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April 15, 2013 · 11:30 am

The Ancient Basilica of Santi Cosma e Damiano in Rome Italy

Roma-basilica cosma e damiano (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Basilica of Santi Cosma e Damiano is dedicated to the two twin brothers who were physicians. Damiano and Cosma soon became patrons of physicians, surgeons, pharmacists and veterinarians.

Português: Interior da Igreja dos Santos Cosme e Damião, Roma. Italiano: Roma: Mosaico absidale nella chiesa dei Santi Cosma e Damiano (527/530, ma con ampi restauri successivi). All’estrema sinistra, papa Felice IV. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

They were made famous by a miraculous operation whereby they transplanted an Ethiopian’s leg onto a white man’s body. They never charged their patients for services, so they were known as “silverless.”

Pesellino, santi cosma e damiano (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Saint Cosmas and Saint Damian before Lisius (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

They were both martyred in ancient Cyrus in northern Syria during the persecution of Emperor Diocletian. For centuries, this became the hub of the medical area of Rome where many physicians conducted their meetings.

SS. Cosmas of Damian, Roma Mosaikk,detalje Italiano: Roma: Dettaglio del mosaico absidale nella chiesa dei Santi Cosma e Damiano (527/530, ma con ampi restauri successivi). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Pope Felix IV presents Sts Cosmas and Damian with the basilica he rededicated to them. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In 527, Pope Felix IV (526-530) converted two buildings in the Roman Forum to a Christian Church. Theodoric the Great, king of the Ostrogoths and his daughter Queen Amalasuntha donated the library of the Forum of Peace built in 70 by Emperor Vespian and a portion of the Temple of Romulus which was erected by Emperor Maxentius for his son Romulus to Pope Felix. He united the two buildings to create this Basilica. This was the first time that this was done in Rome. The original entrance to the church was from the Roman Forum.

Ss. Cosmas of Damian, Roma (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The church was restored in 780 by Emperor Hadrian and in 1632, Pope Urban VIII had the church fully renovated using a design by architect Luigi Arrigucci. The church has two levels. One end of the church is below ground level and is known as the crypt.

The Crypt of Santi Cosma e Damiano

Mosaic apse of Santi Cosma e Damiano

The high altar has a 6th century Byzantine apse mosaic that became the model for other mosaics in Roman churches. The mosaic parousia depicts a majestic Christ wearing a Roman toga holding a scroll. The baroque altar is from 1628 with back and white marble columns from the original altar in the crypt. The picture in the center of the altar is a 13th century “Our Lady of Grace”.

Mosaic of Christ in the Church of Santi Cosma E Damiano

The Basilica of Saints Cosmas and Damian (Photo credit: jimforest)

Saints Damian and Cosma are carrying crowns of martyrdom. They are being presented to Saint Peter (the older one on the right of Christ) and Saint Paul (on the left of Christ) garbed in the white robes of heaven. Saints Damian and Cosma are dressed in grey togas. The faces of the two brothers are almost identical. To the left of the Saint is Pope Felix holding a model of his church and hovering over his feet are three Barberini bees signifying that the restoration of the church was done during the pontificate of Urban VIII. To the right of Saint Damian is St. Theodore, a soldier-martyr.

Saint Peter and Saint Damian in Rome Italy

Pope Felix with Cosmas and Saint Paul

Saint Cosmas and Saint Paul in Rome Italy

The mosaic on the triumphal arch is from the 7th century with an enthroned Lamb of God. The painted ceiling is from 1632 with a fresco by Marco Tullio Montagna of Saints Damian and Cosmas being greeted in heaven by the Virgin and Child. Each end of the ceiling has the coat of arms of Urban VIII with his Barberini bees.

Enter the church through the 17th century courtyard of the Franciscans with frescoes of the life of Saint Francis by Francesco Allegrini.

English: Nativity Scene in Santi Cosma e Damiano, in Rome (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In a room off the cloister there is an 18th century Neopolitan presepio. On November 29, 1988 some thieves stole some of the pieces and they were never returned.

Dr. EveAnn Lovero writes Italy Travel Guides. Learn more about Rome @ www.vino-con-vista.com

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Tagged as Ancient, Basilica of Santi Cosma e Damiano in Rome Italy, Christian Church, Diocletian, Hadrian, History, Roman Forum, Rome, Saint Peter, Saints Cosmas and Damian

April 10, 2013 · 10:39 am

Who built Rome’s Historic Pantheon?

: Image via Wikipedia

English: The Pantheon in Rome, Italy (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Plan of the first ( Red ) (by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa) and of the third (Black) (by Hadrian) Pantheon. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

complete cupola of Pantheon Rome (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Pantheon in Rome has occupied its present location for nearly 2000 years. It was originally designed in 27 B.C. as a pagan temple for all twelve Roman deities; supernatural and immortal beings. The deities were Apollo, Ceres, Diana, Juno, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Minerva, Neptune, Venus, Vesta and Vulcan.

Pantheon – Rome (LOC) (Photo credit: The Library of Congress)

Image via Wikipedia

The massive original doors are still used for entry into the Basilica.

Image via Wikipedia

The structure is as wide as it is tall (140 x 140 feet). The 30 foot wide oculus in the roof is the only source of light and was designed to allow the smoke from the burning of sacrificed animals to escape. The hemispherical dome was made from un-reinforced concrete and is still the largest dome in the world of its type.

Circular exterior view of the side of the Pantheon

The coffers for the concrete dome were poured in molds. Eight massive granite columns support the triangular tympanon.

Agrippa was the son-in-law of Emperor Augustus. Agrippa’s name is still inscribed in the trabeation above the portico in Latin and bears the inscription “Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, Consul for the third time built this.”

Pantheon Restoration

Agrippa did not really build the Pantheon; he built an earlier temple on this site in 27 B.C. that was ravaged by a fire. The Pantheon was built in 125 AD during the reign of Emperor Hadrian.

Image via Wikipedia

The Pantheon was given to Pope Boniface IV in 609 and he converted it into a church and named it Santa Maria ad Martyres. Pope Boniface had 28 carloads of martyrs’ bones brought here from various cemeteries in Rome. It became the first pagan temple to be consecrated as a church.

English: An image of the tomb of Umberto I in the Pantheon, in Rome, Italy. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Saint Mary and the Martyrs houses the mortal remains of Raphael in an ancient marble sarcophagus. Raphael died in 1520. The bust of Raphael located in the niche left of the aedicule and was completed in 1833 by Giueseppe Fabris.

The tomb of the fist king of Italy, King Victor Emanuele II (1820-1878), has a statue of St. Ann and the Virgin in the aedicule to the left of the tomb by Lorenzo Ottoni.

English: Pantheon, Rome, Raphael's tomb.

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Bronze bust of Raphael on top of the artist's ...

Image via Wikipedia

Most of the marble was recycled for St. Peter’s Basilica. In 1625, Pope Urban VIII (Barberini) removed the bronze from the beams of the portico to make 80 cannons for Castel Sant’Angelo and the four spiral columns of Bernini’s Baldachinno in St. Peter’s Basilica. The colossal bronze doors are original. Today we might consider that a “green” ecologically friendly move but the Roman’s say, “Whatever the barbarians didn’t do, the Barberini did.” The tomb of Victor Emanuele II was then created from bronze that was recast from the Castel Sant’Angelo’s cannons at the turn of the 20^th century.

The general area around the Pantheon is the financial and political hub of the city and includes the stock exchange and Parliament. I think the Cafe Agrippa is a great place for a “Vino con Vista”!

The Piazza della Rotunda is the name of the square in front of the Pantheon. One of Rome’s prized Egyptian obelisks occupies the center of the square. Did you know that you will never get lost in Rome if you follow the obelisks? They are like a Roman GPS system that mark important landmarks in Rome.