In the place, where the basilica is located today, similarily to the area of the Campo Verano cemetry which neighbors it, even two thousand years ago an enormous cemetary complex stretched out. Ancient Romans buried their dead here since the times of the Republic. They visited them often, sitting in a cirlce, in a semi-prostrate position, took out food and wine and shared meals with the spirits of their ancestors, in this way expressing the connection of the living with the dead, but also the kinship of relatives. Apart from pagan burials, in time Christian graves appeard here. And for them as well these were sanctified places, especially on the days of the anniversary of the death, which was understood as “day of being born into heaven (dies natalis) and treated as salvation, a journey towards the long-awaited meeting with Christ, on the way to eternal life. It was in essecne a day of joy and happinness, which was celebrated among family members.

On August 10th 258 in the Catacomb of Cyriaca, of which the name most likely comes from the name of the owner of the land, one of the most important martyrs of early-Christian Church, Lawrence (Laurentius), was buried. He was a deacon, an organizer of commune life, while his functions included supervison over financial matters. According to Cyprian (Letter, 80), Lawrence along with other deacons and the Bishop of Rome Sixtus II was beheaded on the authority of the edict of Emperor Valerian I. He was laid to rest in a place, where today the church crypt is found, behind, most likely an inconspicuous stone slab, while his burial did not in any way differ from those which were given to other Christians. However, it turned out that his memory lived on, while his cult became extremely popular. For centuries Lawrence was among the favorite saints, in not only Rome and Italy, but in all of Europe.

Over seventy years after the martyrdom of Lawrence, during the reign of Emperor Constantine the Great, monumental stairs led to the saint’s tomb, up which the faithful ascended. However, that was not all. Next to this sanctified, cult location, in 330 A.D., Constantine (or his sons), built an enormous cemetery basilica, with shape reminiscent to that of ancient stadiums (98 x 36 m). It belonged, along with the cemetery basilica in the complex of the present-day Church of Sant’Agnese fuori la mura and several others situated by exit routes out of Rome, to a group of commemorative basilicas, funded near the places of burials of saints, in order to obtain their favor. In it, the faithful met over mourning feasts. Those who were wealthier, even built special mausoleums adjacent to the basilica. Of this great, cemetery building, of which Prudentius wrote that it is” royally fitted and decorated”, almost nothing remains until present day. In subsequent centuries, it was gradually destroyed, and is preserved in rather modest remains found on the grounds of present-day cemetery. The proximity of the burial of a saint martyr was most likely the main reason for constructing the basilica, yet opinions on the subject still differ. However, without a doubt, near the basilica a small oratory was built, dedicated to St. Lawrence. In time his cult achieved such great popularity, that throngs of the faithful, who wanted to see the location of his eternal rest (touch it, place a strip of material on it and keep it as a talisman), became so numerous that they were not able to fit in the narrow and dark, catacomb corridors. Subsequent popes, including the generous Pope Hilarius, continued works on the modest oratory, but also built a complex of libraries and shelters for pilgrims around it, as well as the monastery of St. Stephen. It was obvious, that a place that would be easily accessible to the faithful needed to be created. In this way a church, directly over the tomb of the saint, was built. The new basilica “of admirable beauty” finally stood in the place of the former oratory, at the end of the VI century, during the pontificate and thanks to the foundation of Pope Pelagius II. Its floor is at the level of the tomb of St. Lawrence. – therefore, the church was built into the hill that is located there. It was fitted with matronea enabling, just as is the case with the Basilica of Sant’Agnese fuori la mura, more effective flow of pilgrims, who entered the church from the north and the south. It was relatively small (32 x 20m), however, its status can be seen thanks to the great, preserved until today, fluted columns with sculpturally exquisite capitols and precisely made architrave. The apse was, most likely decorated with mosaics depicting the church patron among other saints. Unfortunately during later modernizations it was destroyed, while from the mosaic decorations of Pelagius, only those visible on the outer part of the triumphal arch remain, showing a bearded Christ, seated on the globe, surrounded by saints. On either side, he is accompanied by Rome’s most important martyrs – Peter and Paul. Lawrence is on Peter’s right hand side, putting his arm around Pope Pelagius (who is holding a model of the church which he funded), while on the right hand side of St. Paul, stand St. Stephen and St. Hippolytus. On the edges of the composition we will see images of Bethlehem and Jerusalem. The placement of St. Stephen and Lawrence in this mosaic, is interesting indeed, as they were two deacons who suffered a martyr’s death and whose relics are glorified here. However, why is Hippolytus here, who himself was a rare iconographic motif? Depicted, as a Roman soldier, he was to be a guard of Lawrence, converted by him to Christianity. And he too shared the martyr’s fate of the saint.

Around the year 1200, Rome shrunk, depopulated and became impoverished, but the location of the cult of St. Lawrence, like a magnet drew the faithful, so it naturally grew and became richer. An ever-growing complex of buildings, arose around the church, which included a baptistery, two other small churches and monasteries, baths, and shelters for the pilgrims. The whole area, which was surrounded by walls for safety reasons, became a sort of independent pilgrim town, acquiring the name Laurentiopolis. The IV century church, which was at its center, in time became too small to take in the masses of pilgrims who came here. That is why during the pontificate of Pope Honorius III, a three-nave body was added on the west side. Meanwhile, the apse of the pervious church was demolished, while the church itself became a sort of a presbytery. In this way the present-day building was created, with a beautiful interior supported by eleven columns on each side, most likely obtained from the cemetery basilica from the times of Constantine, which was falling apart. The tomb of Lawrence itself, was restored.

Some of the preserved structures – the ciborium, found above the altar, the richly inlaid bishop’s throne and the altar balustrade (on a pedestal), two pulpits and a candelabra for paschal candles (in the nave) transport us back in time in this medieval church. The liturgy which was conducted within, differed from the one we know today. The bishop sat on the throne. The deacon read the gospel from the pulpit. The altar was placed at the beginning of the nave and at it the Eucharist was conducted. The magnificent floor, the first of its kind in Rome, was put together in the Cosmati workshop, out of multi-colored marble and travertine. On the other hand, the bishop’s throne, ciborium and candelabra are adorned with exceptional multi-colored, partially gilded incrustations, which are a work of the Vassalletti workshop, which along with Cosmatis, in a decisive way “colored” the interiors of medieval Roman churches with its marble inlays and mosaics. The walls of the main nave were decorated with frescos, which can in minimal fragments be seen on the right side (Madonna with Child), since in the XIX century they were replaced with new ones. Today the walls are empty, since after World War II and heavy damages which the church incurred in 1943, they were removed, leaving only fragments. It must be added, that the church, as one of only few Roman buildings, was damaged during the war.

The façade of the newly built basilica, this time situated on the west, was adorned with a column portico with Ionian capitols, which support a decorative, worthy of our attention architrave. Its decorations are made up of stylized plants and a delicate, stretched out like a ribbon mosaic frieze, relating to antiquity. In it we will see a tiny scene depicting Pope Honorius III. In the ambulatory, although consumed by time, medieval frescos have been preserved, depicting scenes from the life of Lawrence and Stephen and miracles which occurred after their death – two saint martyrs, whose relics are honored   in this church. The enterance doors are flanked by two, equally old figures of lions.

The cloisters are also worth seeing, and they can be accessed either from the inside, through the sacristy, or directly from the front (on the right side). They too were partially destroyed during the allied air strikes, but were reconstructed, while all recovered through centuries artifacts connected with this church were encrusted into their walls. Both they, as well as the bell tower constitute an excellent example of modest in form and execution Roman style. Admiring the interior which still today, is filled with medieval spirit, it is worth taking a short glance to the right of the enterance. Here we will see a portico-covered, supported on two Ionian columns, bizarre-looking tombstone of Cardinal Guglielmo Fieschi, the nephew of Pope Innocent IV, living in mid-XII century. Why so bizarre? The clergyman, wished to be buried in an ancient sarcophagus from the III century. Its face depicts the scene of a marriage – newlyweds holding hands, a lamb destined to be sacrificed to the gods and wedding guests taking part in the celebration. Truly, the selection of a pagan object for a clergyman of such high ranking must be surprising, but it also proves, that the fascination with antiquity among the then Roman elites, did not come about only during Renaissance; it is deeply rooted in the Middle Ages. It must be added, that in the past, the face of the wall by which the sarcophagus was located, was adorned with a magnificent mosaic showing Christ surrounded by saints, at whose feet the pope and his nephew knelt.

The richly adorned crypt found below the altar, of which the decorations relate to early-Christian mosaics, is presently a resting place of Pius IX (d. 1878). The pope, who lived during troubled, revolutionary times, wished to be buried in the peripheral at the time church, fully being aware of the tragic circumstances of his pontificate and the fault which will be attributed to him for the downfall of the State of the Church. His mummified corpse with a face covered with a silver mask is found in a glass-covered display case. What remains of Pope Pius IX – in essence his last will, is a dogma of papal infallibility, which he issued eight years prior to his death.

Saying goodbye to the church, it is worth taking a look at a column standing nearby. On it is the figure of St. Lawrence. It was funded by the aforementioned pope in 1870, prior to the downfall of the State of the Church.