San Pellegrino in Vaticano

Coordinates: 41°54′18.01″N 012°27′25.06″E / 41.9050028°N 12.4569611°E / 41.9050028; 12.4569611
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Church of Saint Peregrinus in the Vatican
San Pellegrino in Vaticano
San Pellegrino in Naumachia
Style
Baroque
Groundbreaking8th century[2]
Completed16th century
Specifications
Length20 metres (66 ft)
Width9 metres (30 ft)
Clergy
Cardinal protectorMons. Giulio Viviani [1]
An 1834 watercolor of the façade of the church painted by Achille Pinelli

The Church of San Pellegrino in Vaticano (English: Saint Peregrine in the Vatican) is an

Roman Catholic oratory in the Vatican City, located on the Via dei Pellegrini. The church is dedicated to Saint Peregrine of Auxerre, a Roman priest appointed by Pope Sixtus II who had suffered martyrdom in Gaul in the third century.[3] It is one of the oldest churches in the Vatican City.[1]

The church built by

Pontifical Swiss Guards, who used it for their religious services in combination with the church of Santi Martino e Sebastiano degli Svizzeri until 1977. Under the name of San Pellegrino degli Svizzeri (English: Saint Peregrine of the Swiss), it became the national church in Rome of Switzerland
. The oratory later fell into disrepair but was restored in the 19th century when evidence of the 9th-century frescoes were discovered.

The church now serves as the chapel of the Pontifical Gendarmerie and the firefighters of the Vatican City and is entrusted to the care of the chaplain of the corps —currently Msgr. Giulio Viviani.[1]

History

The origins of the church are ancient, dating back to the eighth century.

Latin: peregrini), since annexed to the church were the Hospitale Francorum, a hospital for French pilgrims, and a cemetery.[3][8]

Naumachia Vaticana on a map of ancient Rome around 300 AD

The church was originally called San Pellegrino in Naumachia.

Esther Boise van Deman identified the style of the brickwork facing the naumachia as trajanic.[13] In 1932 Jérôme Carcopino reported the discovery among Fasti Ostienses of the dedication by Emperor Trajan on 11 November 109 of a naumachia.[14] The "Naumachia Traiani" has been identified the Naumachia Vaticana.[15][16]

Leonine Wall of the city".[17] From the thirteenth century onwards, the church belonged to the canons of St. Peter's
, who restored it in 1590.

As a consequence of the 1648

Johann Rudolf Pfyffer von Altishofen, commander of the Swiss Guard, obtained from Pope Innocent X the right to use the church of San Pellegrino with the adjoining cemetery. Von Pfyffer von Altishofen is buried in the church.[18]

In 1671, Pope Clement X gave it to the Swiss Guard, who used it for their religious services until 1977 in combination with the church of Santi Martino e Sebastiano degli Svizzeri.[3] It was considered as the national church in Rome of Switzerland.[19] The cemetery of the Swiss is behind the church. For centuries members of the Swiss Guard were buried in the crypt of the church.[20] The oratory later fell into disrepair but was restored in the 19th century, when evidence of frescoes of the 9th century were found, as well as of others of the 13th and 14th centuries which include a depiction of Christ Pantocrator.

It was made the chapel of the Gendarmerie and the firefighters of Vatican City in 1977.[1]

Architecture

The oldest parts of today's building date from the 15th century. The church received many new elements of decoration in the 12th and 18th century. Between the 13th and 15th centuries, several Popes such as

Nicholas V
, had a special interest in the church of San Pellegrino.

Exterior

The Pontifical Swiss Guard commissioned in 1671 the church's façade in neoclassical style.[3] It is a simple façade with a pair of doubled Doric columns that supports a large entablature crowned by a triangular pediment. The large round-headed niche above the entrance is decorated with a representation of St. Peregrinus.[21]

Interior

The tombs of past captains of the Swiss Guard are located in the church as well.[1][3]

Frescoes

Inside are the remains of some ancient frescoes, including a fresco of Christ Pantocrator.[1][3] In the original building, only the apse was decorated with frescoes.

Wooden ceiling

The ceiling of the church is decorated with a wooden

Röist
family were inserted.

See also

  • Index of Vatican City-related articles

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Gori 2008
  2. ^ a b c Nibby 1839
  3. ^ a b c d e f Paolucci, Antonio (May 30, 2010). "La fede dei viaggiatori e il sangue degli eroi". L'Osservatore Romano (in Italian). Retrieved May 20, 2011.
  4. ^ Duchesne 1886
  5. ^ Davis 1992
  6. ^ de Waal 1889
  7. ^ Dykmans 1967, pp. 581–584
  8. ^ Molard 1896
  9. ^ Gregorovius 2010, p. 24
  10. ^ Ball Platner 1929
  11. ^ Jordan & Hülsen 1907, pp. 660–662
  12. ^ Boise van Deman 1912, pp. 416–417
  13. ^ Carcopino 1932, p. 375
  14. ^ Bennett 1997, pp. 150–151
  15. ^ Richardson 1992
  16. Latin
    : … foris portam b. Petri apostoli non longe a muris civitatis Leonianae.
  17. ^ a b Website of the Papal Swiss Guards. "The Pfyffer von Altischofen". Retrieved 4 May 2011.[permanent dead link]
  18. ^ Howard & De Montebello 1983
  19. ^ Command of the Swiss guards. "The Lateran pact". Vatican State. Retrieved 2 January 2011.[permanent dead link]
  20. ^ Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums 2001, p. 145

References

External links