
Santi Vito e Modesto is a Roman Catholic church, and appears to have two facades, a 20th-century marble facade on Via Carlo Alberto, but a rustic brick older entrance, in reality the apse, on the Via San Vito in the
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 ...
Esquilino of Rome, Italy. It has also been called Santi Vito, Modesto e Crescenzia (Saints Vito, Modesto and Crescenzia). It is located in the
Rione Esquilino, adjacent to the
Servian Wall
The Servian Wall (; ) is an ancient Roman defensive barrier constructed around the city of Rome in the early 4th century BC. The wall was built of volcanic tuff and was up to in height in places, wide at its base, long, and is believed to hav ...
, near the former
Monastery of the Viperesche.
History
This area was previously part of the ''Macellum Liviae'', and the market included a inside a large basilica building, later a church, putative identified as the ''Basilica Sicinium'' (now identified with the church 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 ...
) mentioned by the historian
Ammianus Marcellinus
Ammianus Marcellinus, occasionally anglicized as Ammian ( Greek: Αμμιανός Μαρκελλίνος; born , died 400), was a Greek and Roman soldier and historian who wrote the penultimate major historical account surviving from antiquit ...
in the 4th century. After the persecutions of Domitian, the area was called the ''Macello Martyrum'' or "marketplace of the martyrs".
A church, titled ''San Vito in Macello Martyrum'' was first recorded in the ''
Liber Pontificalis
The ''Liber Pontificalis'' (Latin for 'pontifical book' or ''Book of the Popes'') is a book of biography, biographies of popes from Saint Peter until the 15th century. The original publication of the ''Liber Pontificalis'' stopped with Pope Adr ...
'' for the reign of
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 on 12 June 816. Protected by Charlemagne from the supporters of his predecessor, Adrian I, Leo subsequently strengthened Charlem ...
(795–816). The church was dedicated to
St. Vitus, a 4th-century
martyr
A martyr (, ''mártys'', 'witness' Word stem, stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an external party. In ...
in
Sicily
Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...
. He became very popular during the Middle Ages as the
patron saint
A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy or Oriental Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, fa ...
of those suffering from
epilepsy
Epilepsy is a group of Non-communicable disease, non-communicable Neurological disorder, neurological disorders characterized by a tendency for recurrent, unprovoked Seizure, seizures. A seizure is a sudden burst of abnormal electrical activit ...
, and was venerated as one of the
Fourteen Holy Helpers
The Fourteen Holy Helpers (, ) are a group of saints venerated together by Catholics because their intercession is believed to be particularly effective, especially against various diseases. This group of ''Nothelfer'' ("helpers in need") orig ...
. In England and other countries his name was mutated into "Guy" (as in
Guy Fawkes
Guy Fawkes (; 13 April 1570 – 31 January 1606), also known as Guido Fawkes while fighting for the Spanish, was a member of a group of provincial English Catholics involved in the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605. He was born and educate ...
), which in Italian became Guido.
The church was described as a ''
diaconia A diaconia was originally an establishment built near a church building, for the care of the poor and distribution of the church's charity in medieval Rome or Naples (the successor to the Roman grain supply system, often standing on the very sites o ...
'', a center for the Church's charitable activities and received donations from Pope Leo. This implies that it was founded when there was still a local residential population to be served from the time of its founding, likely in the 6th century, as the Esquiline began to lose its population about that time. Possibly in line with its ancient orientation, it became 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 ...
for a
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. C ...
in 1088. The first cardinal to receive this title was
Leo of Ostia
Leo Marsicanus (meaning "of the Marsi") or Ostiensis (meaning "of Ostia"), also known as Leone dei Conti di Marsi (1046, Marsica – 1115/7, Ostia), was a nobleman and monk of Monte Cassino around 1061 and Italian cardinal from the 12th cent ...
, a
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
A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...
.
In that same period a legend describing the martyrdom of St. Vitus became popular. This legend associated him with two other martyrs called Modestus and Crescentia who were identified as a married couple, his childhood tutor and nursemaid. As a result, the church was renamed San Vitale e Modesto ''in Macello Martyrum'', which was also the name of the cardinalate. Later in the Middle Ages the cardinalate was renamed Santi Vitale, Modesto e Crescentia, but the church came to be called simply Santi Vito e Modesto, and the ''Macello Martyrum'' was forgotten.
By the 15th century the church had fallen into ruins. One source mentions the church was always suspect due to links to heresy under Pope
Damasus I
Pope Damasus I (; c. 305 – 11 December 384), also known as Damasus of Rome, was the bishop of Rome from October 366 to his death in 384. It is claimed that he presided over the Council of Rome of 382 that determined the canon or official list o ...
in the 4th century. It was rebuilt a parish church by 1474-1477 by Pope
Sixtus IV
Pope Sixtus IV (or Xystus IV, ; born Francesco della Rovere; (21 July 1414 – 12 August 1484) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 August 1471 until his death in 1484. His accomplishments as pope included ...
near the original site. The church has housed multiple orders: in the 15th century, it was linked to nuns under the order of St Bernard. In 1685, it was entrusted to the
Cistercian
The Cistercians (), officially the Order of Cistercians (, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint Benedict, as well as the contri ...
monks. They established a small
monastery
A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...
adjacent to the church, which served as the residence of the
Procurator
Procurator (with procuracy or procuratorate referring to the office itself) may refer to:
* Procurator, one engaged in procuration, the action of taking care of, hence management, stewardship, agency
* Procurator (Ancient Rome), the title of var ...
General of the Order. Later it passed on to other clerical orders. In 1834, the church had a major restoration under the architect Pietro Camporese il Giovane, and in 1900 by Alfredo Ricci who added the modern facade.
According to ''Mas Latrie'', this deaconry became a title from 1477 until 1480, when it was returned to its older rank as a Cardinal-Deaconry. and again in 1565 when Pope Pius IV (1559–1565) created 23 new cardinals. It underwent a series of reconstructions in the following centuries. In the 19th century, it was occupied by a Polish order, known for ministering to the rabid.
Pope Sixtus V
Pope Sixtus 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, where h ...
listed it among the deaconries in his
apostolic constitution
An apostolic constitution () is the most solemn form of legislation issued by the Pope.New Commentary on the Code of Canon Law, pg. 57, footnote 36.
By their nature, apostolic constitutions are addressed to the public. Generic constitutions use ...
''Religiosa''.
The interior has frescoes of the Madonna, child, and Saints attributed to
Antoniazzo Romano
Antonio di Benedetto Aquilo degli Aquili (c. 1430 – c. 1510), known as Antoniazzo Romano, was an Italian Early Renaissance painter, the leading figure of the Roman school during the latter part of the 15th century. He "made a speciality of ...
. It also has 19th-century frescoes depicting the ''Madonna offering the Rosary to Saints Dominic and Catherine of Siena''. The main altar has a painting by
Pasqualino Marini.
The current Cardinal Deacon is
Giuseppe Bertello
Giuseppe Bertello (born 1 October 1942) is an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church, a cardinal since 2012, who was President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and President of the Governorate of Vatican City State from Octob ...
, appointed in 2012 by
Pope Benedict XVI
Pope BenedictXVI (born Joseph Alois Ratzinger; 16 April 1927 – 31 December 2022) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013. Benedict's election as p ...
.
[David M. Cheney, ''Catholic-Hierarchy.org'', ]
Cardinal Deacons since 1754
*
Luigi Maria Torregiani
Luigi Maria Torreggiani (October 18, 1697 – January 6, 1777) was an Italian Cardinal. Some refer to him also as Ludovico Maria Torrigiani.
Born to an aristocratic family in Florence. His skills in ecclesiastical offices, led to a rapid rise in ...
(1754–1765)
*
Andrea Negroni
Andrea Negroni (November 2, 1710 – January 17, 1789) was an Italian Cardinal who was Cardinal-Deacon of the titular Church of Santi Vito, Modesto e Crescenzio from 1765 to 1779.
Life
Ancestry
Negroni was born in Rome, the eldest of the two so ...
(1765–1779)
*
Giovanni Serafini (1843–1846)
*
Vincenzo Santucci (1853–1854)
*
Gaspare Grasselini (1856–1867)
*
Edoardo Borromeo
Edoardo Borromeo (3 August 1822 – 30 November 1881) was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He was ''Maestro di Camera'' to Pius IX and was Cardinal-Deacon of Santi Vito, Modesto e Crescenzio from 1868 to 1878. He was the sevent ...
(1868–1878)
*
Carlo Cristofori (1885–1891)
*
Francesco di Paola Cassetta
Francesco di Paola Cassetta (12 August 1841 – 23 March 1919) was an Italian Cardinal of the Catholic Church who served as Prefect of the Sacred Congregation of the Council from 1914 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 189 ...
, in commendam (1901–1919)
*
Eugène Tisserant
Eugène-Gabriel-Gervais-Laurent Tisserant (; 24 March 1884 – 21 February 1972) was a French prelate and cardinal of the Catholic Church. Elevated to the cardinalate in 1936, Tisserant was a prominent and long-time member of the Roman Curia.
...
(1936–1937); pro illa vice title (1937–1939)
*
José Bueno y Monreal
José María Bueno y Monreal (11 September 1904 – 20 August 1987) was a Spanish cardinal of the Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Seville from 1957 to 1982, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1958.
Biography
Born in Zaragoza ...
, pro illa vice title (1958–1987)
*
Umberto Betti
Umberto Betti, O.F.M., S.T.D. (7 March 1922 – 1 April 2009) was an Italian priest of the Order of Friars Minor who on 24 November 2007 was appointed a cardinal-deacon of the Roman Catholic Church.
Betti was born in Pieve Santo Stefano, ...
, O.F.M. (2007–2009)
*
Giuseppe Bertello
Giuseppe Bertello (born 1 October 1942) is an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church, a cardinal since 2012, who was President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and President of the Governorate of Vatican City State from Octob ...
(2012– )
References
Bibliography
*Odescalchi Pietro (1837). ''Notizie de' nuovi lavori eseguiti nella diaconia de' Ss. Vito e Modesto''. Roma, tip. Aureli, 1837.
{{coord, 41, 53, 45, N, 12, 30, 06, E, region:IT_type:landmark_source:kolossus-frwiki, display=title
Buildings and structures completed in 1474
Churches completed in the 1470s
Vito Modesto
Vito Modesto
Vito Modesto
Vito Modesto