HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem or Basilica di Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, ( la, Basilica Sanctae Crucis in Hierusalem) is a
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 ...
Minor basilica and titular church in
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 ...
Esquilino, Rome, Italy. It is one of the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome. According to Christian tradition, the basilica was consecrated circa 325 to house the relics of the Passion of Jesus Christ brought to Rome from the Holy Land by Empress Helena, mother of Roman
Emperor 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 convert to Christianity. Born in Naissus, Dacia Mediterran ...
. The basilica's floor was covered with soil from Jerusalem, thus acquiring the title ''in Hierusalem''; it is not dedicated to the Holy Cross of Jerusalem, but the basilica was considered in a sense to be "in Jerusalem" (much in the way that an embassy today is considered extraterritorial). 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 ...
of the ''Titulus S. Crucis in Hierusalem'' is
Juan José Omella born 21 April 1946) is a Spanish prelate of the Catholic Church. He has been the Archbishop of Barcelona since the end of 2015, a cardinal since 28 June 2017, and president of the Episcopal Conference of Spain since 3 March 2020. Biography Omel ...
.


History

The basilica is built on the foundations of an imperial villa called ''Horti Variani ad Spem Veterem'' which was begun by the Emperor Septimius Severus and finished by the Emperor Elagabalus in the third century. The site included the Amphitheatre of Castrense, the Circus of Variano, and the Eleniane Baths (so called after the restoration carried out by the Empress Helena). It contained a residential nucleus in which there was a large hall (later forming the basis for the basilica) and an apse hall. The villa was deprived of some of its material when the Aurelian Walls were constructed in 272. At the beginning of the 4th century the palace was chosen as a residence by the Empress Helena, mother of Constantine, with the name of Palazzo Sessoriano. The name Sessoriano comes from the Latin sedeo, or "siedo" since in the late imperial era the imperial council used to meet in a hall of the palace. It was on her initiative that the large rectangular hall was transformed into a Christian basilica around 320, originally covered by a flat ceiling, illuminated by twenty windows placed five on each side and with valuable marble decoration in the lower register. Helena had some soil from
Calvary Calvary ( la, Calvariae or ) or Golgotha ( grc-gre, Γολγοθᾶ, ''Golgothâ'') was a site immediately outside Jerusalem's walls where Jesus was said to have been crucified according to the canonical Gospels. Since at least the early mediev ...
dispersed. The basilica of Santa Croce was declared a titular church by Pope Gregory I in 523. Despite the fact it was located on the outskirts of Rome, it became a destination of regular pilgrimage, thanks to the popularity of the relics it kept. In the eighth century, the basilica was restored by Pope Gregory II. After the Basilica fell into neglect,
Pope Lucius II Pope Lucius II (died 15 February 1145), born Gherardo Caccianemici dal Orso, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 March 1144 to his death in 1145. His pontificate was notable for the unrest in Rome associated wit ...
restored it in the 12th century, giving it a Romanesque appearance, with a nave, two aisles, belfry, and porch. The Cosmatesque pavement dates from this period. Of the eight original floors of the bell tower, only the last four remain visible; the first four floors are instead incorporated into the monastery below. The foundation of the monastery dates to the 10th century. Over the centuries, various religious communities have alternated in the complex.
Pope Leo IX Pope Leo IX (21 June 1002 – 19 April 1054), born Bruno von Egisheim-Dagsburg, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 12 February 1049 to his death in 1054. Leo IX is considered to be one of the most historically ...
, in 1049, entrusted the monastery to the Benedictines of Montecassino. In 1062
Pope Alexander II Pope Alexander II (1010/1015 – 21 April 1073), born Anselm of Baggio, was the head of the Roman Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1061 to his death in 1073. Born in Milan, Anselm was deeply involved in the Pataria reform ...
installed the Canons Regular of San Frediano di Lucca, who abandoned it during the period of the Avignonese papacy. Around 1370,
Pope Urban V Pope Urban V ( la, Urbanus V; 1310 – 19 December 1370), born Guillaume de Grimoard, was the head of the Catholic Church from 28 September 1362 until his death in December 1370 and was also a member of the Order of Saint Benedict. He was the on ...
assigned Santa Croce to the
Carthusians The Carthusians, also known as the Order of Carthusians ( la, Ordo Cartusiensis), are a Latin enclosed religious order of the Catholic Church. The order was founded by Bruno of Cologne in 1084 and includes both monks and nuns. The order has its ...
, who remained there until 1561, when the Lombard Cistercians of the Congregation of Saint Bernard took over. This congregation was finally suppressed in 2011 by a decree of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, after an inquiry found evidence of liturgical and financial irregularities as well as irregular lifestyle. Throughout the course of the Middle Ages the basilica was a popular destination for pilgrimages, particularly of a penitential type, and especially during the period of Lent. On Good Friday popes themselves walked barefoot, as a sign of penance, along the road that connected Saint John Lateran (papal residence) to the basilica of Santa Croce to come and venerate the relic of the Cross of Jesus. This tradition was then taken up by the Roman Missal and integrated into the Liturgy of Good Friday, which includes a moment of adoration of the cross. In the vault is a mosaic designed by Melozzo da Forlì, created some time before 1485 and depicting ''Jesus Blessing'', ''Histories of the Cross'', and various saints. The altar has a large statue of St. Helena, which was created by adapting an ancient statue of the Roman goddess
Juno Juno commonly refers to: *Juno (mythology), the Roman goddess of marriage and queen of the gods * ''Juno'' (film), 2007 Juno may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional characters *Juno, in the film '' Jenny, Juno'' *Juno, in the ...
discovered at Ostia. The basilica was further modified in the 16th century. In 1601, during his first stay in Rome, Peter Paul Rubens was commissioned by Archduke Albert of Austria to paint his first altarpiece, ''St. Helena with the True Cross'', for one of the side chapels. Two of the side panels, ''St. Helena with the True Cross'' and ''The Mocking of Christ'', are now in Grasse, France. The third, ''The Elevation of the Cross'', has been lost. The church assumed its current late Baroque appearance under Pope Benedict XIV (1740–58), who had been its titular prior to his elevation to the Papacy. This eighteenth-century restructuring led to a total renewal of the interior, with the vault painted by
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 ...
(a celebrated artist of the time). Finally, new streets were also opened to connect the Basilica to San Giovanni in Laterano and Santa Maria Maggiore. The façade of the Basilica, which was designed by Pietro Passalacqua and Domenico Gregorini,"Santa Croce in Gerusalemme Church", World Monuments Fund
/ref> shares the typical late Roman
Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including th ...
style of these other basilicas.


Cappella delle Reliquie

Several famous relics of disputed authenticity are housed in the ''Cappella delle Reliquie'', built in 1930 by architect
Florestano Di Fausto Florestano Di Fausto (16 July 1890 – 11 January 1965) was an Italian architect, engineer and politician who is best known for his building designs in the Italian overseas territories around the Mediterranean. He is considered the most important ...
, including part of the ''Elogium'' or
Titulus Crucis The Titulus Crucis (Latin for "Title of the Cross") is a piece of wood kept in the Church of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme in Rome which is claimed to be the (title panel) of the True Cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. It is venerated by ...
, i.e. the panel which was hung on Christ's Cross (generally either ignored by scholars or considered to be a mediaeval forgery); two thorns of the
Crown of Thorns According to the New Testament, a woven crown of thorns ( or grc, ἀκάνθινος στέφανος, akanthinos stephanos, label=none) was placed on the head of Jesus during the events leading up to his crucifixion. It was one of the inst ...
; part of a nail; the index finger of St. Thomas; and three small wooden pieces of the True Cross. A much larger piece of the True Cross was taken from the Basilica on the instructions of Pope Urban VIII in 1629 to
St. Peter's Basilica The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican ( it, Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano), or simply Saint Peter's Basilica ( la, Basilica Sancti Petri), is a church built in the Renaissance style located in Vatican City, the papal en ...
, where it is kept near the colossal statue of St. Empress Helena sculpted by Andrea Bolgi in 1639.


Other Art

The apse of the Basilica includes frescoes telling the ''Legends of the True Cross'', attributed to Melozzo,
Antoniazzo Romano Antoniazzo Romano, born Antonio di Benedetto Aquilo degli Aquili (c. 1430 – c. 1510) was an Italian Early Renaissance painter, the leading figure of the Roman school during the latter part of the 15th century. He "made a speciality of re ...
, and Marco Palmezzano. The Museum of the Basilica houses a mosaic icon which, according to the legend, Pope Gregory I had made after a vision of Christ. The icon, however, is believed to have been given to the Basilica around 1385 by Raimondo Del Balzo Orsini. Notable also is the tomb of Cardinal Francisco de Quiñones sculpted by
Jacopo Sansovino Jacopo d'Antonio Sansovino (2 July 1486 – 27 November 1570) was an Italian Renaissance sculptor and architect, best known for his works around the Piazza San Marco in Venice. These are crucial works in the history of Venetian Renaissance arch ...
in 1536.


List of Cardinal-Priests

* Amicus (1120 – 1121/2) * Gerardo Caccianemici (1123–44) * Ubaldo Caccianemici (1144 – 1170/1171) * Ardoino da Piacenza (1178–1182) * Albinus (March 1185–1189) * Leone Brancaleone (1202–1224) * Pietro d'Aquila (1294–1298) *
Teodorico Ranieri Teodorico Ranieri of Orvieto (died 7 December 1306) was an Italian cardinal. He was archbishop of Pisa The Archdiocese of Pisa ( la, Archidioecesis Pisana) is a metropolitan see of the Catholic Church in Pisa, Italy.708, Pisan); on 30–31 July ...
(1298–1299) * Raymond de Canillac (1350–1361) * Gui de Maillesec (1375–1384) * Cosma Gentile Migliorati (1389–1404) * Giovanni Migliorati (1405–1410) * Francesco Lando (1411–1424) *
Niccolò Albergati Niccolò Albergati (1373 – 9 May 1443) was an Italian Roman Catholic prelate and professed member from the Carthusians. He became a cardinal and had served as a papal diplomat to France and England (1422–23) in addition to serving ...
(1426–1433) * Domenico Capranica (1444–1458) *
Angelo Capranica Angelo Capranica (c. 1415 -1478) (called the Cardinal of Santa Croce or the Cardinal of Rieti) was an Italian Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal. Biography Angelo Capranica was born in Rome around 1415, the son of de Niccoló Pantagati da Capr ...
(1460–1472) * Pedro González de Mendoza (1478–1495) *
Bernardino López de Carvajal Bernardino López de Carvajal (8 September 1456, in Plasencia, Extremadura – 16 December 1523, in Rome) was a Spanish Cardinal. He was a nephew of Cardinal Juan Carvajal, and advanced rapidly in the ecclesiastical career at Rome, whither he ...
(1495–1507), '' in commendam'' (1507–1511) *
Antonio Maria Ciocchi del Monte Antonio Maria Ciocchi del Monte (died 20 September 1533) was an Italian Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal. Early years, ca. 1462–1503 Antonio Maria Ciocchi del Monte was born in Monte San Savino sometime between late September 1461 and e ...
, in commendam (1511–1527) * Francisco de Quiñones (1527–1540) * Marcello Cervini (1540–1555) * Bartolomé de la Cueva de Albuquerque (1555–1562) * Giovanni Antonio Capizucchi (1562–1565) *
Francisco Pacheco de Toledo Francisco Pacheco de Toledo (1508 – 23 August 1579) was a Spanish cardinal. Life Pacheco was born in Ciudad Rodrigo. He was admitted to the court of Charles V and Philip II of Spain. In 1545 he joined his uncle, cardinal Pedro Pacheco de ...
(1565–1579) *
Albert VII, Archduke of Austria Albert may refer to: Companies * Albert (supermarket), a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic * Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands * Albert Market, a street market in The Gambia * Albert Productions, a record label * Alb ...
(1580–1598)Guilelmus van Gulik and Conradus Eubel, ''Hierarchia catholica medii et recentioris aevi'' Volumen tertium, editio altera (ed. L. Schmitz-Kallenberg) (Monasterii 1923), p. 45. * Francisco de Múxica Guzmán de Avila (1599–1606) *
Ascanio Colonna Ascanio Colonna (1560–1608) was an Italian Cardinal who in his lifetime enjoyed a reputation for eloquence and learning.Franca Petrucci,Colonna, Ascanio, in ''Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani'', vol. 27 (1982) Life Colonna was born in Mar ...
(1606) *
Antonio Zapata y Cisneros Antonio Zapata y Cisneros, also listed as Zapata y Mendoza,Salvador Miranda (Madrid, 8 October 1550 – Madrid, c. 27 April 1635) was a Spanish bishop. He served as Roman Catholic Diocese of Cadiz y Ceuta, bishop of Cádiz and Roman Catholic Arch ...
(1606–1616) *
Gaspar de Borja y Velasco Gaspar de Borja y Velasco (26 June 1580 – 28 December 1645) was a Spanish cardinal, ecclesiastic and politician. He belonged to the house of Borgia (though he always used the Spanish spelling of ''Borja'') and served as Primate of Spain, Archbi ...
(1616–1630) * Baltasar Moscoso y Sandoval (1630–1665) *
Alfonso Litta Alfonso Michele Litta (19 September 1608 – 28 August 1679) was an Italian nobleman who was a Cardinal and Archbishop of Milan from 1652 to 1679. Early life Alfonso Litta was born in Milan on 19 September 1608, the second child of Marquess Pomp ...
(1666–1679) * Johann Eberhard Neidhardt SJ (1679–1681) * Decio Azzolino the younger (1681–1683) * ''vacant'' (1683–1689) * Pedro de Salazar (1689–1706) * Ulisse Giuseppe Gozzadini (1709–1728) * Prospero Lambertini (1728–1740) * Giuseppe Firrao (seniore) (1740–1744) * Gioacchino Besozzi (1744–1755) * Luca Melchiore Tempi (1757–1762) * Lodovico Valenti (1762–1763) * Nicola Serra (1766–1767) * Antonio Eugenio Visconti (1775–1788) * František de Paula Hrzán z Harrasova (1788–1804) * ''Vacant'' (1804–1816) * Alessandro Malvasia (1816–1819) * Placido Zurla (1823–1834) * Alessandro Giustiniani (1834–1843) *
Antonio Maria Cagiano de Azevedo Antonio Maria Cagiano de Azevedo (14 December 1797 – 13 January 1867) was a Catholic Cardinal and held a number of significant legal positions within the Catholic Church during the 19th century. Personal life Cagiano was born 14 December 1797 ...
(1844–1854) * János Scitovszky (1854–1866) *
Raffaele Monaco La Valletta Raffaele Monaco La Valletta S.T.D. J.U.D. (23 February 1827 – 14 July 1896) was a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Secretary of the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office. Education Raffaele Monaco La Vallett ...
(1868–1884) *
Lucido Maria Parocchi Lucido Maria Parocchi (13 August 1833 – 15 January 1903) was an Italian cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Secretary of the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office from 5 August 1896 until his death. Biography Luc ...
(1884–1889) *
Pierre-Lambert Goossens Pierre-Lambert Goossens (18 July 1827 – 25 January 1906) was a Belgian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Mechelen from 1884 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1889. Biography Pierre-Lamber ...
(1889–1906) *
Benedetto Lorenzelli Benedetto Lorenzelli (11 May 1853 – 15 September 1915) was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Prefect of the Sacred Congregation of Studies from 1914 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1907. ...
(1907–1915) *
Willem Marinus van Rossum Willem Marinus van Rossum, C.Ss.R. (3 September 1854 – 30 August 1932) was a Dutch prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was made a cardinal in 1911, led the Apostolic Penitentiary from 1915 to 1918, and served as Prefect of the Congre ...
(1915–1932) * Pietro Fumasoni Biondi (1933–1960) * Giuseppe Ferretto (1961) *
Efrem Forni Efrem Leone Pio Forni (10 January 1889 – 26 February 1976) was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Nuncio to Belgium and Internuncio to Luxembourg from 1953 to 1962, and was elevated to the Cardinalate in 1962 ...
(1962–1976) * Victor Razafimahatratra (1976–1993) *
Miloslav Vlk Miloslav Vlk (; 17 May 1932 – 18 March 2017) was a Czech prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Prague from 1991 to 2010. He was made a cardinal in 1994. He was also the President of the Council of European Bishops' Co ...
(1994–2017) *
Juan José Omella born 21 April 1946) is a Spanish prelate of the Catholic Church. He has been the Archbishop of Barcelona since the end of 2015, a cardinal since 28 June 2017, and president of the Episcopal Conference of Spain since 3 March 2020. Biography Omel ...
(2017–present)


Notes


References

* Raimondo Besozzi, ''La storia della Basilica di Santa Croce in Gerusalemme'' (Roma: Generoso Salomoni 1750). * Marie-Théodore de Busierre, Les sept basiliques de Rome Tome second (Paris: Jacques Lecoffre 1846), pp. 157–178. * Paolo Coen, ''Le Sette Chiese'' (Rome: Newton Compton). * Claudio Rendina, ''La Grande Enciclopedia di Roma'' (Rome: Newton Compton) *


External links


Official Site
*
Description in the site of the "Soprintendenza Speciale per il Colosseo, il MNR e l'Area archeologica di Roma"
' *High-resolution 360° Panoramas and Images o
Santa Croce in Gerusalemme , Art Atlas
{{DEFAULTSORT:Croce in Gerusalemme, Santa 4th-century churches 12th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy 18th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Basilica churches in Rome Baroque architecture in Rome Croce Gerusalemme Burial places of popes Holy Cross