The Church of Sant’Egidio is dedicated to the Benedictine patron saint of cripples and beggars, Egidio, and is located on the Piazza Sant’Egidio in the Trastevere district in Rome. Saint Egidio lived in the 8th century and probably had his birthplace in Normandy.
A brief history of the Church of Sant’Egidio in Rome
Before the Sant’Egidio church was built, another church stood in the same site. This church, San Lorenzo de Curtibus, in 1610 was bought by a pious and rich butcher, Agostino Lancellotti, who had the San Lorenzo torn down and, with the permission of Pope Paul V, a new church constructed in the same spot. This church was given to the Order of the Barefoot Carmelites, who had been living in a house adjacent to the former San Lorenzo.
From this moment on the story becomes a bit complicated: In 1628 a second church was built, the San Crispino and Crispiniano, initially called San Biagio in Trastevere. Two churches was a bit over the top, so the Sant’Egidio (ex-San Lorenzo) was torn down in order to enlarge the convent. The San Crispino e Crispiniano (ex-San Biagio) now became the Sant’Egidio. By then everybody had started giggling, nobody was able to come up with a different name, and the Sant’Egidio remained the Sant’Egidio.
In 1870. the convent became property of the Italian State and five years after that of the city of Rome. In the early 20th century the sanatorium Ettore Marchiafava was housed there, with the aim to fight the malaria which was rampant in humid Trastevere. At present it is the seat of both the Museo del Folklore e dei Poeti Romaneschi and of the Museo di Roma in Trastevere.
The church itself, as can be read above the entrance, is dedicated to the Madonna del Carmelo and is connected to the lay organization (but recognized by the Catholic church), Comunita di Sant’Egidio. which has existed since 1968 and occupies itself with evangelization and aid to the poor.
What to see
Exterior
Sant Egidio‘s facade is characterized by a huge door and an equally big window. Pilasters support the tympanum. The church consists of a single nave.
At the corner of the Piazza Sant’Egidio and the Via della Scala, on a side wall of the church, one of Rome’s biggest Madonelle can be seen, dedicated to the Madonna del Carmelo. It is painted directly onto the wall and pictures the Madonna in heaven, sitting on a cloud. She is surrounded by cherubs and angels. Unfortunately the bottom part of the wall painting, which has a square frame with rounded corners, has been damaged.
Interior
- Pomarancio‘s “Sant’Egidio”
- The funerary monument for Veronica Rondinini was designed by Carlo Fontana, but probably sculpted by Lorenzo Ottoni.
What to know before your visit
Address: Piazza di Sant’Egidio – Rome (tel: +39 06 5895945). Opening hours: The church is closed for restoration, and has been for a long time.
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