Roman Lent Station Church: Santa Maria in Domnica

Roman Lent Station Church: Santa Maria in Domnica February 24, 2013
This beautiful church in a beautiful area of Rome not often visited by tourists, Santa Maria in Domnica has the distinction of being one of Rome’s ancient diaconias, a distribution center of food and assistance for the poor.  Each diaconia was overseen by one of Rome’s seven deacons.
A tradition tells that on the location of the church once stood the house of the wealthy Roman Cyriaca from where Saint Lawrence, one of Rome’s martyred deacons, would distribute alms to the poor.

 

During the papacy of Pope Paschal I (817-824), the diaconia was showered with gifts and a grand new basilica was built.  Paschal commissioned beautiful mosaics over altar to decorate the apse and arc, mosaics that still adorn the church today (pictured below).
Now a popular church to hold weddings, a stone sculpture of a boat adorns the fountain in front of the church giving it its more common name: Santa Maria alla Navicella or Saint Mary by the Boat.
Pictures are mine, all rights reserved.

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