The

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica (Greek Basiliké) was a large public building with multiple functions that was typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek Eas ...

of Santi Cosma e Damiano is a

titular church In the Catholic Church, a titular church () is a Churches in Rome, church in Rome that is assigned to a member of the Holy orders in the Catholic Church, clergy who is created a Cardinal (Catholic Church), cardinal. These are Catholic churches in ...

in Rome, Italy. It is the

conventual church A church, church building, church house, or chapel is a building used for Christian worship services and Christian activities. The earliest identified Christian church is a house church founded between 233 AD and 256 AD. ''Church'' is also u ...

of the General Curia of the Franciscan Third Order Regular. The lower portion of the building is accessible through the

Roman Forum A forum (Latin: ''forum'', "public place outdoors", : ''fora''; English : either ''fora'' or ''forums'') was a public square in a municipium, or any civitas, of Ancient Rome reserved primarily for the vending of goods; i.e., a marketplace, alon ...

and incorporates original Roman buildings, but the entrance to the upper level is outside the Forum facing the

Via dei Fori Imperiali The Via dei Fori Imperiali (formerly ''Via dei Monti'', then ''Via dell'Impero'') is a road in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, that is in a straight line from the Piazza Venezia to the Colosseum. Its course takes it over parts of the For ...

. The circular building located at the entrance of the Forum, which now houses a small archeological exhibition, was possibly built in the early 4th century as a

Roman temple Ancient Roman temples were among the most important buildings in culture of ancient Rome, Roman culture, and some of the richest buildings in Architecture of ancient Rome, Roman architecture, though only a few survive in any sort of complete ...

which may have been dedicated to

Valerius Romulus Marcus Aurelius Valerius Romulus (died 309), was the son of Emperor Maxentius and of Valeria Maximilla, daughter of Emperor Galerius by his first wife. Through his father, he was also grandson of Maximian the Tetrarch, whom he predeceased. Biogr ...

deified Apotheosis (, ), also called divinization or deification (), is the glorification of a subject to divine levels and, commonly, the treatment of a human being, any other living thing, or an abstract idea in the likeness of a deity. The origina ...

son of the emperor

Maxentius Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maxentius ( 283 – 28 October 312) was a Roman emperor from 306 until his death in 312. Despite ruling in Italy and North Africa, and having the recognition of the Senate in Rome, he was not recognized as a legitimate ...

; it is often referred to as the Temple of Romulus. The main building was perhaps the library of an imperial forum. It became a church in 527 and contains important but much restored

early Christian art Early Christian art and architecture (or Paleochristian art) is the art produced by Christians, or under Christian patronage, from the earliest period of Christianity to, depending on the definition, sometime between 260 and 525. In practice, ide ...

, especially in its mosaics. Today it is one of the ancient churches called ''

tituli :''See also Titulus (Roman Catholic) for Roman churches called tituli, or titulus (disambiguation) for more meanings.'' ''Titulus'' (Latin "inscription" or "label", the plural ''tituli'' is also used in English) is a term used for the labels o ...

'', of which cardinals are patrons as

cardinal-deacon A cardinal is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. As titular members of the clergy of the Diocese of Rome, they serve as advisors to the pope, who is the bishop of Rome and the visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. Ca ...

s. Since 28 November 2020 the title has been held by Cardinal

Mario Grech Mario Grech (; born 20 February 1957) is a Maltese Catholic prelate who has served as Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops since 2020. He was previously Bishop of Gozo from 2005 to 2019 and Pro-Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops ...

. The basilica, devoted to the two

Arabian The Arabian Peninsula (, , or , , ) or Arabia, is a peninsula in West Asia, situated north-east of Africa on the Arabian plate. At , comparable in size to India, the Arabian Peninsula is the largest peninsula in the world. Geographically, the ...

Christian brothers, doctors, martyrs and saints

Cosmas and Damian Cosmas and Damian ( – or AD) were two Arab physicians and early Christian martyrs. They practised their profession in the seaport of Aegeae, then in the Roman province of Cilicia. Cosmas and Damian were third century Arabian-born twin ...

, is located in the Forum of Vespasian, also known as the ''Forum of Peace''.

History

The Temple is traditionally held to have been dedicated by Emperor

to his son and co-

consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states thro ...

, who died in 309 and was given divine honours. The temple building was probably part of a rebuilding program of "incredible intensity" undertaken by Maxentius in the area, following a disastrous fire in 306; the project was only part-complete at his death. The temple's identification with Valerius Romulus is tentative, based on the spot-find of a coin dated to 307 AD showing the distinctive shape of the building, and a nearby dedication to Valerius Romulus as a divinised mortal. The temple has also been speculated as a rebuilding of the original temple of "Jupiter Stator", or one dedicated to

Penates In ancient Roman religion, the Di Penates () or Penates ( ) were among the ''dii familiares'', or household deities, invoked most often in domestic rituals. When the family had a meal, they threw a bit into the fire on the hearth for the Penates ...

, restored by Maxentius. The temple was Christianised and dedicated to ''Sancti Cosma et Damianus'' in 527, when

Theodoric the Great Theodoric (or Theoderic) the Great (454 – 30 August 526), also called Theodoric the Amal, was king of the Ostrogoths (475–526), and ruler of the independent Ostrogothic Kingdom of Italy between 493 and 526, regent of the Visigoths (511–526 ...

, king of the

Ostrogoths The Ostrogoths () were a Roman-era Germanic peoples, Germanic people. In the 5th century, they followed the Visigoths in creating one of the two great Goths, Gothic kingdoms within the Western Roman Empire, drawing upon the large Gothic populatio ...

, and his daughter

Amalasuntha Amalasuintha (495 – 30 April 535) was a ruler of the Ostrogothic Kingdom from 526 to 535. Initially serving as regent for her son Athalaric, she became queen regnant after his premature death. Highly educated, Amalasuintha was praised by both ...

donated the library of the Forum of Peace (''Bibliotheca Pacis'') and a portion of the Temple of Romulus to

Pope Felix IV Pope Felix IV (489/490 – 22 September 530) was the bishop of Rome from 12 July 526 to his death on 22 September 530. He was the chosen candidate of Ostrogoth King Theodoric the Great, who had imprisoned Felix's predecessor, John I. Rise Felix c ...

. The pope united the two buildings to create a basilica devoted to two

Christian brothers and saints, Cosmas and Damian, in contrast with the ancient pagan cult of the two brothers

Castor and Pollux Castor and Pollux (or Polydeuces) are twin half-brothers in Greek and Roman mythology, known together as the Dioscuri or Dioskouroi. Their mother was Leda, but they had different fathers; Castor was the mortal son of Tyndareus, the king of ...

, who had been worshipped in the nearby

Temple of Castor and Pollux The Temple of Castor and Pollux () was an ancient Roman temple, temple in the Roman Forum, Rome, Central Italy. It was originally built in gratitude for victory at the Battle of Lake Regillus (495 BC). Castor and Pollux (Greek Polydeuces) were th ...

. The apse was decorated with a Roman-Byzantine mosaic, representing a ''

parousia The Second Coming (sometimes called the Second Advent or the Parousia) is the Christian and Islamic belief that Jesus Christ will return to Earth after his ascension to Heaven (which is said to have occurred about two thousand years ago). The ...

'', the

Second Coming The Second Coming (sometimes called the Second Advent or the Parousia) is the Christianity, Christian and Islam, Islamic belief that Jesus, Jesus Christ will return to Earth after his Ascension of Jesus, ascension to Heaven (Christianity), Heav ...

Christ Jesus ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Christianity, central figure of Christianity, the M ...

at the end of time. The bodies of Saints

Mark and Marcellian Mark and Marcellian (Latin: ''Marcus et Marcellianus'') are martyrs venerated as saints by the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church. Their cult is sometimes associated with that of Saints Tranquillinus, Martia, Nicostratus, Zoe, ...

were

translated Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. The English language draws a terminological distinction (which does not exist in every language) between ''transla ...

, perhaps in the ninth century, to this church, where they were rediscovered in 1583 during the reign of

Pope Gregory XIII Pope Gregory XIII (, , born Ugo Boncompagni; 7 January 1502 – 10 April 1585) 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 commissioning and being the namesake ...

. In 1632,

Pope Urban VIII Pope Urban 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 pope, he expanded the papal terri ...

ordered the restoration of the basilica. The works, projected by

Orazio Torriani Orazio Torriani (or Orazio Torrigiani; 1578–1657) was an Italian architect and sculptor who worked in Rome. He was related to architect Nicola Torriani, but their exact relationship is unknown (either brothers, or father/son). Career In 1602 ...

and directed by Luigi Arrigucci, raised the floor level seven metres, bringing it equal with the '' Campo Vaccino'', thus avoiding the infiltration of water. Also, a cloister was added. The old floor of the basilica is still visible in the lower church, which is the lower part of the first church. In 1947, the restorations of the Imperial Forums gave a new structure to the church. The old entrance, through the ''Temple of Romulus'', was closed, and the temple was restored to its original forms; with the Pantheon, the ''Temple of Romulus'' is the best preserved pagan temple in Rome. A new entrance was opened on the opposite side (on ''via dei Fori Imperiali''), whose arch gives access to the cloister, and through this to the side of the basilica.

Structure and art

Next to the new entrance to the complex, there are the rooms with the original marble paving of the Forum of Peace, and the wall where the 150 marble slabs of the ''

Forma Urbis Romae The ''Forma Urbis Romae'' or Severan Marble Plan is a massive marble map of ancient Rome, created under the emperor Septimius Severus between AD 203 and 211. Matteo Cadario gives specific years of 205–208, noting that the map was based on ...

'' were hung. Through the cloister, the entrance to the church opens on the side of the single nave. The plan of the basilica followed the norms of the

Counter-Reformation The Counter-Reformation (), also sometimes called the Catholic Revival, was the period of Catholic resurgence that was initiated in response to, and as an alternative to or from similar insights as, the Protestant Reformations at the time. It w ...

: a single nave, with three chapels per side, and the big apse, which now looks quite oversized because of the reduction in height of the 17th-century restoration, framed by the triumphal arch, also mutilated by that restoration. The mosaics are masterpieces of 6th- and 7th-century art. In the middle is Christ, with

Saint Peter Saint Peter (born Shimon Bar Yonah; 1 BC – AD 64/68), also known as Peter the Apostle, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and one of the first leaders of the Jewish Christian#Jerusalem ekklēsia, e ...

presenting Saint

Cosmas Cosmas or Kosmas is a Greek language, Greek name (), from Ancient Greek Κοσμᾶς (Kosmâs), associated with the noun κόσμος (kósmos), meaning "Cosmos, universe", and the verb κοσμέω (to order, govern, adorn) linked to propr ...

and Saint Theodorus (right), and

Saint Paul Paul, also named Saul of Tarsus, commonly known as Paul the Apostle and Saint Paul, was a Christian apostle ( AD) who spread the teachings of Jesus in the first-century world. For his contributions towards the New Testament, he is generally ...

presenting

Saint Damian Cosmas and Damian ( – or AD) were two Arab physicians and early Christian martyrs. They practised their profession in the seaport of Aegeae, then in the Roman province of Cilicia. Cosmas and Damian were third century Arabian-born twin b ...

and

; the latter holds a model of the church.

History of medicine

The importance of this basilica for the

history of medicine The history of medicine is both a study of medicine throughout history as well as a multidisciplinary field of study that seeks to explore and understand medical practices, both past and present, throughout human societies. The history of med ...

is not only related to the fact that the two brothers were physicians and were honoured as patron saints of physicians, surgeons, pharmacists and veterinarians, with veneration dating from the mid 5th century CE, but also to the tradition according to which

Claudius Galen Aelius Galenus or Claudius Galenus (; September 129 – AD), often anglicized as Galen () or Galen of Pergamon, was a Roman and Greek physician, surgeon, and philosopher. Considered to be one of the most accomplished of all medical researc ...

himself lectured in the Library of the Temple of Peace ("Bibliotheca Pacis"). Furthermore, for centuries, in this "medical area" Roman physicians had their meetings.Cfr L. Temperini, ''Basilica Santi Cosma e Damiano'', Edizioni Casa Generalizia TOR, Roma, s.d., p. 5.

Gallery

File:Cloister Saints Cosmas & Damian Roma.jpg, Cloister at St Cosmas and Damian, Rome Image:Pope Felix presents church to Cosmas and Damian.jpg,

presents Saints Cosmas and Damian with the basilica he rededicated File:Intérieur Basilique Santi Cosma Damiano - Rome (IT62) - 2021-08-27 - 2.jpg, Nave of the basilica facing the apse, high altar, reredos, and choir. File:Apse & Reredos Saints Cosmas & Damian Roma.jpg, Apse and Reredos at St Cosmas and Damian, Rome File:Church of Cosmas and Damian, apse mosaic in the Roman Forum.jpg, Apse mosaic

Cardinal-deacons

* Pietro Pierleoni (1106–1120) * Gionata (1120–1130) * Guido da Vico (1130–1150) * Rolando Bandinelli, C.R.L. (1152–1155) * Boso (1155–1165) *

Graziano da Pisa Graziano da Pisa (Gratianus Pisanus) (died 1205) was a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He was a native of Pisa, and the nephew of Pope Eugenius III (1145-1153). He had studied law in Bologna, and held the rank of ''Magister''. He was a pro ...

(1178–1205) * Giovanni Colonna (1205–1216) * Gil Torres (1216–1254) * Giordano Pironti (1262–1269) * Benedetto Caetani (1295–1297) * Guillaume Ruffat des Forges (1305–1306) *

Luca Fieschi Luca Fieschi ( – 31 January 1336) was a Republic of Genoa, Genoese nobleman and Roman Catholic cardinal from 1300. A member of the Fieschi family and a relative of the Plantagenets, he held benefices in England and Italy. Although politically a ...

(1306–1336) * Leonardo Cibo (1402–1404) * Jean Gilles (1405–1408) * Pietro Stefaneschi (1409–1410) * ''

Francesco Zabarella Francesco Zabarella (10 August 1360 – 26 September 1417) was an Italian Cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal and canonist. Appointment as bishop Born in Padua, he studied jurisprudence at Bologna and at Florence, where he graduated in 1385. He tau ...

''(1411–1417) * Ardicino della Porta, seniore (1426–1434) * Pierre de Foix, il giovane (1477–1485) * Alessandro Farnese (1493–1503; later Pope Paul III) *

Innocenzo Cybo Innocenzo Cibo (25 August 1491 – 13 April 1550) was an Italian cardinal and archbishop. Family and education From the Genoese family Cibo, in 1488 the Cybo family purchased Florentine citizenship for a considerable sum of money I ...

(1513–1517) *

Giovanni Salviati Giovanni Salviati (24 March 1490 – 28 October 1553) was a Florentine diplomat and cardinal. He was papal legate in France, and conducted negotiations with the Emperor Charles V. Biography Salviati was born in Florence to Jacopo Salviati, ...

(1517–1543) *

Giacomo Savelli Giacomo Savelli may refer to: *Pope Honorius IV (died 1287), born Giacomo Savelli *Giacomo Savelli (died 1587) Giacomo Savelli (1523–1587) was an Italian Roman Catholic cardinal and bishop. He participated in several papal conclaves and held s ...

(1543–1552) *

Girolamo Simoncelli Girolamo Simoncelli (1522, Orvieto, then in the Papal States – 24 February 1605, Rome) was an Italian cardinal. Life Simoncelli was made a cardinal by his great-uncle, Pope Julius III, in the consistory of 22 December 1553. He was elected bis ...

(1554–1588) *

Federico Borromeo Federico Borromeo (; 18 August 1564 – 21 September 1631) was an Italian cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milan, Archbishop of Milan, and prominent figure of the Counter-Reformation in Italy. His acts of charity, ...

(1589) *

Guido Pepoli Guido Pepoli (May 6, 1560 – June 1599) was an Italian Cardinal (catholicism), cardinal. He was ordained by Pope Sixtus V on December 20, 1589 and held office of Treasurer of His Holiness. From January 15, 1590 to February 6, 1592 he was Cardinal-D ...

(1590–1592) *

Flaminio Piatti Flaminio may refer to: Geography * Flaminio (Rome), a quartiere * Flaminio – Piazza del Popolo (Rome Metro), an underground station * Rignano Flaminio, a comune in the Metropolitan City of Rome * Stadio Flaminio The Stadio Flaminio is a stad ...

(1592–1593) * Agostino Spinola Basadone (1623–1631) *

Alessandro Cesarini (iuniore) Alessandro Cesarini, iuniore (1592 – 25 January 1644) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Cardinal-Deacon of Sant'Eustachio (1638–1644), Cardinal-Deacon of Santa Maria in Cosmedin (1637–1638), Bishop of Viterbo e Tuscania (1636� ...

(1632–1637) *

Benedetto Odescalchi 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 ...

(1645–1659) * Odoardo Vecchiarelli (1660–1667) *

Leopoldo de' Medici Leopoldo de' Medici (6 November 1617 – 10 November 1675) was an Italian cardinal, scholar, patron of the arts and Governor of Siena. He was the brother of Ferdinando II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany. Biography Prince Leopoldo was born at ...

(1668–1670) * Nicolò Acciaioli (1670–1689) * Fulvio Astalli (1689–1710) * Bartolomeo Ruspoli (1730–1741) * Mario Bolognetti (1743–1747) * Carlo Vittorio Amedeo delle Lanze (1747) * Ludovico Maria Torriggiani (1753–1754) *

Girolamo Colonna di Sciarra Girolamo Colonna di Sciarra (8 May 1708 – 18 January 1763) was an Italian Catholic Cardinal of the noble Colonna di Sciarra family. Biography Born in Rome, he was the brother of Prospero Colonna di Sciarra and grand-uncle of Benedetto Barbe ...

(1756–1760) * Cornelio Caprara (1762–1765) * Benedetto Veterani (1766–1776) * Antonio Maria Doria Pamphilj (1785–1789) * Ludovico Flangini Giovanelli (1789–1794) * Giovanni Caccia-Piatti (1816–1833) * Pietro de Silvestri (1858–1861) *

Tommaso Maria Zigliara Tommaso Maria Zigliara, OP (29 October 1833 – 11 May 1893) was a Corsican priest of the Catholic Church, a member of the Dominicans, a theologian, philosopher and a cardinal. Early life Zigliara was born on 29 October 1833 at Bonifacio a sea ...

(1879–1891) *

Raffaele Pierotti Raffaele Pierotti O.P. (1 January 1836 – 7 September 1905) – born Giovanni Antonio – was an Italian priest of the Catholic Church who was the papal theologian from 1887 until his death. He was made a cardinal in 1896. Biography Raffaele ...

(1896–1905) *

Ottavio Cagiano de Azevedo Ottavio Cagiano de Azevedo (7 November 1845 – 11 July 1927) was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for Religious from 1913 to 1915, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1905. ...

(1905–1915) *

Andreas Frühwirth Andreas Frühwirth, (21 August 1845 – 9 February 1933) was an Austrian friar of the Dominican Order. He was promoted to the rank of cardinal of the Catholic Church and served as the Major Penitentiary of Apostolic Penitentiary. Life He was b ...

(1916–1927) * Vincenzo Lapuma (1935–1943) * Crisanto Luque Sánchez (1953–1959) *

Francesco Morano Francesco Morano (8 June 1872, Caivano, Province of Naples – 12 July 1968) was an Italian Cardinal of the Catholic Church. He served as Secretary of the Apostolic Signatura in the Roman Curia from 1935 until 1959, and was elevated to the car ...

(1959–1968) *

Johannes Willebrands Johannes Gerardus Maria Willebrands (4 September 1909 in Bovenkarspel, North Holland – 1 August 2006) was a Dutch Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity from ...

(1969–1975) *

Eduardo Francisco Pironio Eduardo Francisco Pironio (3 December 1920 – 5 February 1998) was an Argentine Catholic prelate who served in numerous departments of the Roman Curia from 1975 to 1996. He was named a cardinal in 1976 and Cardinal-Bishop of Sabina-Poggio in ...

(1976–1987) later

Cardinal-Priest A cardinal is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. As titular members of the clergy of the Diocese of Rome, they serve as advisors to the pope, who is the bishop of Rome and the visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. ...

(1987–1995) *

Giovanni Cheli Giovanni Cheli (4 October 1918 – 8 February 2013) was an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church, who had a career in the diplomatic service of the Holy See and then in the senior ranks of the Roman Curia. He was made a cardinal in 1998. Early y ...

(1998–2008) later

(2008–2013) *

Beniamino Stella Beniamino Stella (born 18 August 1941) is an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church. After working in the diplomatic corps of the Holy See, he served as prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy from 2013 to 2021. He was raised to the rank o ...

(2014–2020) *

(2020–present)

References

Books and articles

* Pietro Chioccioni, ''La Basilica E Il Convento Dei Santi Cosma E Damiano in Roma'' (Roma: Curia Generalizia dell'Ordine, 1963). * Roberta Budriesi, ''La Basilica dei Ss. Cosma e Damiano a Roma'' (Bologna: Patron 1968). * Vitaliano Tiberia, ''Il Restauro Del Mosaico Della Basilica Dei Santi Cosma E Damiano a Roma'' (Todi, Perugia: Ediart, 1991) rte e restauro, 7 * ''Roma'', Touring Club Italiano, 2004, pp. 276–277. * Tucci, Pier Luigi, "Nuove acquisizioni sulla basilica dei Santi Cosma e Damiano", ''Studi Romani'' 49 (2001) 275–293 * Tucci, Pier Luigi, "The Revival of Antiquity in Medieval Rome: the Restoration of the Basilica of SS. Cosma e Damiano in the Twelfth Century", ''Memoirs of the American Academy in Rome'' 49 (2004) 99–126. * Jacalyn Duffin, ''Medical Saints: Cosmas and Damian in a Postmodern World'' (NY-Oxford: Oxford University Press 2013).

External links

Photo

Official Website

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cosma e Damiano, Santi 527 establishments 4th-century churches 6th-century churches 17th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Cosma e Damiano Cosma Conversion of non-Christian religious buildings and structures into churches Centralized-plan churches in Italy Churches of Rome (rione Campitelli) Buildings converted to Catholic church buildings