Page 175 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Rome

ESQUILINE  173

3 Santa
Pudenziana
Via Urbana 160. Map 5 C4.
Tel 06-481 4622. @ 16, 75, 105, 714.
q Cavour. Open 8:30am–noon &
3–6pm daily. 5
Churches tend to be dedi cated
to existing saints, but in this
case, the church, through a
linguistic accident, created a
brand new saint. In the 1st
century AD a Roman senator
called Pudens lived here, and,
according to legend, allowed
St. Peter to lodge with him. In
the 2nd century a bath house
was built on this site and in
the 4th century a church was
established inside the baths,
known as the Ecclesia Pudentiana
(the church of Pudens). In
time it was assumed that
“Pudentiana” was a woman’s
name, and a life was created
for her – she became the sister
of Prassede and was credited
with caring for Christian victims
of persecution. In 1969, both
saints were declared invalid, Apse mosaics in Santa Prassede, showing the saint with St. Paul
though their churches both
kept their names. are represented as Roman columns. In the central nave,
The 19th-century facade senators in togas, but a clumsy there is a round stone slab
of the church retains an attempt at restoration in the covering the well where,
11th-century frieze depicting 16th century destroyed two according to legend, Santa
both Prassede and Pudenziana of the Apostles and left other Prassede buried the remains
dressed as crowned Byzantine figures without legs. of 2,000 martyrs.
empresses. The apse has a Artists from Byzantium
remarkable 4th-century 4 Santa Maria decorated the church with
mosaic, clearly influenced by Maggiore glittering, jewel-colored mosaics.
Classical pagan art in its use Those in the apse and choir
of subtle colors. The Apostles See pp174–5. depict stylized white-robed
elders, the haloed elect looking
5 Santa down from the gold and blue
walls of heaven, spindly legged
Prassede lambs, feather-mop palm trees,
and bright red poppies.
Via Santa Prassede 9A. Map 6 D4.
Tel 06-488 2456. @ 16, 70, 71, In the apse, Santa Prassede
75, 714. q Vittorio Emanuele. and Santa Pudenziana stand
Open 7am–noon & 4–6:30pm on either side of Christ, with
daily (from 7:30am Sun; Aug: pm the fatherly arms of St. Paul
only). 5 7 and St. Peter on their shoulders.
Beautiful mosaics of saints,
The church was founded the Virgin, and Christ and
by Pope Paschal II in the the Apostles also cover the
9th century, on the site of walls and vault of the Chapel
a 2nd-century oratory. of St. Zeno, built as a
Although the interior has mausoleum for Pope Paschal’s
been altered and rebuilt, mother, Theodora. Part of a
the structure of the original column brought back from
design of the 9th-century Jerusalem, allegedly the
church is clearly visible. Its one to which Christ was
Nineteenth-century facade of the ancient church three aisles are separated bound and flogged, also
of Santa Pudenziana by rows of granite stands here.

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