The Sant’Eusebio all’Esquilino Church in Rome is located just off the Piazza Vittorio Emanuele (on the corner with the Via Napoleone III) in the Esquilino neighborhood of the Eternal City.
A brief history of Sant’Eusebio all’Esquilino
The Chiesa di Sant’Eusebio all’Esquilino is one of Rome’s oldest churches, having been built in the 5th century. The earliest reference, an inscription in the catacombs underneath the SS. Pietro and Marcellino Church, dates back to the year 474. It is dedicated to Saint Eusebius of Bologna, who financed its construction and was (probably) starved to death under Constance II. His relics are buried beneath the High Altar. He is also thought to have lived on the spot where the church now stands.
Though already dedicated to Eusebius, it was Pope Zaccaria who, in 750, adapted the building and had it turned into an official church.
Reconstructions took place in 1238 (under Pope Gregory IX, who consecrated the church in the same year).
The brick campanile of the church dates back to the 13th century.
Meanwhile, a convent had been built next to the church. When the religious order of the Celestines, which does not exist anymore, came to live there in 1588, they enlarged this building. It used to contain one of Rome’s first printing offices. The monastery’s cloister was designed by Domenico Fontana.
In 1711 the facade (a portico with 5 vaults) was altered by Carlo Stefano Fontana.
The interior, with its three naves, was also altered, first in the 17th century by Onofrio Longhi and then in 1759 by Nicolà Picconi. This last renovation was paid for Cardinal Enrico Enriquez, titular of the church of Sant’Eusebio. A stucco inscription with the coat of arms of the cardinal testifies to his generosity. The angels were sculpted byy Tommaso Righi.
The church is higher than the street level, as a result of the excavations that took place when the Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II was constructed. It is therefore necessary to climb some steps in order to reach the portico in front of the church.
The balcony above the entrance is decorated with statues of saints and two kneeling angels. The tympanum, with a metal cross, is slightly further to the back in relation to the rest of the facade.
Works of art, what to see in Sant’Eusebio all’Esquilino
The vault of the central nave was painted by Anton Raphael Mengs and is called “The Glory of Saint Eusebio” (1759). One of the angels, the angels traditionally being male, was a female and just happened to be blessed with the feature of the artist’s beloved.
The high altar contains a late 18th century “Madonna and Child”, by Pompeo Batoni. The altar itself was the work of Onorio Longhi and dates back to 1599. There is a 16th century wooden choir, carved for the Order of the Celestines, behind the High Altar. The stalls and lectern of this choir, the only one of its kind in the city, are decorated with carved grotesque figures.
Instead of chapels, there are only four free-standing altars along each side wall.
The cloister was designed by Domenico Fontana in 1588. It used to belong the the monastery next door but is now part of a police barracks.
There are some ruins of an ancient Roman domus below the right nave of the church. One of the tuff stone underground chambers contains what was likely a burial chamber hewn out of the rock. In 1889, the church custodian, Giovanni Compagnucci, reported the discovery of a sarcophagus containing bones believed to be the mortal remains of St Eusebius. The sarcophagus had been smashed and its contents stolen. In 2010, two spearheads were discovered near the staircase leading to the underground area. These are believed to have been among the items the saint had been buried with. (The underground area can usually not be visited.)
Blessing of the household pets
Every year on January 17 (and in 2026 also on January 18) the blessing of the pets takes place in front of the church of Sant’Eusebio. The saint considered to be the protector of pets is Sant’Antonio Abate (St. Anthony the Great, in English), whose feast day is on January 17th. The event should therefore really take place in the nearby church dedicated to the saint. This is not possible, however, since that church does not have an outdoor space and is located on a busy corner.
Address, opening times and admission
Address: Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, 12/a – Rome (Tel: +39 06 4466170). Opening hours: Weekdays: 07.30 till 09.30 (08.30 till 09.30 in summer) and 18.15 till 19.15; Sundays and holidays from 08.30 till 12.30 (08.30 till 11.30 in summer) and from 18.15 till 19.45. Admission: Free.
Sant’Eusebio all’Esquilino Church Rome
Sources
- The Rome Guide – Step by Step Through History’s Greatest City, Mauro Lucentini (2012).
- Roma, Touring Club Italiano (2004).
- Photos are my own. The one of the Domus is a photo of a photo on an explanatory panel inside the church, however.
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