The Basilica of the Santi Quattro Coronati was built in the 4th century and boasts Rome‘s oldest bell-tower. It was, thanks to its proximity to the Basilica of Saint John in Lateran, an important church at the time. The church is part of a complex, including the Oratorium of San Silvestro, two courtyards, the so-called Gothic Hall and a beautiful cloister.
A brief history of the basilica of the Santi Quattro Coronati in Rome
The Chiesa dei Santi Quattro Coronati is dedicated to 4 stonecutters who, during the reign of Emperor Diocletian, refused to depict and worship pagan idols. They ended up being condemned to the death penalty and thus became martyrs. Calling the church the Chiesa di Simproniano, Nicostrato, Castorio and Claudio would have been a bit of a mouthful, so it came to be called the “Church of the Four Holy Crowned Ones”.
The four lived in what was then the Roman province of Pannonia, which included parts of what are now Hungary, Croatia and Slovenia.
In 850, Pope Leo IV had their relics placed in the church.
After the Normans had destroyed the church (1084), Pope Pasquale II had it rebuilt, albeit smaller and with two courtyards. The only surviving part of the original church was the apse, which indeed seems too big for the nave. Two rows of columns divide the nave into three parts. The two side aisles were incorporated into the Palazzo Cardinale (on the right) and the Benedictine Convent (on the left).
The church was consecrated in 1116.
In the 13th century a Cosmatesque (a floor mosaic that was very popular at the time, practiced by the Cosmati family) cloister was added. The Palazzo Cardinale was enlarged and later changed into a fortress.
Later, when the Pope moved to Avignon, the church was left to decline. When he returned to Rome and changed his residence from the Saint John in Lateran to Saint Peter’s Basilica, the Santi Quattro Coronati lost much of its influence.
Since 1560, the complex has been entrusted to the care of a community of Augustinian nuns.
The martyrs are buried in a crypt in the Cimitero dei Santi Marcellino e Pietro on the Via Labicana, although the head of one of the quartet is supposedly buried in the Church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin.
What to see in the Santi Quattro Coronati Complex
The complex is entered through an archway below the bell tower. Two successive courtyards lead to the church itself. The Chapel of San Silvestro is on the right. The cloister is only accessible from the church. You need a bit of luck, because there is only rarely someone there to let you enter.
Church
The entrance to the church is surmounted by an effigy of the four saints, with nuns and orphans. The wooden ceiling dates from 1580. The floor is decorated with Cosmatesque motifs.
The apse embraces all three naves, which is quite unusual for a Roman church. It was frescoed by Giovanni da San Giovanni. The apse vault depicts a “Glory of All Saints”. The wall frescoes show events from the lives of the “Four Crowned Saints”.
In 2002, another set of frescoes was discovered behind a layer of black chalk, depicting the Four Seasons, the Twelve Months, the Zodiac and the Seven Liberal Arts, plus a portrait of King Solomon.
At the beginning of the left nave, near the stairs to the crypt, is an inscription from the year 1111. In it, Pope Pasquale II commemmorates Leo IV, who had brought the saints’ relics to the church. The inscription also lists his own interventions to restore the site.
There are several frescoes, in different states of preservation, dating back to the 14th century.
Monument for Aloysio d’Aquino
It is not known who designed the monument for Aloysio d’Aquino, but the work was commissioned by his brothers Andrea (Bishop of Tricarico) and Giacomo (Duke of Carsoli), both towns being in what was then the Kingdom of Naples. The deceased worked under five popes and held important positions in the government of the Papal State. The use of coloured marble, the head of the dead turned towards the altar, references to heraldic symbols (the lions) are all characteristic of Baroque monuments. Aloysio d’Aquino died in 1679.
Chapel (or Oratorium) of San Silvestro
The main highlight of the Santi Quattro Coronati complex is the Oratorium of Saint Sylvester, which is dedicated to the 4th century pope who baptized emperor Constantine I. The Oratorium dates back to 1246. The entrance is in the second courtyard on the right. It is not mandatory, but the nuns opening the door for you appreciate a donation of a couple of Euros.
The chapel consists of one nave, ending in a small presbytery with an apse. In 1577, the stone carving guild got permission from Pope Gregorio VIII to hold mass in the chapel. The guild expressed its gratitude by paying Raffaellino da Reggio to fresco the presbytery with depictions of the martyrdom of the Santi Quattro. The current altar dates back to 1578.
The floor has well-preserved Cosmatesque motifs. The inscription on the floor tomb details a son honoring his father with a burial stone and the stonecutters’ guild donating the burial plot. In the centre of the ceiling is a Greek cross made of majolica tiles. The rest of the ceiling is covered with stars and crosses. The lunette over the door has a mural with an illustration of the Last Judgment.
The top fresco above the entrance shows Christ, with the Madonna, John the Baptist and the apostles.
The frescoes along the walls are divided into three sections, the bottom one of which has more or less disappeared. The central strip depicts 27 prophets, holding scrolls containing prophecies of the Second Coming of Christ. The third, and most important one, shows events from the life of Emperor Constantine. The chronology starts from the left panel above the entrance.
- Constantine is struck by leprosy. He is told to bathe in children’s blood, which he refuses.
- He dreams that the saints Peter and Paul tell him to convoke pope Sylvester.
- Three messengers on horseback are on the way to Mount Soratte, to see the Pope.
- The Pope receives the messengers.
- The Pope joins the Emperor in Rome and shows him two icons depicting Peter and Paul.
- The baptism of Constantine.
- Constantine presents the pope with a tiara. The emperor himself is not wearing his crown, out of respect for a higher authority.
- The emperor is guiding the Pope, holding his horses’ reins.
- Pope Sylvester brings back to life a bull killed by a Hebrew priest.
- Helena, Constantine’s mother, recovers the relics of the True Cross.
- Sylvester liberates the Roman people from the dragon.
The theme of the frescoes has a clear political motive. By showing the emperor as deferential to the pope, the church demonstrates its own importance and legitimizes it.
Address, opening hours and admission
Address: Via dei Santi Quattro, 20 – Rome (tel. +39 06 70475427). Opening hours: The basilica itself, the cloister and the San Silvestro Oratorium are opened from 10.00 till 11.45 and from 16.00 till 17.45. Closed: Sunday mornings. During mass it is not possible to visit the church. Admission: The church is free, the cloister costs 3 Euros, for the chapel of San Silvestro a donation is required. The chapel is not in the church itself, but to the right of the courtyard. Knock on the door opposite the chapel entrance in order to be let in.
Pontifical Irish College
The Pontifical Irish College is a Catholic seminary for the training and education of priests. Founded in 1628, it has occupied its current seat in the Via dei Santi Quattro n. 1 since 1926. The building was constructed between 1922 and 1926 by Giuseppe Momo. Momo is mostly famous for the design of the Scala Momo staircase in thee Vatican Museums.
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