The church of San Lorenzo in Panisperna 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 let ...

church on Via Panisperna,

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 ...

, central

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 ...

. It was previously known as "San Lorenzo in Formoso". It was erected on the site of its dedicatee's martyrdom. It is one of several churches in

dedicated to him.

Name

"Panisperna" most probably refers to the tradition of 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 ...

of the adjacent convent distributing bread and ham, "''panis et perna''" in

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 ...

on 10 August, the Feast of

St. Lawrence Saint Lawrence or Laurence ( la, Laurentius, lit. " laurelled"; 31 December AD 225 – 10 August 258) was one of the seven deacons of the city of Rome under Pope Sixtus II who were martyred in the persecution of the Christians that the Roma ...

, in remembrance of his distribution of funds of the Church to the poor. The previous name of the church "in Formoso" referred to

Pope Formosus Pope Formosus (896) was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 6 October 891 until his death on 4 April 896. His reign as pope was troubled, marked by interventions in power struggles over the Patriarchate of Constantinople, the ...

who erected the first attested church on its site.

History

Tradition states that the first edifice on the site was constructed during the reign of 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 Constantine the Great and Christianity, convert to Christiani ...

, only 100 years after the martyrdom of

. In the fifth century, this church was one of the Stational Churches of

that the Pope visited on its titular day: the Thursday of the first week in

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 ...

. Recent popes have revived this ancient custom. The first written evidence of an ecclesiastical edifice on the site is from 1300, when Pope Boniface VIII rebuilt the church and annexed an abbey to it. That abbey was given to the Benedictines in 1451 and later hosted the

. They were removed in February 1872 as part of the confiscations of the new Italian government, but were restored through the efforts of Cardinal Jacopo Colonna in 1896, who also restored the church and abbey. The

Franciscans , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans , abbreviation = OFM , predecessor = , ...

presently serve the church. The present church is the result of a rebuilding by Carlo Rainaldi in 1575-6 under

Pope Gregory XIII Pope Gregory XIII ( la, Gregorius XIII; it, Gregorio XIII; 7 January 1502 – 10 April 1585), born Ugo Boncompagni, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 May 1572 to his death in April 1585. He is best known for ...

. At this time it became denominated "in Panisperna", rather than "in Formoso", and its present facade was constructed. A new, outer portico was added in the 17th century, then restored and decorated with images of

and

St. Francis of Assisi Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, better known as Saint Francis of Assisi ( it, Francesco d'Assisi; – 3 October 1226), was a mystic Italian Catholic friar, founder of the Franciscans, and one of the most venerated figures in Christianit ...

in 1893-4 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 ...

, who in 1843 had been ordained bishop in the church.

also constructed a steep flight of steps in front of the church that led to a tree-lined courtyard. A modern, bronze statue of St. Bridget of Sweden adorns this courtyard. A medieval house is preserved adjacent to the church; it has an exterior staircase that renders it one of the few such houses to be preserved in

Interiors

The church has a single nave with three chapels on each side. A late 16th-century fresco of the ''Matryrdom of St. Lawrence'' serves as the reredos of the high altar and was painted by Pasquale Cati, a pupil of Michelangelo. The crucifix of the high altar is from the 14th century. The south side includes a painting of '' St. Clare of Assisi'' by Antonio Nessi (1756); a ceiling fresco of the ''Glory of St. Lawrence'' by Antonio Bicchierai; the tomb of the brothers St. Crispin and St. Crispinianus, with a painting by Giovanni Francesco Romano; and a painting of the

Immaculate Conception The Immaculate Conception is the belief that the Virgin Mary was free of original sin from the moment of her conception. It is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church, meaning that it is held to be a divinely revealed truth w ...

by Giuseppe Ranucci. The north side includes the ''

Stigmata Stigmata ( grc, στίγματα, plural of , 'mark, spot, brand'), in Roman Catholicism, are bodily wounds, scars and pain which appear in locations corresponding to the crucifixion wounds of Jesus Christ: the hands, wrists, and feet. Sti ...

of St. Francis'' by Niccolò Lapiccola; an 18th-century crucifix of the Roman school; and the chapel of St. Bridget of Sweden, in which she was buried before her body was translated to Sweden. St. Bridget used to beg for alms for the poor outside the church and prayed before the

crucifix A crucifix (from Latin ''cruci fixus'' meaning "(one) fixed to a cross") is a cross with an image of Jesus on it, as distinct from a bare cross. The representation of Jesus himself on the cross is referred to in English as the ''corpus'' (Lati ...

by its high altar. Presently, a martyr named Victoria is interred underneath the altar of the chapel. The painting of "St. Bridget Praying before the Crucifix" is by Giuseppe Montesanti (1757). Under the porch of the church is a chapel containing the oven that is believed to have been that used for the martyrdom of

List of Cardinal Protectors

Michael Michai Kitbunchu Michael Michai Kitbunchu ( th, ไมเกิ้ล มีชัย กิจบุญชู, ; born 25 January 1929) is a Thai prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Bangkok from 1973 to 2009 and was elevated to the ca ...

(1983.02.02 - present) * Antonio Caggiano (1946.02.22 – 1979.10.23) *

Ermenegildo Pellegrinetti Ermenegildo Pellegrinetti (27 March 1876 – 29 March 1943) was an Italian cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as nuncio to Yugoslavia from 1922 to 1937, and was made a cardinal in 1937. Biography Ermenegildo Pellegrinetti was bo ...

(1937.12.16 – 1943.03.29) * Eustaquio Ilundain y Esteban (1925.12.17 – 1937.08.10) * Giulio Boschi (1901.04.18 – 1919.07.03) * Sebastiano Galeati (1890.06.26 – 1901.01.25) *

Ruggero Luigi Emidio Antici Mattei Ruggero Luigi Emidio Antici Mattei (23 March 1811, Recanati, Marche — 21 April 1883) was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Latin Patriarch of Constantinople from 1866 to 1875, and was elevated to the cardinalat ...

(1876.01.28 – 1883.04.21) *

Luigi Bilio Luigi Maria Bilio, C.R.S.P. (25 March 1826 – 30 January 1884), was a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who, among other offices, was Secretary of the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office. Life Bilio was born in Alessandria, Pi ...

, B. (1866.06.25 – 1873.12.22) *

Johannes von Geissel Johannes von Geissel (5 February 1796 – 8 September 1864) was a German Catholic Archbishop of Cologne and Cardinal from the Electorate of the Palatinate. Life Gessel was born in Gimmeldingen in the Electorate of the Palatinate. After co ...

(1857.03.19 – 1864.09.08) * Lorenzo Simonetti (1846.01.19 – 1855.01.09) * Luigi Del Drago (1832.12.17 – 1845.04.28) *

Pietro Gravina Pietro is an Italian masculine given name. Notable people with the name include: People * Pietro I Candiano (c. 842–887), briefly the 16th Doge of Venice * Pietro Tribuno (died 912), 17th Doge of Venice, from 887 to his death * Pietro II C ...

(1817.11.15 – 1830.12.06) * Valentino Mastrozzi (1801.07.20 – 1809.05.13) *

Giovanni Battista Bussi de Pretis Giovanni Battista Bussi de Pretis (Urbino, 11 September 1721 – Jesi Jesi, also spelled Iesi (), is a town and ''comune'' of the province of Ancona in Marche, Italy. It is an important industrial and artistic center in the floodplain on the ...

(1794.09.12 – 1800.06.27) *

Buenaventura Fernández de Córdoba Spínola Buenaventura Fernández de Córdoba-Figueroa y Spínola de la Cerda (or Buenaventura Córdoba Espinosa de la Cerda; 23 February 1724 – 6 January 1777) was a Spanish aristocrat and Catholic priest who became Patriarch of the West Indies and a Car ...

(1769.06.26 – 1777.05.06) * Giovanni Vincenzo Antonio Ganganelli, O.F.M. Conv. (later Pope Clement XIV) (1759.11.19 – 1762.03.29) * Johann Theodor Herzog von Bayern (Jean-Théodore de Bavière) (1746.04.27 – 1759.02.12) *

Giorgio Doria Giorgio may refer to: * Castel Giorgio, ''comune'' in Umbria, Italy * Giorgio (name), an Italian given name and surname * Giorgio Moroder, or Giorgio, Italian record producer ** ''Giorgio'' (album), an album by Giorgio Moroder * "Giorgio" (song), ...

(1744.03.16 – 1745.12.15) *

Vincenzo Bichi Vincenzo is an Italian male given name, derived from the Latin name Vincentius (the verb ''vincere'' means to win or to conquer). Notable people with the name include: Art * Vincenzo Amato (born 1966), Italian actor and sculptor *Vincenzo Bell ...

(1737.12.16 – 1740.08.29) *

Pier Luigi Carafa Pier Luigi Carafa (Senior) (18 July 1581, Naples, Italy – 15 February 1655, Rome, during the conclave) was a cardinal of the Catholic Church, and a member of the Roman Curia.Brighton, England. The first seaside piers were built in Englan ...

(1728.11.15 – 1737.12.16) *

Lorenzo Cozza Lorenzo Cozza (March 31, 1654 – January 19, 1729) was an Italian friar Minor Observantist, Roman Catholic Cardinal and theologian. Biography Lorenzo Cozza was born in San Lorenzo alle Grotte in 1654. In 1669 he entered the Order of the Fr ...

, O.F.M. Obs. (1726.12.16 – 1727.01.20) *

Giulio Piazza Giulio Piazza (1663–1726) was a Roman Catholic cardinal. Biography On 22 Dec 1697, he was consecrated bishop by Gasparo Carpegna, Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria in Trastevere, with Gregorio Giuseppe Gaetani de Aragonia, Titular Patriarch o ...

(1714.04.16 – 1726.04.23) *

Tommaso Ruffo Tommaso Ruffo (1663-1753) was an Italian archbishop of Ferrara and Cardinal. Life He was born in Naples, son of Carlo Ruffo, 3rd Duke of Bagnara. He was educated at La Sapienza University, becoming a doctor of canon and civil law. He was a pa ...

(1706.06.25 – 1709.01.28) *

Giambattista Rubini Giambattista Rubini (1642 – 17 February 1707) was a cardinal of the Catholic Church from 1690 to 1707. Early life and career Giambattista Rubini was born in Venice in 1642, the second son of Donato Rubini and Cristina Medici. His grandmoth ...

(1690.04.10 – 1706.06.25) *

Orazio Mattei Orazio is a male given name of Italian origin, derived from the Latin name ( ''nomen'') Horatius, from the Roman gens (clan) Horatia. People so named include: *Orazio Alfani (c. 1510–1583), Italian painter *Orazio Antinori (1811–1882), Itali ...

(1686.09.30 – 1688.01.18) * Emmanuel-Théodose de la Tour d’Auvergne de Bouillon (1670.05.19 – 1676.10.19) * Stefano Durazzo (1634.01.09 – 1666.10.11) * Fabrizio Verospi (1627.10.20 – 1633.09.05) * Eitel Friedrich von Zollern-Sigmaringen (1621.12.15 – 1625.09.19) *

Felice Centini Felice Centini (1562–1641) was a Roman Catholic cardinal. Biography On 2 Oct 1611, he was consecrated bishop by Pope Paul V with Giovanni Garzia Mellini, Cardinal-Priest of Santi Quattro Coronati, and Michelangelo Tonti, Bishop of Cesena, s ...

, O.F.M. Conv. (1613.08.12 – 1621.03.03) *

Decio Carafa Decio Carafa (1556–1626) was an Archbishop of Naples who had previously served as papal nuncio to the Spanish Netherlands (1606–1607) and to Habsburg Spain (1607–1611). Life Carafa was born in Naples in 1556, the son of Ottaviano Carafa, l ...

(1612.05.07 – 1612.06.18) *

Lorenzo Bianchetti Lorenzo Bianchetti (1545–1612) was 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 *' ...

(1596.06.21 – 1612.03.12) *

Agostino Cusani Agostino Cusani (1542–1598) was 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 *'' E ...

(1591.01.14 – 1595.08.30) * Domenico Pinelli (1586.01.15 – 1591.01.14) * Guglielmo Sirleto (1565.05.15 – 1565.10.26 pro illa vice Deaconry, 1565.10.26 – 1585.10.06) * Stanisław Hozjusz (1561.08.08 – 1562.08.31) *

Domenico Giacobazzi Domenico Giacobazzi (1444–1528) was an Italians, Italian Catholic Church, Roman Catholic Bishop (Catholic Church), bishop and Cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal. Biography Domenico Giacobazzi was born in Rome in 1444, the son of a Roman Patrician ...

(1517.07.06 – 1517.07.10, 1517.07.10 – 1528 '' in commendam''

References

San Lorenzo in Panisperna

External links

{{Authority control Lorenzo In Panisperna Lorenzo In Panisperna Renaissance architecture in Rome Lorenzo in Panisperna, San