Santa Maria in Trastevere

Santa Maria in Trastevere (Italian: Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere) is a special church in the city of Rome, located in an area called Trastevere. It is one of the oldest churches in Rome that is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. People have been important to the church for a very long time, since the 3rd century.

The church we see today was mostly rebuilt a long time ago, during the time of Pope Innocent II in the 12th century. It is famous for its beautiful old pictures made of tiles called mosaics, its fancy Baroque interior, and a special art piece called the Madonna delle Clemenza.

Even now, Santa Maria in Trastevere is a busy place where people come together, especially during special times of year called Marian feasts, like the celebration of the Assumption on August 15. It continues to be a very important and loved place for many people.

History

Santa Maria in Trastevere is one of the oldest churches in Rome dedicated to Mary, mother of Jesus. According to an inscription on the episcopal throne, it might be the first church in Rome for her, though some believe that title belongs to the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore.

The first version of this church was likely built in the early fourth century. It replaced an earlier Christian meeting place called a tituli, which was connected to a supporter named Callixtus. Legend says Pope Callixtus I started a small church here around the year 220, using a building that once served as a shelter for retired soldiers. The land was given for Christian use by Emperor Alexander Severus after solving a disagreement between Christians and people who ran taverns. Later, the church was enlarged by Pope Julius I in the year 340. It was restored again in the fifth and eighth centuries and then rebuilt once more between 1140 and 1143 under Pope Innocent II.

Exterior

The church's tall tower, called a campanile, dates back to the 1200s. Near the top, there is a special spot that shelters an old picture made of tiny tiles, or a mosaic, from the 1300s. This picture shows a woman known as the Madonna holding a baby, with ten other women standing beside them holding small lamps.

The front part of the church was fixed up in 1702 by an artist named Carlo Fontana. He added a nice railing on top with statues of four important church leaders. He also changed the old entrance to have a sloped, tiled roof. In front of the church, there is a beautiful eight-sided fountain that has been there since at least 1472. Fontana took care of this fountain too.

Interior

The Santa Maria in Trastevere has a special design that has been kept since before the 12th century. It stands on old foundations and has 22 granite columns that came from the ruins of the Baths of Caracalla. These columns separate the main area from the side areas and have Ionic and Corinthian tops.

There are beautiful artworks inside the church. One famous painting on the ceiling is called "Assumption of the Virgin" by Domenichino. The church also has many old mosaics from the 12th and late 13th centuries. One shows the "Coronation of the Virgin" and another shows the "Life of the Virgin". There is a special icon called "The Madonna della Clemenza", which is very old and thought to be very important.

The church also holds special items like a relic of Saint Apollonia and a piece of the Holy Sponge. Some important people from history, like Pope Callixtus I and Pope Innocent II, are buried there.

The titulus

The basilica has been a titular church since at least the 3rd century. Ancient sources say that the special title for this church was set up by Pope Alexander I around the year 112. Later stories name early supporters of these titles and say they were given the important title of cardinal. At that time, traditions say the church's special holder would have been Calepodius. Pope Callixtus I confirmed this title in 221. To honor him, it was changed to Ss. Callisti et Iuliani. It was later renamed S. Mariae trans Tiberim by Innocent II. ^{[citation needed]}

Among past important church leaders who held the special title of Santa Maria in Trastevere have been:

• Ioannes, son of Marozia (925–931), who became Pope John XI during the Saeculum obscurum
• Gabriele Condulmer (1426–1431), who became Pope Eugene IV
• Giovanni Morone (1556–1560), played a vital role in the third period of the Council of Trent
• Mark Sittich von Hohenems Altemps (1580–1585), commissioned the Alltemps chapel in the basilica as well as the Palazzo Altemps
• Pietro Aldobrandini (1612–1620), commissioned Domenichino to create the coffered wooden ceiling of the basilica
• Henry Benedict Stuart (1759–1761), whose coat of arms, topped by a crown (some hailed him as King Henry IX of England) rather than a galero (red hat), is visible over the screen to the right of the altar.
• Pietro Marcellino Corradini (1726–1734), named venerable on April 24, 2021. His tomb is in the basilica.
• Annibale della Genga who became Pope Leo XII
• James Gibbons (1887–1921), Archbishop of Baltimore, second American cardinal and author of The Faith of Our Fathers
• Stefan Wyszyński (1957–1981), beatified on September 21, 2021

The current holder is Carlos Osoro Sierra, Archbishop Emeritis of Madrid.

Full list of titulars since 1350

Significant events

Long ago, in 38BC, oil began to flow up from the ground. This was called fons olei and was seen by some as a sign that the Messiah was coming.

Over the years, important events took place at the church. In 1634, an icon known as the Madonna di Strada Cupa was given a special honor called a canonical coronation. Later, in 1659, another icon called the Madonna della Clemenza also received this honor. In 1887, Cardinal James Gibbons spoke about important ideas about how the church and government should work together. In 2014, a royal wedding happened there, and in 2018, Pope Francis held a special service to celebrate an important group’s 50th anniversary.