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The Basilica of St Stephen in the Round on the Caelian Hill is an ancient basilica and titular church in Rome, Italy. Commonly named Santo Stefano Rotondo, the church is Hungary's "national church" in Rome. The earliest church was consecrated by Pope Simplicius between 468 and 483. It was dedicated to St Stephen, the first Christian martyr, whose body had been discovered a few decades before in the Holy Land and brought to Rome. It was also dedicated to Stephen I, the sanctified first king of Hungary who converted to Christianity and promoted it in his kingdom. The church was originally commissioned by Pope Leo I (440-461), with the date confirmed by ancient coins and by dendrochronology, which places the wood used in the beams of the roof to around 455 AD but was not consecrated until after his death. The church was the first in Rome to have a circular plan. Although the inside is circular, the exterior is on a cruciform plan. Its architecture is unique in the Late Roman world. The church was embellished by Pope John I and Pope Felix IV in the 6th century with mosaics and colored marble. It was restored in 1139–1143 by Pope Innocent II. In 1454, Pope Nicholas V entrusted the ruined church to the Pauline Fathers, the only Catholic Order founded by Hungarians. This is the reason why Santo Stefano Rotondo later became the unofficial church of the Hungarians in Rome. In 1579, the Hungarian Jesuits joined the Pauline Fathers. The Cardinal Priest of the Basilica of St Stephen in the Round on the Caelian Hill from 1946 to 1975 was József Mindszenty, famous as the persecuted Catholic leader of Hungary under the Communist dictatorship. 
St Stephen on Caelian Hill Exterior Views 
 
St Stephen on Caelian Hill Interior Views The only source for information about St Stephen is the New Testament book of the Acts of the Apostles. Stephen is first mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles as one of seven deacons appointed by the Apostles to distribute food and charitable aid to poorer members of the community in the early church. According to the Acts of the Apostles, St Stephen angered members of various synagogues by his teachings. Accused of blasphemy at his trial, he made a speech denouncing the Jewish authorities who were sitting in judgment on him and was then stoned to death. Saul of Tarsus, later known as Paul, a Pharisee and Roman citizen who would later become a Christian apostle, participated in Stephen's martyrdom. Stephen is considered to be the first martyred saint. The relics of the protomartyr were moved from Jerusalem to Rome by Pope Pelagius II and were kept alongside the relics of St Lawrence. According to the Golden Legend, a miracle occurred when the relics of St Lawrence moved and made enough room for those of St Stephen. On your next (or first) visit to Rome, be sure to include a tour of St Stephen on Caelian Hill on your agenda. You are sure to discover fantastic aspects of this historic basilica. Reference: 'Santo Stefano al Monte Celio' on WikiPedia.org 'Saint Stephen' on TheFamousPeople.com All Photographs are from Commons.WikiMedia.org 
Council of Calchedon 1500th Anniversary - Pope Leo I w/Attila the Hun 150 (1951) Pope Nicholas V 5th Centenary of His Death 199 (1955) Jubilee Popes 1300-1525 - Pope Nicholas V 1069 (1998) Art Masterpieces by Beato Angelico - Stoning of St Stephen 1244(1903) |
