darinstahl: October 2020

Sacred Heart of Jesus at the Praetorian Barracks

Via Marsala, 42, 00185 Roma, Italy (across from Termini Station)

Sacro Cuore di Gesú al Castro Pretorio (English: Sacred Heart of Jesus at the Praetorian Barracks) is a Roman Catholic parish and titular church in Rome, Italy. It was built in 1887 by Francesco Vespignani. Dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the church is served by the Salesians. It has an adjoining boarding-school of arts and industries. It was elevated to minor basilica in 1921.

History

The church was erected by Leo XIII by design of Francesco Vespignani in 1887. Its bell-tower is surmounted by a golden statue of Christ the Redeemer. The church possesses the modern parish and educational services, created specially for the new city neighbourhood Castro Pretorio.

On the right is the hospital of the Salesians, where the saint Don Bosco operated during trips to Rome between 1881 and 1884. The travertine facade, has a neo-Renaissance style. The lower part has an entrance portal with two smaller portals on its sides. The upper part has three windows between two couples of columns and ends with a triangular gable. The bell tower bears the statue of the Saviour made in golden copper (1931).

The interior has three naves divided by granite columns. It is rich in marbles, stuccoes and paintings. The decorations, the frescoes, the wooden ceiling, of the dome and the smaller domes on the lateral naves are by Virginio Monti.

This Basilica was wanted and prioritized by two Popes: Pio IX and Leone XIII. With the help of the dioceses in the world, it was built by San Giovanni Bosco (St. John Bosco) on a project of the Count Francesco Vespignani, architect of the Holy Buildings from 1881-1887.

It was patterned in the Bramante Style, Latin Cross Shaped, constructed with classical timeless elegance. The majestic Church was built on the Esquillino Hill in Rome within the Aurelian walls. Its bell tower is the highest point in Rome. This was the first parish Church built after the capture of Rome and it became a parish in February 2, 1879.

Origins: The Praetorian Castro and Bath

(from basilicadelsacrocuore.it translasted to english by google)

In the area where today stands the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in ancient times there were two monuments of the imperial era: the Praetorian Castro and the Baths of Diocletian.

The first - Castra Praetoria - was the great barracks of the imperial guards , built in AD 21-23: Helium by the prefect Sejanus, the powerful minister of the Emperor Tiberius.

The Castro extended, almost square in shape, up to today's Via Palestro. It was dismantled by Constantine the Great, after his victory over Maxentius (Battle of the Milvian Bridge, 312 AD), to punish the praetorian guard, who had sided with Maxentius.

The Baths of Diocletian was a complex of the Baths, built between 298 and 306 AD by Emperor Diocletian.

At the end of the sixteenth century, the place where stands the church belonged to the Jesuits and was part of the Praetorian Castro at their villa, which they call "Macao" in memory of the region of China was evangelized by St. Francis Xavier.

The Pontifical Government of Pope Pius IX built a railway station, opened in 1863 as the Central Railway Station Roman, and for its proximity to the ancient Baths Diocletian's become known as the current Termini Station .

Don Bosco

(again from the website and translated into english by Google)

On the back of the Basilica maintains a room dedicated to Don Bosco. Is familiarly called "the bedrooms of Don Bosco" .

This is a large room which has hosted the Saint in his journey to Rome (the 20 th and last), on the occasion of the consecration of the Basilica .

The Holy man stayed there from April 30 to May 18, 1887 .

The space was divided into two rooms separated by a wall, now demolished to allow for expansion as a function of a chapel for personal prayer or groups.

The first room was used by Don Bosco as a study for the reception of those who wanted to meet him. The adjoining room was furnished as a bedroom, with the addition of an altar cabinet for the private celebration of the Holy Mass. Here Don Bosco made two miraculous interventions, which helped to confirm the reputation of "holy". When the Church recognized the sanctity of Don Bosco, these areas became the destination of pilgrimages. The constant influx of pilgrims convinced The Salesians to break down the wall that divided the two rooms in order to provide a single environment that can be used for meetings and prayer groups.

Relics

The space displays many objects used by the Saint while he was in Rome including a preserved a precious relic, made of a cotton ball soaked with the blood of Don Bosco at his time of dying.

Art

On the right side, you can find Confalonieri's marble statue of Pope Pio IX, friend of Don Bosco, who was responsible for the acquisition of the land on Esquillino Hill on where the Temple was to be built. Over this statue is an admirable portrait of Pope Leone XIII, who wanted Don Bosco to build this Church.

The Saint Maria Domenica Mazzarello altar who founded with Don Bosco, the Figlie di Maria Ausiliatrice (Mary the Helper's Daughters). Her portrait is from Crida, 1966. Originally the altar was dedicated to Saint Luigi.

After that is of Saint Francesco di Sales, the patron of the Salesian Family and of the journalist. Over the altar you can see a picture from Piombi; as homage from Don Bosco to Cardinal Parocchi, Vicar of Leone XIII after the consecration of the Church in 14th May 1887.

At the end of the right side the altar of Saint Giuseppe, coming from the "100 priests" Church nearby Sisto Bridge. In 1884, it was the high altar in the Chorus, already used for the celebrations while they were building the rest of the Church; here Don Bosco celebrated Mass very often.

The High Altar came from the town of Siena. It was taken down from the Church of Saint Francesco to be restored and it was sold, together with other marble pieces to Don Bosco.

At the center of the Altar is a rendition from Francesco de Rohden (1817-1903), this master painter was the last of the so-called Nazarenes painters. The wall behind the Altar was built in 1969 by Ficini the architect and Mariani the painter to separate the Church from the chorus.

To the sides of the Altar, are five lamps burning as they represent the five continents. The Siena and Trento marbles floor and the Altar front were executed by architect Ficini. The dome was painted by Virginio Monti (1852-1942), representing the glorification of the Holy Heart.

The Twelve Prophets by Cesare Caroselli (1847-1927). He also made the Apostles and the Evangelists frescoes that are placed on the pendentives of the transept and on the nearby walls.

The front or facade is finished in neoclassical style with Travertino marble from Tivoli, crafted by artists Benzoni, Pantorese and Baroni. The stained glass windows are a work of the Mosaic Company of Venice. The Leone XIII shield is by Geipi.

The statues of the saints which crows the front of the Church should have been four: Saint Francesco di Sales by Baroni, Saint Agostino by Pantorese, Saint Teresa and Saints Margherita Alacoque, these last two ones have never been done. The two angels under the Cross are by Angelo Benzoni.