Church of San Lorenzo in Fonte – a place of imprisonment and a miraculous conversion
Church of San Lorenzo in Fonte – a place of imprisonment and a miraculous conversion
Church of San Lorenzo in Fonte (Santi Lorenzo e Ippolito), church interior
Church of San Lorenzo in Fonte (Santi Lorenzo e Ippolito), via Urbana
Church of San Lorenzo in Fonte (Santi Lorenzo e Ippolito)
Church of San Lorenzo in Fonte (Santi Lorenzo e Ippolito), The Baptism of Hippolytus – main altar
Church of San Lorenzo in Fonte (Santi Lorenzo e Ippolito), The Martyrdom of St. Lawrence
Church of San Lorenzo in Fonte (Santi Lorenzo e Ippolito), St. Lawrence Distributing Bread to the Poor
This church is squeezed in between a number of tenement houses, and it is so inconspicuous and small, that it is barely noticeable. It is located at via Urbana – one of the oldest streets of the Eternal City. It is here, as tradition would have it, that St. Hippolytus lived – the prison guard, in whose house the convicted were kept. It is here, that the deacon Lawrence found himself after being arrested and along with other prisoners awaited his sentence in the cellars within. One of them who lost his sight, was converted and baptized by Lawrence, and as a result regained his vision in a miraculous way.
This church is squeezed in between a number of tenement houses, and it is so inconspicuous and small, that it is barely noticeable. It is located at via Urbana – one of the oldest streets of the Eternal City. It is here, as tradition would have it, that St. Hippolytus lived – the prison guard, in whose house the convicted were kept. It is here, that the deacon Lawrence found himself after being arrested and along with other prisoners awaited his sentence in the cellars within. One of them who lost his sight, was converted and baptized by Lawrence, and as a result regained his vision in a miraculous way.
The water needed for baptism in an equally miraculous way spouted in the prison cell, after Lawrence’s prayers, and until today the source is considered a holy spring. It is from this source that the church took on its name (fonte in Italian means source). It should come as no surprise that this miracle had a tremendous impression on Lawrence’s guard, Hippolytus, and both he as well as his entire family accepted Christ’s teachings and let themselves be baptized. The doors visible on the left side of the church lead to an underground chamber, which transported the faithful into the very prison where this miraculous event was to take place. In reality it was a Roman house from the I century B.C. And what happened to Hippolytus? His suffering was just as brutal and spectacular as that of Lawrence, who – as we know – died on a gridiron. For deviating from the true faith Hippolytus was ripped apart by horses which were tied to his limbs. From that moment on, his fear-arousing death, as proof of the bestiality of pagans, appeared in medieval iconography, while he himself became the patron of horses and… prison guards. The other, or actually the first dedication of the church is also connected with him, since the church is dedicated to both the martyrs – Lawrence and Hippolytus (its full name is: Santi Ippolito e Lorenzo in Fonte). An inscription confirming this fact can be seen on the church façade. It is decorated by only four pilasters, and possesses two niches with the remains of the images of church patrons, while the aforementioned inscription appears on the entablature.
Although the façade appears to be old, in reality it was created in the year 1800 and is a typical neoclassicist work. On the other hand, the small bell tower, barely visible from the street and looking like a chimney, is a rococo work, however, its beauty is not easily seen from this perspective.
The origin of the church is not known. Most likely it was built here in the X century and was designated for a small commune of the faithful living nearby. In 1630 thanks to Pope Urban VIII, its interior was modernized. The, simple, Baroque design was supplied by Domenico Castelli.
The interior of the church is single-nave, and it would be in vain to search for ancient relics within. Apart from the transept we will see only a single chapel on the right side. The principal decoration of the interior, which catches the eye as soon as we enter, is the painting on the main altar and two other paintings flanking it. It was most likely the work of Giovanni Battista Speranza, a painter active in the first half of the XVII century. The work depicts the baptism of Hippolytus, given to him by Lawrence. On either side, there are scenes devoted to Lawrence himself. On one painting he is distributing bread to the poor, on the other his martyrdom takes place.
Saint Hippolytus (Sant’Ippolito) – neophyte and a patron of prison guards
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