Sant'Anselmo all'Aventino () is a complex located on the Piazza Cavalieri di Malta Square on the

Aventine Hill The Aventine Hill (; ; ) is one of the Seven Hills on which ancient Rome was built. It belongs to Ripa, the modern twelfth ''rione'', or ward, of Rome. Location and boundaries The Aventine Hill is the southernmost of Rome's seven hills. I ...

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, ...

's Ripa

rione A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the title of (). Formed a ...

and overseen by the

Benedictine Confederation The Benedictine Confederation of the Order of Saint Benedict () is the international governing body of the Order of Saint Benedict. Origin The Benedictine Confederation is a union of monastic congregations that nevertheless retain their own aut ...

and the Abbot Primate. The ''Sant'Anselmo'' complex, also known as the "''Primatial Abbey of Sant'Anselmo''" () because it is the residence of the Abbot Primate, consists of: an ecclesiastical residential college known as the " College of Sant'Anselmo" (); a university known as the " Pontifical Athenaeum of Saint Anselm" (); the "Church of Sant'Anselmo" (); and the curial headquarters of the "

" and Abbot Primate. The complex and associated institutions are named in honor of the Benedictine monk Saint Anselm of

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...

History

On January 4, 1887,

Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII (; born Gioacchino Vincenzo Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2March 181020July 1903) was head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 until his death in July 1903. He had the fourth-longest reign of any pope, behind those of Peter the Ap ...

issued a papal brief ("''Quae diligenter''") that formally commissioned the re-establishment of a residential college for the new

. The previous ''College of Sant'Anselmo'' that had been founded two hundred years earlier by

Pope Innocent XI Pope Innocent XI (; ; 16 May 1611 – 12 August 1689), born Benedetto Odescalchi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 21 September 1676 until his death on 12 August 1689. Political and religious tensions with ...

for students from the Cassinese Benedictine Congregation was to now be re-established for Benedictine monks from around the world. Housing would become a critical challenge so the Benedictines began a search for more permanent accommodations for this college. Abbot Gaetano Bernardi began the search for suitable land and was approached by Count Allesandro Barbiellini Amidei who owned property on the western Aventine Hill which had contained the previous fortifications of a house for

Pope Paul III Pope Paul III (; ; born Alessandro Farnese; 29 February 1468 – 10 November 1549) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 October 1534 to his death, in November 1549. He came to the papal throne in an era follo ...

. Arrangements were made for the purchase of the 43,000 square meter property for 270,000 lire which was formally titled to the

Vatican Vatican may refer to: Geography * Vatican City, an independent city-state surrounded by Rome, Italy * Vatican Hill, in Rome, namesake of Vatican City * Ager Vaticanus, an alluvial plain in Rome * Vatican, an unincorporated community in the ...

as it remains to this day. In his July 26, 1890, circular letter, Abbot Bernardi wrote that "It is on the Aventine Hill on which our St. Odo (of Cluny), thanks to the generosity of Alberich from the family of the Counts of

Tusculum Tusculum is a ruined Classical Rome, Roman city in the Alban Hills, in the Latium region of Italy. Tusculum was most famous in Roman times for the many great and luxurious patrician country villas sited close to the city, yet a comfortable dist ...

, built a monastery and church in honor of Mary...." He further mentioned that

Pope Gregory VII Pope Gregory VII (; 1015 – 25 May 1085), born Hildebrand of Sovana (), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 22 April 1073 to his death in 1085. He is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church. One of the great ...

had spent his youth in a monastery there and recounted, "Of all the places in Rome what better placed could we have wished for!" The newly envisioned complex would allow for the housing of the residential college, a church, and the central offices of the

. The entire "Sant'Anselmo" complex on the Aventine Hill was designed by Belgian Benedictine Abbot Hildebrand de Hemptinne and Fidelis von Stotzingen and built by Francesco Vespignani between 1892 and 1896 in a neo-romanesque style. Construction began in 1892 and the cornerstone was dedicated on April 19, 1893. The final cost was 2,500,000 lire and was dedicated in honor of the

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

monk Saint Anselm of

. To honor the founding vision of

, a large sculpture of him was crafted in 1891 by Giuseppe Luchetti and is located in the interior sacristy of the church. A large marble plaque of dedication is also found on the north exterior wall as you approach the entrance to the complex.

Church of Sant'Anselmo

The area of the Sant'Anselmo complex open to the general public is the church which was consecrated on November 11, 1900. The church was consecrated by Cardinal Mariano Rampolla del Tindaro, assisted by twelve cardinals, sixteen archbishops and bishops, fifty-two abbots, rectors of all the major colleges of Rome, superiors general of the major religious orders, and all ambassadors accredited to the

Holy See The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...

. It is constructed of three naves, divided by

granite Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...

column A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member ...

s, and includes one main altar and two side altars. The ceiling is a

truss A truss is an assembly of ''members'' such as Beam (structure), beams, connected by ''nodes'', that creates a rigid structure. In engineering, a truss is a structure that "consists of two-force members only, where the members are organized so ...

and the

crypt A crypt (from Greek κρύπτη (kryptē) ''wikt:crypta#Latin, crypta'' "Burial vault (tomb), vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, Sarcophagus, sarcophagi, or Relic, religiou ...

was made of five naves with sixteen side altars. In 1952 there was a renovation of the church interior by architect Fritz Metsger. This saw the construction of elevated choir stalls for the monks in the transepts, the addition of an altar under the arch that allowed the priest to face either direction in celebrating mass, and the creation of three main mosaics by the German monk Radbodus Commandeur. The mosaics are located above the two side altars, as well as above the main apse which depicts the jeweled cross between angels and Saints Benedict and Anselm. Commandeur also completed the mosaic under the main altar covering the reliquary containing the relics of Saint Alexander of Rome. He also produced numerous pieces within the monastic enclosure of the College as seen in the gallery of photos below. The paschal candle stick is modern but in the Cosmatesque style. The lower level has now been converted to the use of the library for the University. In the courtyard of the atrium, there is a bronze statue of Saint Anselm made in 1966 by Swiss sculptor Albert Wider from Widnau. From here, it is possible to see Santa Maria del Priorato of the

Knights of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, and commonly known as the Order of Malta or the Knights of Malta, is a Catholic Church, Cathol ...

, which lies in an adjacent complex that is closed to the public. In the entrance to the Sant'Anselmo complex, reached from the atrium, is a Roman

Orpheus mosaic Orpheus mosaics are found throughout the Roman Empire, normally in large Roman villas. The scene normally shown is Orpheus playing his lyre, and attracting birds and animals of many species to gather around him. Orpheus was a popular subject in ...

from a second-third century home that was found during construction. There have been four pipe organs in the church since its founding. The first organ (built by William Trice in 1891) was installed in 1896. It would later be moved to the present location in the Chapel of St. Lawrence located in the

Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls The Papal Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls (, ) is one of Rome's four major papal basilicas, along with the basilicas of Saint John in the Lateran, Saint Peter's, and Saint Mary Major, as well as one of the city’s Seven Pilgrim Ch ...

. The second organ (built by Klais Orgelbau of

Bonn Bonn () is a federal city in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, located on the banks of the Rhine. With a population exceeding 300,000, it lies about south-southeast of Cologne, in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr region. This ...

) had been installed in 1911 in the left side aisle. It would later be moved to the present location in the Basilica of Regina degli Apostoli alla Montagnola. In 1952 the third organ (built by Emanuel Kemper of

Lübeck Lübeck (; or ; Latin: ), officially the Hanseatic League, Hanseatic City of Lübeck (), is a city in Northern Germany. With around 220,000 inhabitants, it is the second-largest city on the German Baltic Sea, Baltic coast and the second-larg ...

) was installed in the central apse when the altar was moved under the arch. In 1966 a further renovation moved the organ from the apse and replaced it with a Celebrant's chair and an area for the concelebrants. This third organ would later be moved to the present location in the Church of San Martino in Campo (Perugia). The present organ by Österreichische Orgelbau was installed in 1967 and renovated by Ditta Mascioni in 1999. It is located on the eastern wall transept above the monastic choir. The church serves as a place of worship for the Benedictine residential college community and the students of the Athenaeum. It is also known, especially to the Romans, for the performances of

Gregorian chant Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainsong, plainchant, a form of monophony, monophonic, unaccompanied sacred song in Latin (and occasionally Greek language, Greek) of the Roman Catholic Church. Gregorian chant developed main ...

offered by the monks during the Sunday liturgical celebrations of

Vespers Vespers /ˈvɛspərz/ () is a Christian liturgy, liturgy of evening prayer, one of the canonical hours in Catholic (both Latin liturgical rites, Latin and Eastern Catholic liturgy, Eastern Catholic liturgical rites), Eastern Orthodox, Oriental O ...

. Since 1962, the church has also been the starting point of the penitential procession presided over by the Pope on

Ash Wednesday Ash Wednesday is a holy day of prayer and fasting in many Western Christian denominations. It is preceded by Shrove Tuesday and marks the first day of Lent: the seven weeks of Christian prayer, prayer, Religious fasting#Christianity, fasting and ...

, and which ends at the basilica of

Santa Sabina The Basilica of Saint Sabina (, ) is a historic church on the Aventine Hill in Rome, Italy. It is a titular minor basilica and mother church of the Roman Catholic Order of Preachers, better known as the Dominicans. Santa Sabina is the oldest ex ...

where the first stationary mass of

Lent Lent (, 'Fortieth') is the solemn Christianity, Christian religious moveable feast#Lent, observance in the liturgical year in preparation for Easter. It echoes the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring Temptation of Christ, t ...

is celebrated. The church is named in honor of the

monk Saint Anselm of

. The present Rector of church is Doroteo Toić.

Cardinal-Deacons

In 1985

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...

made the church a "cardinalate diakonia" or titular deaconary. The Cardinal Protectors of the Church of Sant'Anselmo have been: * Paul Augustin Mayer (25 May 1985 Appointed - 30 Apr 2010 Died) * Fortunato Baldelli (20 Nov 2010 Appointed - 20 Sep 2012 Died) * Lorenzo Baldisseri (22 February 2014 – present)

College of Sant'Anselmo

The '' College of Sant'Anselmo'' () is an ecclesiastical residential college in the Roman tradition that serves as both a house of formation for Benedictines, but also as a residence for over one hundred monks from around forty countries,

religious Religion is a range of social- cultural systems, including designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relate humanity to supernatural ...

diocesan priests In Christianity, the term secular clergy refers to deacons and priests who are not monastics or otherwise members of religious life. Secular priests (sometimes known as diocesan priests) are priests who commit themselves to a certain geograph ...

, and lay people. It offers a monastic environment for those who study at the onsite Pontifical Athenaeum of Saint Anselm or at other Roman pontifical universities. The present Rector of the College is Mauritius Wilde.

Pontifical University of Sant'Anselmo

The '' Anselmianum'', also known as the '' Pontifical Athenaeum of Saint Anselm'' (; ), is a

pontifical university A pontifical university or athenaeum is an ecclesiastical university established or approved directly by the Holy See, composed of three main ecclesiastical faculties (Theology, Philosophy and canon law (Catholic Church), Canon Law) and at least o ...

associated with the

Benedictines The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly Christian mysticism, contemplative Christian monasticism, monastic Religious order (Catholic), order of the Catholic Church for men and f ...

. The institution includes faculties of Philosophy, Theology (Sacramental Theology, Monastic Studies), the Institute of Historical Theology, as well as the Pontifical Institute of Liturgy. It grants certificates and diplomas in various subjects, as well as Bachelor, Licentiate, and Doctoral degrees. Originally the university exclusively served only

, but now is open to external students. The present Rector of the Pontifical Athenaeum is Bernhard Eckerstorfer.

Curia of the Benedictine Confederation & Abbot Primate

The ''

'' is a union of monastic congregations that nevertheless retain their own autonomy, established by

on July 12, 1893, in his brief "''Summum semper''". The Confederation has its headquarters at Sant'Anselmo, is the seat of the Abbot Primate, and hosts the quadrennial Congress of Abbots. The present Abbot Primate of the

is ..........

Gallery

Intern At Sant Anselmo.jpg SantAnselmo Exterior Entrance.jpg Sant'Anselmo Exterior Wall.jpg Sant'Anselmo Pope Leo XIII Dedication.jpg External Marian Mosaic SantAnselmo.jpg Avantin - panoramio.jpg SantAnselmo Door with JC Mosaic.jpg Sant'Anselmo Mosaic Jesus Christ.jpg Chiesa Sant'Anselmo 7704.jpg Chiesa Sant'Anselmo 3956.jpg Chiesa Sant'Anselmo 3941.jpg Chiesa Sant'Anselmo 1585 2.jpg Sant'Anselmo Right Side Altar.jpg Sant'Anselmo Mosaic Left Side Altar.jpg Organ Sant'Anselmo.jpg Sant'Anselmo Monastic Choir Stalls.jpg Relics of Alexander at Sant'Anselmo.jpg Relics of Elena Lucrezia Cornaro Piscopia at Sant'Anselmo.jpg Pope Leo XIII Sant'Anselmo.jpg Orpheus Mosaic at Sant'Anselmo.jpg Interior Courtyard Mosaic at Sant'Anselmo.jpg Interior Courtyard Mosaic at Sant'Anselmo Joseph Jesus.jpg Refectory Mosaic at Sant'Anselmo Mary and baby Jesus.jpg Sant'Anselmo College Refectory.jpg Interior Courtyards at Sant'Anselmo.jpg

Notes

References

External links

Church of Sant'Anselmo
(in Italian and English)
Chiesa Sant'Anselmo

The Benedictine Confederation of Congregations of Monasteries of the Order of Saint Benedict

Collegio Sant'Anselmo
(in Italian and English)
Pontificio Ateneo Sant'Anselmo
(in Italian and English) {{DEFAULTSORT:Anselmo all'Aventino, Sant' Anselmo Roman Catholic churches completed in 1900 19th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Benedictine Confederation Seminaries and theological colleges in Italy Romanesque Revival church buildings in Italy Churches of Rome (rione Ripa)