San Lorenzo in Damaso

San Lorenzo in Damaso (Latin: Sancti Laurentii in Damaso ) is a Roman deacon and martyr Lawrence of Rome basilica dedicated and titular church in Rome, which was built according to tradition, to 380 by Pope Damasus I in the Campus Martius. . She was thus one of Rome's oldest churches. As titular church they are each assigned a cardinal as a parish church. Titular, who worked as builders of the Church were, among others, Ludovico and Raffaele Riario Trevisano. The church is involved in the building complex of this Renaissance palace since the construction of the Palazzo della Cancelleria and has no self outer facade. The importance of the church is emphasized by its title basilica minor. The church of Santa Maria in Monterone been since the Middle Ages to 1815, branch church of the Chapter of San Lorenzo in Damaso.

Historical Overview

San Lorenzo in Damaso (Latin: Sancti Laurentii in Damaso ), situated on the Piazza della Cancelleria, in Parione district, is one of the first early Christian churches in Rome. In the 5th century existed on Mars field only two Christian churches, San Lorenzo in Lucina and San Lorenzo in Damaso. It is dedicated to the deacon and martyr Lawrence of Rome. Its original name was the Basilica S. Laurentii ad theatrum Pompeii or S. Larentii in prasino. Probably the church was built over a Roman Mithraeum. Since the synod of Pope Symmachus in 499 it is known as titulus Damasi and was built according to the tradition of Pope Damasus I in 380 to form a five-nave early Christian basilica. In the apse under the altarpiece of the church today there is a Pope Damasus I attributed couplet, celebrating the construction of the church: HAEC DAMASVS TIBI CHRISTE DEVS NOVA TECTA DICAVI LAVRENTII SAEPTVS MARTYRIS AVXILIO (EX VNICO CODICE VIRDVNENSE ) This new house I have, Damasus, you Christ God ordained; protected by the help of Lawrence Martyr (from the single Codex Veronese). The original basilica was between the present-day Piazza della Cancelleria and the garden behind the palace at the meeting place of the green circus party ( Greek, Prasinoi '), which was adjacent to the Theatre of Pompey; hence the name S. Larentii in prasino. She was about 2 meters lower than the place to which led a few steps. The construction of the new church by Raffaele Riario on the rubble of the old, led to a surge in the level.

Excavations under the Cortile of the Palazzo della Cancelleria 1988 - 1991 have uncovered the foundations of the 4th and 5th centuries, thus confirming the church was founded. In addition, we discovered a cemetery, which was used from the 8th to the early 15th century.

Beginning of the 15th century, the church of Cardinal Ludovico Trevisan Mezzarota Scarampo was fundamentally redesigned, expanded and included in his new palace. With the construction of the Palazzo della Cancelleria 1485-1513 by Cardinal Titular Church of San Lorenzo in Damaso, Raffaele Riario, the previous building was demolished and the church built in the palace. The church disappeared completely behind the uniform palace facade.

At the request of Cardinal Francesco Barberini designed Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1638-1640) to the presbytery in the Baroque style by creating the apse and the Confessio. In February 1703 the damaged by an earthquake in the atrium of the church of Cardinal Ottoboni was rebuilt, as the inscription above the church entrance from the Cortile of the Palazzo della Cancelleria witnessed. On January 24, 1752 took place in the Basilica of the day after his birth, the baptism of the composer and pianist Muzio Clementi ( 1752-1832 ) to the name Mutius Philippus Vincentius Franciscus Xavier instead.

At the beginning of the 19th century, during the first French occupation by Napoleon in 1798, the church served temporarily as a horse stable, but has been restored in 1807 by Giuseppe Valadier. He gave the presbytery by two arcs forward, reduced the nave to a rectangle and covered it with a vault.

End of the 19th century, it was at the instigation of Pope Pius IX.ihre Renaissance features largely back. Virginio Vespignani remote to 1868-1882 many interventions by Valadier and Bernini. The last renovation was told the church in 1944 after a fire in the interior, and the adjoining presbytery large space of Valadier was eliminated.

Today is, in addition to the major institutions of the Curia in the Palazzo della Cancelleria, part of the Vatican Library in the Church

Architecture

The present church has the shape of a three-aisled basilica. Their dimensions are: 48.60 meters in length and 34.40 meters in width. The austere and monumental travertine facade of the Palazzo della Cancelleria is interrupted on the ground floor of two elegant portals. The smaller porch on the right leads to the church. The church is in the façade design not, as in the similar case of San Marco at the Palazzo Venezia, more recognizable.

Interior design and furnishing

The interior of the palace church at the end of the 15th century, among other things Donato Bramante attributed as a possible early work in Rome. As in the Palazzo della Cancelleria the builders are no longer determine secured. The original columns found in the Cortile of the palace use, was replaced by piers, modified according to the yokes and increased the nave to the height of the piano nobile, to give space and width of the nave. " While many window sit symmetrically in the façade and in the yard, but asymmetrical in the church, as well as reveal their Travertinpfeiler that the Court enjoyed absolute priority " ..

The interior of the church is today the structure of the late 15th century with the characteristic space dimensioning and allocation, similar to that in the old church, which had an outer and an inner portico, again. This structure is included in the two transepts ( Portici), which act with arches on square pilasters and ribbed vaults as a vestibule.

Eingangsportici ( transepts ): In the first transept right is the Cappella Ruffo (A), for the Cardinal Tommaso Ruffo rebuilt in 1743. The altarpiece depicts the Virgin Mary, St. Philip Neri and St. Nicholas of Bari. The frescoes on the vaulted ceilings make God the Father with the St. Nicholas of Bari and the four virtues dar. The side exit from the church left the Ruffo chapel leads to the Corso Vittorio Emmanuele II

In the first transept left is the Chapel of the Holy Sacrament and the 5 wounds (B). The altarpiece ' The Last Supper ' is a work of Vincenzo Berrettini from the year 1818.

On pilasters opposite the entrance to the tomb of the Italian opera composer Giovanni Pacini (C).

On the sides of the first portico statues of St. Francis Xavier (D) and Charles Borromeo are (E) by Stefano Maderno from the year 1610.

In the second left transept portal (F) with decorated Marmorpilastern from the end of the 15th century leads to the Cortile of the Palazzo della Cancelleria.

In the high altar is the grave of Pope Damasus I Put A picture by pointing to his grave can be found today at the altar. A preserved in the British Museum project drawing (before 1466 ) shows a Leon Battista Alberti ascribed design for the high altar of the church of the present canopy on four alabaster columns created Virginio Vespignani. The altarpiece of the Coronation of the Virgin and saints was created by Federico Zuccari for this church.

Right aisle: The crucifix or Massimokapelle (G) 1582 created by the merging of three chapels. On the altar is a wooden cross (H ) from the Roman school of the 14th century on the outside of the monument of the late young Princess Maria Gabriella di Savoia Massimo ( I). Chapel of the Sacred Heart ( J): outside there is the monument to the Italian politician and diplomat Pellegrino Rossi ( 1854).

Left Aisle: In addition to the presbytery is the Chapel of the Conception ( K), which Pietro da Cortona 1635 - 38 has been remodeled and restored in 1859. In the aisle are further to find the grave monument (L ) Cardinal Ludovico Trevisan for the Mezzarota Scarampo ( 1505) and the Monument ( M ) by the poet Annibal Caro ( 1566).