The Church of Saint Lucy in Selci ( it, Santa Lucia in Selci, also known as ' or ') is an

ancient Ancient history is a time period from the beginning of writing and recorded human history to as far as late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the Sumerian cuneiform script. Ancient history cove ...

Roman Catholic church, located in Rome, dedicated to

Saint Lucy Lucia of Syracuse (283–304), also called Saint Lucia ( la, Sancta Lucia) better known as Saint Lucy, was a Roman people, Roman Christian martyr who died during the Diocletianic Persecution. She is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church, ...

, a 4th-century virgin and martyr.

History

Monastero di Santa Lucia in Selci - Plate 143 - Giuseppe Vasi

The church was built no later than the 8th century above the ruins of a Roman structure, the

Portico of Livia 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 ...

. According to the tradition, the first church was built under

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 ...

(498-514) back in the 6th century. The building was restored by

Pope Honorius I Pope Honorius I (died 12 October 638) was the bishop of Rome from 27 October 625 to his death. He was active in spreading Christianity among Anglo-Saxons and attempted to convince the Celts to calculate Easter in the Roman fashion. He is chiefl ...

in the 7th century and again by

Pope Leo III Pope Leo III (died 12 June 816) was bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 26 December 795 to his death. Protected by Charlemagne from the supporters of his predecessor, Adrian I, Leo subsequently strengthened Charlemagne's position ...

in the 9th century. The deaconry of Saint Lucy in Silice (or in Orpha) created around 300 is one of the seven original deaconries in Rome. It was confirmed by Pope Saint Sylvester I ca. 314. The church was restored by

ca 630 in the vicinity of the monumental fountain ''lacus orphei''. It was assigned to one of the seven deacons by

Pope Agatho Pope Agatho (died January 681) served as the bishop of Rome from 27 June 678 until his death. He heard the appeal of Wilfrid of York, who had been displaced from his see by the division of the archdiocese ordered by Theodore of Canterbury. Du ...

ca. 678. According to

Liber Pontificalis The ''Liber Pontificalis'' (Latin for 'pontifical book' or ''Book of the Popes'') is a book of biographies of popes from Saint Peter until the 15th century. The original publication of the ''Liber Pontificalis'' stopped with Pope Adrian II (86 ...

, this deaconry received donations from

(795-816). After the 10th century it was known as ''Santa Lucia in Silice'' or ''in Selci'' because it was decorated with large flintstones (selci). The deaconry was suppressed in 1587 by

Pope Sixtus V Pope Sixtus V ( it, Sisto V; 13 December 1521 – 27 August 1590), born Felice Piergentile, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 24 April 1585 to his death in August 1590. As a youth, he joined the Franciscan order ...

. In the 13th century, a monastery was attached to the church, enclosing it. In 1370, it was granted 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 i ...

. In 1534, it was given to the Benedictines, and in 1568 Pope

Pius V Pope Pius V ( it, Pio V; 17 January 1504 – 1 May 1572), born Antonio Ghislieri (from 1518 called Michele Ghislieri, O.P.), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 January 1566 to his death in May 1572. He is v ...

granted it to the Augustinians, who still serve the church. Pope

Urban VIII Pope Urban VIII ( la, Urbanus VIII; it, Urbano VIII; baptised 5 April 1568 – 29 July 1644), born Maffeo Vincenzo Barberini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 6 August 1623 to his death in July 1644. As po ...

altered the monastery in 1624, enlarging it and dividing it into three parts. One was kept by the Augustinians, one was given to

Dominican friar The Order of Preachers ( la, Ordo Praedicatorum) abbreviated OP, also known as the Dominicans, is a Catholic mendicant order of Pontifical Right for men founded in Toulouse, France, by the Spanish priest, saint and mystic Dominic of Cal ...

s and the last was given to 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 ...

. The monastery was amplified in 1603 according to designs by

Bartolomeo Bassi Bartolomeo Bassi (early 1600s (decade)-1640s) was an Italian painter active in the early- Baroque period, mainly in his hometown of Genoa. He was a disciple of Giovanni Andrea Ansaldo, and painted quadratura Illusionistic ceiling painting, whi ...

, active in Rome at that time. However, all that remains of this amplification is the portal of the exterior. In 1878 the Italian state expropriated the convent of the Poor Clares, adjacent to

San Lorenzo in Panisperna The church of San Lorenzo in Panisperna is a Roman Catholic church on Via Panisperna, Rome, central Italy. 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 chu ...

, but the nuns came to the monastery of Santa Lucia in Selci.

Carlo Maderno Carlo Maderno (Maderna) (1556 – 30 January 1629) was an Italian architect, born in today's Ticino, who is remembered as one of the fathers of Baroque architecture. His façades of Santa Susanna, St. Peter's Basilica and Sant'Andrea della Val ...

reconstructed the church in 1604, keeping it enclosed within the Augustinian

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whic ...

. Francesco Borromini worked in the restoration of the church in 1637-1638, in the decoration of the Trinity Chapel, in 1628-1639.

Interior

Monti - s Lucia in Selci interno 1040290

The church is built on a rectangular ground plan and barrel vault. It has a single nave with three shallow chapels on each side. The barrel vault has a 19th-century fresco by an unknown artist that replaced one with the same motif by

Giovanni Antonio Lelli Giovanni Antonio Lelli (1591 – August 3, 1640) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period. He was a pupil of the painter Cigoli. In the church of San Matteo in Merulana in Rome (now demolished), he painted an ''Annunciation''. He painted a ' ...

, depicting the ''Glory of St Lucy''. The counterfaçade is decorated with the painting ''God the Father'' by

Cavaliere d'Arpino Giuseppe Cesari (14 February 1568 – 3 July 1640) was an Italian Mannerist painter, also named Il Giuseppino and called ''Cavaliere d'Arpino'', because he was created ''Cavaliere di Cristo'' by his patron Pope Clement VIII. He was much patronize ...

. The high altar dates from the 19th century, and replaces one made by Borromini. The painting above the high altar depicting ''the Annunciation'' is a work of the Florentine painter

Anastasio Fontebuoni Anastasio Fontebuoni (also spelt Anastazio Fontebuoni, or Anastagio Fontebuoni) (1571–1626) was an Italian painter of the Baroque, native of Florence. Fontebuoni proved to be one of the Florentine painters are more open to the influence of Carav ...

. The Landi Chapel, commissioned by the prioress Vittoria Landi, is the first chapel on the left. It was decorated by Borromini, and the altarpiece depicts ''The Holy Trinity with

Saint Augustine Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Afri ...

and

Saint Monica Monica ( – 387) was an early North African Christian saint and the mother of Augustine of Hippo. She is remembered and honored in the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, albeit on different feast days, for her outstanding Christian virtues, parti ...

'' by

. The Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, the second on the left, contains works attributed to Carlo Maderno: a tabernacle in polychrome marble and gilt bronze and the alabaster statues. At the first altarpiece on the right depicts ''Martyrdom of St Lucy'' by

Giovanni Lanfranco Giovanni Lanfranco (26 January 1582 – 30 November 1647) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period. Biography Giovanni Gaspare Lanfranco was born in Parma, the third son of Stefano and Cornelia Lanfranchi, and was placed as a page in the h ...

. The ''Vision of St Augustine'' by

Andrea Camassei Andrea Camassei (November 1602 – 1649) was an Italian Baroque painter and engraver mainly active in Rome under the patronage of the Barberini. Biography He was born in Bevagna in Umbria to parents of modest means, Angelina d' Anton Maria Ang ...

is at the second altar on the right. In the choir, attributed to Francesco Borromini, several paintings by

Baccio Ciarpi Baccio Ciarpi (1574–1654) was an Italian painter of the late-Mannerism and early-Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th c ...

are displayed .

List of Cardinal-deacons of Santa Lucia in Selci

List of the Cardinal-deacons until the suppression of the deaconry in 1577: * Cardinal

Cencio Savelli Pope Honorius III (c. 1150 – 18 March 1227), born Cencio Savelli, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 18 July 1216 to his death. A canon at the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, he came to hold a number of import ...

(1193–1201) * Cardinal

Philibert Hugonet Philibert Hugonet (died 1484) (called the Cardinal of Mâcon) was a French Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal. Biography Philibert Hugonet studied in the Diocese of Mâcon, where his uncle, Étienne Hugonet, had been bishop since 1451. He later s ...

(17 May 1473 – 17 August 1477) * Cardinal Georg Hesler von Wurzburg (12 December 1477 – 21 September 1482) * Cardinal

Hélie de Bourdeilles Hélie de Bourdeilles (ca. 1423, at the castle of Bourdeilles, Périgord – 5 July 1484, at Artannes near Tours) was a French Franciscan, Archbishop of Tours and Cardinal. Life He was the son of the viscount Arnaud de Bourdeilles. Having en ...

(15 November 1483 – 5 July 1484) * Cardinal

Ippolito I d'Este Ippolito (I) d'Este ( hu, Estei Hippolit; 20 March 1479 – 3 September 1520) was an Italian Roman Catholic cardinal, and Archbishop of Esztergom. He was a member of the ducal House of Este of Ferrara, and was usually referred to as the Ca ...

(23 September 1493 – 3 September 1520) * Cardinal Giacomo Savelli (16 April 1540 – 8 January 1543) * Cardinal Ranuccio Farnese (5 May 1546 – 8 October 1546) * Cardinal

Alessandro Campeggio Alessandro Campeggio (12 April 1504 – 21 September 1554) was an Italian Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal. Biography Alessandro Campeggio was born in Bologna on 12 April 1504, the son of Lorenzo Campeggio and Francesca Guastavillani. His fa ...

(4 December 1551 – 21 September 1554) * Cardinal Johann Gropper (13 January 1556 – 13 March 1559) * Cardinal

Innico d'Avalos d'Aragona Innico d'Avalos d'Aragona (1535/36–1600) was an Italian Cardinal, from Naples. He was the son of condottiero Alfonso d'Avalos and Maria d'Aragona, from the family of the , Spanish nobility. In 1563, he constructed the Castello d'Avalos on Pro ...

(3 June 1561 – 30 July 1563) * Cardinal

Luigi d'Este Luigi d'Este (21 December 1538 – 30 December 1586) was an Italian Catholic cardinal, the second son of the five children of Ercole II d'Este, Duke of Modena and Ferrara, and Renée, daughter of Louis XII of France. Biography Luigi, a member o ...

(22 October 1563 – 31 July 1577)

References

Books and articles

* * * Caroline Goodson, ''The Rome of Pope Paschal I: Papal Power, Urban Renovation, Church Rebuilding and Relic Translation, 817-824'' (Cambridge: CUP 2010), pp. 101-102, 297.

External links

Santa Lucia in Selci - The Hidden Churches of Rome

Official website of the Vicariate of Rome
{{DEFAULTSORT:Santa Lucia in Selci 17th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Roman Catholic churches completed in 1638 Roman Catholic churches in Rome Roman Catholic churches completed in 1604 1604 establishments in Italy 1638 establishments in Italy Lucia in Selci 7th-century establishments in Italy Francesco Borromini buildings