Sant'Andrea Catabarbara was a church in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

, located on what is now the site of the

Pontifical Oriental Institute The Pontifical Oriental Institute, also known as the Orientale, is a Catholic institution of higher education located in Rome and focusing on Eastern Christianity. The plan of creating a school of higher learning for Eastern Christianity had bee ...

on Via Napoleone III, in the Esquilino district. It was first called ''Catabarbara'' or ''Cata Barbara Patricia'' in the eighth century. It was the first devotional church dedicated to

Saint Andrew Andrew the Apostle ( ; ; ; ) was an apostle of Jesus. According to the New Testament, he was a fisherman and one of the Twelve Apostles chosen by Jesus. The title First-Called () used by the Eastern Orthodox Church stems from the Gospel of Jo ...

in the city of Rome. Its foundation probably dates to the donation of an ''aula'' or hall from the home of Junius Annius Bassus, consul in the year 331, by the

Goth Goth or Goths may refer to: * Goths, a Germanic people Arts and entertainment * Gothic rock or goth, a style of rock music * Goth subculture, developed by fans of gothic rock * ''Goth'' (2003 film), an American horror film * ''Goth'' (2008 f ...

general Valila. An inscription from the apse of the church possibly records the donation, though its meaning is uncertain. The church was therefore the result of the transformation from a secular home or house-church into a church, due to the work of

Pope Simplicius Pope Simplicius (died 2 or 10 March 483) was the bishop of Rome from 468 to his death on 10 March 483. He combated the Eutychian heresy, ended the practice of consecrating bishops only in December, and sought to offset the effects of Germanic i ...

in the second half of the fifth century. The hall was turned into a monastery to serve the nearby

Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore Santa Maria Maggiore (), also known as the Basilica of Saint Mary Major or the Basilica of Saint Mary the Great, is one of the four Basilicas in the Catholic Church#Major and papal basilicas, major papal basilicas and one of the Seven Pilgrim C ...

. It and its rich decoration were demolished to build the Pontifical Oriental Institute in 1930.

Bibliography

Mariano Armellini Mariano Armellini (7 February 1852 – 24 February 1896) was an Italian archaeologist and historian. Born in Rome, he was one of the founders of the Pontifical Academy of Martyrs, and was named a Knight of Order of St. Gregory the Great by Pope L ...

, ''Le chiese di Roma dal secolo IV al XIX'', Roma 1891
pp. 815-817
{{DEFAULTSORT:Andrea Catabarbara Destroyed Roman Catholic churches in Rome Buildings and structures demolished in 1930