Santa Prisca

For the fictional country, see Santa Prisca (DC Comics).

Façade of Santa Prisca.

Santa Prisca is a basilica church in Rome, devoted to Saint Prisca, a 1st century martyr, on the Aventine hill. It was built in the 4th or 5th century over a temple of Mithras, and is recorded as the Titulus Priscae in the acts of the 499 synod.

Damaged in the Norman Sack of Rome, the church was restored several times. The current aspect is due to the 1660 restoration, which included a new facade by Carlo Lombardi.

In the interior, the columns are the only visible remains of the ancient church. Also a baptismal font allegedly used by Saint Peter is conserved. The altar in the crypt contains the relics of Saint Prisca; the frescoes in the crypt are by Antonio Tempesta. Anastasio Fontebuoni frescoed the walls of the nave with Saints and angels with the instruments of passion. In the sacristy, is a painting of the Immaculate conception with angels by Giovanni Odazzi, and on the main altar a Baptism of Santa Prisca by Domenico Passignano.

Titular priests

The Cardinal Priest of the Titulus S. Priscae is Justin Francis Rigali, archbishop of Philadelphia (US). Previous Cardinal-Priests include:

• Giovanni Colonna the Elder (1192)
• Zbigniew Oleśnicki (1449)
• Juan de Castro (1496–1506^[1])
• Francesco Adriano Ceva (1643–1655)
• Adeodato Giovanni Piazza (1937)
• Angelo Roncalli (1953) later Pope John XXIII
• Giovanni Urbani (1958)
• José da Costa Nunes (1962)
• Giovanni Benelli (1977)
• Alfonso López Trujillo (1983).

Footnotes

1. ^ Juan de Castro (Valencia, 1431–1506, *Rome) was also Bishop of Girgenti (1479–1506), Administrator Apostolic of the Diocese of Schleswig (1499–1502), and later also Bishop of Malta (1504–1506).

References

• "Santa Prisca", by Chris Nyborg.

Coordinates: 41°52′58.89″N 12°29′1.82″E / 41.883025°N 12.4838389°E / 41.883025; 12.4838389