Rover ...

(1505–1508) *

René de Prie René de Prie (1451–1519) was a French people, French Catholic Church, Roman Catholic Bishop (Catholic Church), bishop and Cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal. Biography René de Prie was born in Touraine in 1451, the son of Antoine de Prie, baron ...

(1509–1511) *

Antonio Maria Ciocchi del Monte Antonio Maria Ciocchi del Monte (died 20 September 1533) was an Italians, Italian Catholic Church, Roman Catholic Bishop (Catholic Church), bishop and Cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal. Early years, ca. 1462–1503 Antonio Maria Ciocchi del M ...

(1511–1514) * Francesco Conti (1517–1521) *

Marino Grimani Marino Grimani (c.1489–1546) was an Italian Cardinal and papal legate. He was from an aristocratic Venetian family. He was elected bishop of Ceneda in 1508, when he was under age. He was patriarch of Aquileia in 1517. He was created Cardin ...

(1528–1532) *

Esteban Gabriel Merino Esteban Gabriel Merino (died 1535) was a Spanish Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal. Biography Merino was born in Santisteban del Puerto, ca. 1472, the son of Alonso Merino and Mayor de Amorcuende, a family of the lowest condition. His father d ...

(1533–1534) *

(1535) *

Gasparo Contarini Gasparo Contarini (16 October 1483 – 24 August 1542) was an Italian diplomat, cardinal and Bishop of Belluno. He was one of the first proponents of the dialogue with Protestants, after the Reformation. Biography He was born in Venice, the eldes ...

(1535–1537) *

(1537–1542) *

Giovanni Morone Giovanni Morone (or Moroni) (25 January 1509 – 1 December 1580) was an Italian cardinal. He was named Bishop of Modena in 1529 and was created Cardinal in 1542 by Pope Paul III. As a cardinal, he resided in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace ...

(1542–1549) *

Filiberto Ferrero Filiberto Ferrero (1500–1549) was an Italian Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal. Biography Filiberto Ferrero was born in Biella in 1500, the son of Goffredo Ferrero, marquis of Bordolano, and his second wife Margherita Sanseverino, marchione ...

(1549) * Giovanni Ricci (1551–1566) *

Luigi Pisani Luigi Pisani (1522 – 3 June 1570) was an Italian Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal. Biography Luigi (Alvise) Pisani was born in Venice in 1522, the son of Giovanni Pisani, future Ambassador of the Republic of Venice to the Kingdom of Franc ...

(1566–1568) *

Luigi Cornaro Alvise Cornaro, often Italianised Luigi (1484, 1467 or 1464 gives a birth date of 1467 – 8 May 1566), was a Venetian nobleman and patron of arts, also remembered for his four books of ''Discorsi'' (published 1583–95) about the secrets to ...

(1568–1569) * Gaspar Cervantes (June 1570) * Pietro Donato Cesi (1570–1584) * Costanzo da Sarnano, O.Min.Conv. (1587) *

Antonio Sauli Antonio Maria Sauli (sometimes Antonio Sauli) (1541–1623) was the Archbishop of Genoa and later a Roman Catholic Cardinal, serving as the dean of the College of Cardinals for the last three years of his life. Sauli was born in Genoa. He was a ...

(1588–1591).

Restored title

Andon Bedros IX Hassoun Andon Bedros IX Hassoun (15 June 1809 – 28 February 1884) was an Ottoman prelate of the Armenian Catholic Church, who led the Armenian rite Catholic Church as Patriarch of Cilicia from 1866 to 1881; he was at the center of a schism that lasted ...

(1880–1884) *

Guglielmo Massaia Guglielmo Massaia (9 June 1809 - 6 August 1889), born Lorenzo Massaia, was an Italian cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who was also a missionary and Capuchin friar. His baptismal name was Lorenzo; he took Guglielmo as religious name. His ...

, O.F.M.Cap. (1884–1889) *

Albin Dunajewski Albin Dunajewski (born 1 March 1817 in Ivano-Frankivsk, Stanisławów - 19 June 1894 in Kraków) was a Bishop of Kraków, Poland, as well as charitable patron and high-profile social activist. Highlights In 1882, Albin Dunajewski ordained Brothe ...

(1891–1894) *

Jan Puzyna de Kosielsko Prince Jan Duklan Maurycy Paweł Puzyna de Kosielsko (13 September 1842 – 8 September 1911) was a Polish Roman Catholic Cardinal who was auxiliary bishop of Lwów (now Lviv, Ukraine) from 1886 to 1895, and the bishop of Kraków from 1895 un ...

(1902–1911) *

Louis-Nazaire Bégin Louis-Nazaire Bégin (January 10, 1840 – July 18, 1925) was a Canadian Cardinal of the Catholic Church. Begin held a doctorate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and was later appointed Archbishop of Quebec by ...

(1914–1925) *

Vicente Casanova y Marzol Vicente Casanova y Marzol (16 April 1854 – 23 October 1930) was a Spanish Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Granada from 1921 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1925. Biography Vicente C ...

(1925–1930) *

Karel Kašpar Karel Boromejský Kašpar (16 May 1870 – 21 April 1941) was a Czech Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Prague from 1931 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1935. Biography Born in Mirošov, ...

(1935–1941) *

Manuel Arce y Ochotorena Manuel Arce y Ochotorena (18 August 1879 – 16 September 1948) was a Spanish Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Tarragona from 1944 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1946 by Pope Pius XII. ...

(1946–1948) * Benjamín de Arriba y Castro (1953–1973) *

František Tomášek František Tomášek (30 June 1899, in Studénka, Moravia – 4 August 1992, in Prague, Czechoslovakia) was a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church in Bohemia, the 34th Archbishop of Prague, and a Roman Catholic theologian. His "cautious but ...

(1977–1992) *

(1994–present)Bräuer, p. 566.

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * Forcella, Vencenzo (1877). ''Le inscrizioni delle chiese e d'altri edifici di Roma'' Volume XI (Roma: L. Cecchini 1877). (in Latin and Italian) * *

External links

Official website of the Basilica di San Vitale
{{DEFAULTSORT:San Vitale 401 establishments

Vitale Vitale is a Russian surname and is usually a short form of Russian surnames such as ''Vitalik'', ''Vitalin'', or ''Vitalov''. It is also an Italian surname which derives from the Latin word ''Vita'' meaning 'life'. The name may refer to: *Ami Vital ...

5th-century establishments in Italy 5th-century establishments in the Roman Empire 15th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy