Santa Maria in Trastevere

41.88944444444412.469722222222Koordinaten: 41 ° 53 ' 22 " N, 12 ° 28 ' 11 " O

Santa Maria in Trastevere (Latin: Sanctae Mariae trans Tiberim ) is probably the oldest Church of Rome and, with the next nearest place the center of the Trastevere district.

History

According to the traditions of the 4th century arose where now stands the altar of the church, in the year 38 BC, an oil-containing source ( fons olei ). What would possibly be explained by volcanic activity, was seen by the Jewish residents of the district as an announcement of the Messiah. Later, this event has been interpreted as a sign of the coming of Jesus Christ. As early as the 3rd century there should have been at the site of a Christian house church, in place of Julius I. middle of the 4th century, built a large basilica, which was replaced in the 12th century Innocent II by a new building with Campanile. For this purpose, among others, material from the Baths of Caracalla was used.

In the Holy Year 1525, the church served as a substitute for the flooding of the Tiber Church of Saint Paul Outside the Walls. The main portal served as the Holy Door. Even in the holy During 1625, 1700 and 1825 replaced Santa Maria in Trastevere, the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, which had to remain in 1625 and 1700 closed due to epidemics in the Roman countryside and was completely destroyed in 1825 because of the fire of 1823.

The church is Roman titular church since the year 112, and transmits the church the title of minor basilica. One of the affiliated churches of the Chapter of Santa Maria in Trastevere was Sante Rufina e Seconda to 1602.

Equipment

The mosaics in the apse date from this time. The mosaics on the triumphal arch and apse in the lower section were created a century later by Pietro Cavallini. The latter show in six pictures the life of Mary: Nativity of Mary, Annunciation, Nativity, Adoration of the Magi, The Presentation of Jesus in the temple and death of Mary. They were donated by Cardinal Pietro Stefaneschi, in the Church recalls in a Gothic tomb of the. He left the description of the first Holy Year in history in 1300.

In the vestibule is located since 1308 on a high pilasters above a rectangular stone container in which it is the remains of the urn by Pope Innocent II. The mosaics on the porch date from the 13th and 14th centuries. They show Mary with the Child and wise and foolish virgins ( Matt. 25:1-13 after ).

Despite baroque additions and alterations the Church nor the medieval impression has preserved. The pillars are from an ancient building, possibly from the Baths of Caracalla.