📖 Introduction
The narrow, tight streets of Trastevere hide many secrets and surprises. One of them is undoubtedly the Basilica of Saint Cecilia.
The Basilica and Its Surroundings
Approaching it, one might feel as though stepping onto the grounds of an urban residence. This impression is created by the monumental gate, adorned like a palace façade. It dates back to the 18th century and was commissioned by Cardinal Troiano Acquaviva d’Aragona. Both the gate and the impressive inner atrium are the work of Ferdinando Fuga, who designed this monumental project at the cardinal’s request. The basilica serves as the final resting place for the cardinal and members of his family.
The quiet and serene atrium is flanked by monastic buildings on both sides. On the right live the Franciscan nuns, and on the left, the Benedictines. These nuns, during the Middle Ages, came from the most distinguished Roman families. For centuries, the position of the titular cardinal of the Church of Saint Cecilia was regarded as the highest honor and privilege.
At the center of the atrium is a fountain shaped like an amphora, symbolizing an early Christian baptismal font. The monastic buildings are tied together, like a clasp, by the church with its portico and colonnade. The Ionic columns of the portico are remnants of the medieval church, as is the delicate mosaic depicting Cecilia and her husband, Valerian. Beneath the portico, in front of the entrance, is the imposing tomb of Cardinal Paolo Sfondrati, a work by Girolamo Rainaldi, created at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries. The composition is completed by a 12th-century bell tower, erected at the behest of Pope Paschal I.
Saint Cecilia in Legend and Tradition
Saint Cecilia was a Roman patrician born in Trastevere at the beginning of the 3rd century. A devout Christian, she believed that an angel accompanied her throughout her life. For her faith, she paid the ultimate price, but in her short life, she succeeded in converting many people.
As a young woman, Cecilia was married to Valerian, who, through her influence, also came to believe in Christ. On their wedding night, he was baptized by Pope Urban I, and soon after, he converted his brother, Tiburtius. Both men, filled with faith, dedicated themselves to helping Christians, burying their abandoned bodies. At the time, such acts of mercy were harshly punished, as the remains left by the roadside were meant to deter others.
Valerian and Tiburtius were arrested and tortured but refused to renounce their faith, dying as martyrs. Cecilia, praying at their grave, was also arrested and did not deny Christ. According to legend, she was sentenced to suffocation in the bathhouse of her own home, where she was locked for three days, but she survived. Consequently, she was sentenced to beheading. However, three strikes of the axe failed to sever her head from her body, and Roman law prohibited a fourth attempt. Gravely wounded, she lived for three more days, during which she converted many to Christianity.
The number three, symbolizing the Holy Trinity, appears repeatedly in Saint Cecilia’s martyrdom, and she also indicated it through the positioning of her fingers.
Cecilia was buried by Pope Urban I in the Catacombs of Saint Callixtus, in a section reserved for bishops. A church was later built on the site of Valerian’s house, where she was martyred.
In 822, Cecilia appeared in a dream to Pope Paschal I, pointing to the location of her burial. The pope ordered her body to be moved to the newly constructed basilica in Trastevere. Her body was once again concealed and remained preserved for centuries until it was rediscovered by Cardinal Paolo Emilio Sfondrati, the nephew of Pope Gregory XIV, whose tomb stands in front of the church entrance.
Cecilia’s sarcophagus was uncovered during restoration work in 1599. According to the cardinal, the marble tomb contained a cypress box, inside of which was the intact body of the saint, clothed in white. Three wounds from the axe were still visible on her neck. This discovery was declared a miracle.
The cardinal commissioned a young sculptor, Stefano Maderno, to create a marble statue replicating the saint’s appearance at the time of the discovery. The delicate and moving sculpture was placed in a glass case beneath the church altar. A stone plaque was set before it, bearing the cardinal’s declaration that the statue faithfully represented the saint as she appeared when her sarcophagus was opened in 1599.
Saint Cecilia in History
Historical sources provide little information about Saint Cecilia. She most likely came from the prominent Roman family of the Caecilii, who owned insulae (tenement buildings) in this area. One of these buildings may have served Christians as a place for prayer gatherings, as suggested by the underground chambers beneath the church. These subterranean spaces include a crypt and a caldarium—an ancient bathhouse where the first attempt to suffocate Saint Cecilia is believed to have taken place.
At the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, Cardinal Mariano Rampolla del Tindaro initiated the restoration and expansion of the crypt. During these works, an underground system of rooms was discovered, along with fragments of walls and floors from earlier houses, some dating back to the 2nd century BCE.
The earliest legend of Cecilia as a martyr dates to the 5th century when the first church was built at this site. Cecilia’s name was likely borrowed from its benefactor. The first depiction of the saint appeared in the 6th century in the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo in Ravenna, built by the Ostrogoth king Theodoric.
Most details about Cecilia’s martyrdom, however, come from the 13th century, specifically from the Golden Legend by the Dominican friar Jacobus de Voragine. The account of Cecilia’s life in this work inspired artists and became a staple of European sacred art.
The discovery of Cecilia’s sarcophagus by Cardinal Paolo Emilio Sfondrati in 1599 also stirred emotions, though it should be approached with some caution. Only a small group of people was present at the opening of the sarcophagus, and the discovery of the saint’s intact body greatly strengthened spiritual faith among the people of Rome.
Pilgrims began flocking to the church, and the marble statue of the delicate and innocent Cecilia, created by Stefano Maderno, cemented her image as a paragon of purity and martyrdom. This portrayal, full of subtlety and beauty, continues to inspire and strengthen faith, which seems to hold the greatest significance.
Music and Saint Cecilia
Saint Cecilia is inseparably linked to music, making her the patron saint of composers, musicians, poets, instrument makers, and all those who cherish music. She is often depicted with organs or other musical instruments. This association originates from the Middle Ages and a misinterpretation of the Golden Legend, which suggested that Cecilia played the organ at her wedding in honor of Christ. What is certain is that Cecilia loved music, and when she heard it, she would “sing to the Lord in her heart.“
Regardless of the origins of this tradition, her veneration inspired the creation of numerous musical guilds and societies, including the National Academy of Saint Cecilia, one of the oldest musical institutions in the world. Visitors to the Basilica of Saint Cecilia sometimes have the chance to hear enchanting music, which enhances the spiritual atmosphere of the place. The church boasts excellent acoustics and frequently hosts musical performances.
The Basilica and Its Interior
The interior of the church holds a true treasure—a ciborium above the main altar, created at the end of the 13th century by Arnolfo di Cambio. The artist immortalized key figures in the history of Saint Cecilia: Cecilia herself, her husband, her brother-in-law, and Pope Urban. Beneath the ciborium lies a marble statue of Saint Cecilia, crafted by Stefano Maderno at the request of Cardinal Sfondrati. The delicate sculpture, with the saint’s head turned and visible marks of brutal blows on her neck, creates a mystical aura. The floor beneath features a plaque inscribed with the cardinal’s assurance that the statue is an accurate replica of Saint Cecilia’s body as it appeared when her sarcophagus was opened.
This declaration may have been an attempt to counter earlier reports that the body of Cecilia, discovered in the 9th century, was supposedly incomplete. Regardless, the city needed a miracle: the Jubilee Year of 1600 was approaching, and Rome had recently suffered epidemics and floods. The martyrdom of Saint Cecilia contributed to the spiritual renewal of its inhabitants.
Visiting the Monastery
To the left of the entrance to the basilica is the Benedictine nuns’ monastery, where visitors can tour the choir. It was built around the church to allow the nuns to participate in Mass. By ringing the bell at the door, visitors can be admitted by the sisters for a small fee.
In the choir is an extraordinary fresco, The Last Judgment, by Pietro Cavallini, dating from the 13th century. Once spanning an impressive 840 square meters (9,000 square feet) along the wall of the former church, the fresco was commissioned by Pope Nicholas IV. Today, approximately 10% of this stunning, monumental composition remains.
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