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Santi Cosma e Damiano, Rome

January 01, 1970

The basilica of Santi Cosma e Damiano is a titular church in Rome, Italy. The lower portion of the building is accessible through the Roman Forum and incorporates original Roman buildings, but the entrance to the upper level is outside the Forum.

Santi Cosma e Damiano
Basilica of Saints Cosmas and Damian
Basilica dei Santi Cosma e Damiano
View of the Temple of Romulus, from the Palatine Hill.
Click on the map for a fullscreen view
41°53′31″N 12°29′15″E / 41.8920625°N 12.4874308°E / 41.8920625; 12.4874308
CountryItaly
Language(s)Italian
DenominationCatholic
Previous denominationOriginally dedicated to the deified Valerius Romulus
TraditionRoman Rite
Websitecosmadamiano.com
History
Statusbasilica, titular church
FoundedAD 527 (as a church)
Founder(s)Pope Felix IV
DedicationCosmas and Damian
Architecture
Functional statusActive
StyleEarly Christian
GroundbreakingAD 309
Completed1632
Administration
Subdivisionupright
DioceseRome

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 which may have been dedicated to Valerius Romulus, deified son of the emperor Maxentius; 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, especially in its mosaics.

Today it is one of the ancient churches called tituli, of which cardinals are patrons as cardinal-deacons. Since 28 November 2020 the title has been held by Cardinal Mario Grech. The basilica, devoted to the two Arabian Christian brothers, doctors, martyrs and saints Cosmas and Damian, is located in the Forum of Vespasian, also known as the Forum of Peace.

History edit

 
Modern street view of the Church
 
Engraving of the Church
Giovanni Battista Falda (1665)

The Temple is traditionally held to have been dedicated by Emperor Maxentius to his son and co-consul Valerius Romulus, 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.[1] The temple has also been speculated as a rebuilding of the original temple of "Jupiter Stator", or one dedicated to Penates, restored by Maxentius.

The temple was Christianized and dedicated to Sancti Cosma et Damianus in 527, when Theodoric the Great, king of the Ostrogoths, and his daughter Amalasuntha donated the library of the Forum of Peace (Bibliotheca Pacis) and a portion of the Temple of Romulus to Pope Felix IV. The pope united the two buildings to create a basilica devoted to two Arabian Christian brothers and saints, Cosmas and Damian, in contrast with the ancient pagan cult of the two brothers Castor and Pollux, who had been worshipped in the nearby Temple of Castor and Pollux. The apse was decorated with a Roman-Byzantine mosaic, representing a parousia, the Second Coming of Christ at the end of time. The bodies of Saints Mark and Marcellian were translated, perhaps in the ninth century, to this church, where they were rediscovered in 1583 during the reign of Pope Gregory XIII.

In 1632, Pope Urban VIII ordered the restoration of the basilica. The works, projected by Orazio Torriani 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 actually 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 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 edit

 
Plan of the Basilica and Monastery

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 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: 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 presenting Saint Cosmas and Saint Theodorus (right), and Saint Paul presenting Saint Damian and Pope Felix IV; the latter holds a model of the church.

History of medicine edit

The importance of this basilica for the history of medicine 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 himself lectured in the Library of the Temple of Peace ("Bibliotheca Pacis").[citation needed] Furthermore, for centuries, in this "medical area"[vague] Roman physicians had their meetings.[2]

Gallery edit

Cardinal-deacons edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Hunt, E. D., "Imperial Building at Rome: The Role of Constantine"; in Cornell, T, and Lomas,Bread and Circuses': Euergetism and Municipal Patronage in Roman Italy, Routledge, 2005, pp. 106–107.
  2. ^ Cfr L. Temperini, Basilica Santi Cosma e Damiano, Edizioni Casa Generalizia TOR, Roma, s.d., p. 5.

Books and articles edit

  • 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) [Arte 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 edit

  • Photo
  • Official Website
  • Basilica of Saints Cosmas and Damian, Rome

  Media related to Basilica dei Santi Cosma e Damiano at Wikimedia Commons

Preceded by
San Clemente al Laterano 		Landmarks of Rome
Santi Cosma e Damiano 		Succeeded by
San Crisogono, Rome

January 01, 1970
santi, cosma, damiano, rome, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Santi Cosma e Damiano Rome news newspapers books scholar JSTOR March 2016 Learn how and when to remove this message The basilica of Santi Cosma e Damiano is a titular church in Rome Italy The lower portion of the building is accessible through the Roman Forum and incorporates original Roman buildings but the entrance to the upper level is outside the Forum Santi Cosma e DamianoBasilica of Saints Cosmas and DamianBasilica dei Santi Cosma e DamianoView of the Temple of Romulus from the Palatine Hill Click on the map for a fullscreen view41 53 31 N 12 29 15 E 41 8920625 N 12 4874308 E 41 8920625 12 4874308CountryItalyLanguage s ItalianDenominationCatholicPrevious denominationOriginally dedicated to the deified Valerius RomulusTraditionRoman RiteWebsitecosmadamiano wbr comHistoryStatusbasilica titular churchFoundedAD 527 as a church Founder s Pope Felix IVDedicationCosmas and DamianArchitectureFunctional statusActiveStyleEarly ChristianGroundbreakingAD 309Completed1632AdministrationSubdivisionuprightDioceseRome 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 which may have been dedicated to Valerius Romulus deified son of the emperor Maxentius 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 especially in its mosaics Today it is one of the ancient churches called tituli of which cardinals are patrons as cardinal deacons Since 28 November 2020 the title has been held by Cardinal Mario Grech The basilica devoted to the two Arabian Christian brothers doctors martyrs and saints Cosmas and Damian is located in the Forum of Vespasian also known as the Forum of Peace Contents 1 History 2 Structure and art 3 History of medicine 4 Gallery 5 Cardinal deacons 6 See also 7 References 8 Books and articles 9 External linksHistory edit nbsp Modern street view of the Church nbsp Engraving of the ChurchGiovanni Battista Falda 1665 The Temple is traditionally held to have been dedicated by Emperor Maxentius to his son and co consul Valerius Romulus 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 1 The temple has also been speculated as a rebuilding of the original temple of Jupiter Stator or one dedicated to Penates restored by Maxentius The temple was Christianized and dedicated to Sancti Cosma et Damianus in 527 when Theodoric the Great king of the Ostrogoths and his daughter Amalasuntha donated the library of the Forum of Peace Bibliotheca Pacis and a portion of the Temple of Romulus to Pope Felix IV The pope united the two buildings to create a basilica devoted to two Arabian Christian brothers and saints Cosmas and Damian in contrast with the ancient pagan cult of the two brothers Castor and Pollux who had been worshipped in the nearby Temple of Castor and Pollux The apse was decorated with a Roman Byzantine mosaic representing a parousia the Second Coming of Christ at the end of time The bodies of Saints Mark and Marcellian were translated perhaps in the ninth century to this church where they were rediscovered in 1583 during the reign of Pope Gregory XIII In 1632 Pope Urban VIII ordered the restoration of the basilica The works projected by Orazio Torriani 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 actually 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 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 edit nbsp Plan of the Basilica and Monastery 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 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 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 presenting Saint Cosmas and Saint Theodorus right and Saint Paul presenting Saint Damian and Pope Felix IV the latter holds a model of the church History of medicine editThe importance of this basilica for the history of medicine 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 himself lectured in the Library of the Temple of Peace Bibliotheca Pacis citation needed Furthermore for centuries in this medical area vague Roman physicians had their meetings 2 Gallery edit nbsp Pope Felix IV presents Saints Cosmas and Damian with the basilica he rededicated nbsp Apse mosaicCardinal deacons editPietro Pierleoni 1106 1120 Gionata 1120 1130 Guido da Vico 1130 1150 Rolando Bandinelli C R L 1152 1155 Boso 1155 1165 Graziano da Pisa 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 1306 1336 Leonardo Cybo 1402 1404 Jean Gilles 1405 1408 Pietro Stefaneschi 1409 1410 Francesco Zabarella 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 1513 1517 Giovanni Salviati 1517 1543 Giacomo Savelli 1543 1552 Girolamo Simoncelli 1554 1588 Federico Borromeo 1589 Guido Pepoli 1590 1592 Flaminio Piatti 1592 1593 Agostino Spinola Basadone 1623 1631 Alessandro Cesarini iuniore 1632 1637 Benedetto Odescalchi 1645 1659 Odoardo Vecchiarelli 1660 1667 Leopoldo de Medici 1668 1670 Niccolo 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 1756 1760 Cornelio Caprara 1762 1765 Benedetto Veterani 1766 1776 Antonio Maria Doria Pamphilj 1785 1789 Ludovico Flangini 1789 1794 Giovanni Caccia Piatti 1816 1833 Pietro de Silvestri 1858 1861 Tommaso Maria Zigliara 1879 1891 Raffaele Pierotti 1896 1905 Ottavio Cagiano de Azevedo 1905 1915 Andreas Fruhwirth 1916 1927 Vincenzo Lapuma 1935 1943 Crisanto Luque Sanchez 1953 1959 Francesco Morano 1959 1968 Johannes Willebrands 1969 1975 Eduardo Francisco Pironio 1976 1987 later Cardinal Priest 1987 1995 Giovanni Cheli 1998 2008 later Cardinal Priest 2008 2013 Beniamino Stella 2014 2020 Mario Grech 2020 present See also editList of Ancient Roman temples Roman architectureReferences edit Hunt E D Imperial Building at Rome The Role of Constantine in Cornell T and Lomas Bread and Circuses Euergetism and Municipal Patronage in Roman Italy Routledge 2005 pp 106 107 Cfr L Temperini Basilica Santi Cosma e Damiano Edizioni Casa Generalizia TOR Roma s d p 5 Books and articles editPietro 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 Arte 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 editPhoto Official Website Basilica of Saints Cosmas and Damian Rome nbsp Media related to Basilica dei Santi Cosma e Damiano at Wikimedia Commons Preceded bySan Clemente al Laterano Landmarks of RomeSanti Cosma e Damiano Succeeded bySan Crisogono Rome Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Santi Cosma e Damiano Rome amp oldid 1177006772, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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