Santo Stefano degli Abissini
Encyclopedia
Santo Stefano degli Abissini (St. Stephen of the Abyssinians) is a Roman Catholic church located in the Vatican City
. The church dedicated to Stephen the Protomartyr is the national church
of Ethiopia
. The liturgy is celebrated according to the Alexandrine rite of the Ethiopian Catholic Church
. It is the oldest surviving church in the Vatican.
(ca. 400–461), and named Santo Stefano Maggiore. It stands above the ruins of a pagan temple dedicated to Vesta
. It was originally built as a circular building with twenty Corinthian columns, which is a common plan for a temple of Vesta.
It was rebuilt in 1159 under Pope Alexander III
, who also built a monastery for Ethiopian monks next to it.
In 1479, Pope Sixtus IV
restored the church and assigned it to the Coptic monks in the city. It was at this time that the name was changed to reflect that it was served by Ethiopians (Abyssinian). It was altered under Pope Gregory XI
(1700–1721), and again in 1928.
with ancient column
s along the sides. The most important work of art is a fresco
of the Madonna with Child in the Roman style from the 15th century.
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
. The church dedicated to Stephen the Protomartyr is the national church
National church
National church is a concept of a Christian church associated with a specific ethnic group or nation state. The idea was notably discussed during the 19th century, during the emergence of modern nationalism....
of Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
. The liturgy is celebrated according to the Alexandrine rite of the Ethiopian Catholic Church
Ethiopian Catholic Church
The Ethiopian Catholic Church is a Metropolitan sui iuris Eastern particular Church within the Catholic Church. Established in 1930, its membership includes inhabitants of Ethiopia and Eritrea....
. It is the oldest surviving church in the Vatican.
History
The church was built by Pope Leo IPope Leo I
Pope Leo I was pope from September 29, 440 to his death.He was an Italian aristocrat, and is the first pope of the Catholic Church to have been called "the Great". He is perhaps best known for having met Attila the Hun in 452, persuading him to turn back from his invasion of Italy...
(ca. 400–461), and named Santo Stefano Maggiore. It stands above the ruins of a pagan temple dedicated to Vesta
Vesta
-Astronomy:* 4 Vesta, second largest asteroid in the solar system, also a proto-planet, named after the Roman deity* Vesta family, group of asteroids that includes 4 Vesta- Places :* Monte Vesta, Lombardy, Italy* Temple of Vesta, Rome, Italy...
. It was originally built as a circular building with twenty Corinthian columns, which is a common plan for a temple of Vesta.
It was rebuilt in 1159 under Pope Alexander III
Pope Alexander III
Pope Alexander III , born Rolando of Siena, was Pope from 1159 to 1181. He is noted in history for laying the foundation stone for the Notre Dame de Paris.-Church career:...
, who also built a monastery for Ethiopian monks next to it.
In 1479, Pope Sixtus IV
Pope Sixtus IV
Pope Sixtus IV , born Francesco della Rovere, was Pope from 1471 to 1484. His accomplishments as Pope included the establishment of the Sistine Chapel; the group of artists that he brought together introduced the Early Renaissance into Rome with the first masterpiece of the city's new artistic age,...
restored the church and assigned it to the Coptic monks in the city. It was at this time that the name was changed to reflect that it was served by Ethiopians (Abyssinian). It was altered under Pope Gregory XI
Pope Gregory XI
Gregory XI was pope from 1370 until his death.-Biography:He was born Pierre Roger de Beaufort, in Maumont, in the modern commune of Rosiers-d'Égletons, Limousin around 1336. He succeeded Pope Urban V in 1370, and was pope until 1378...
(1700–1721), and again in 1928.
Exterior
The façade is in the style of the early 18th century. The 12th century doorway, decorated with the Lamb and the Cross, has been preserved.Interior
The church has a single naveNave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
with ancient column
Column
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. For the purpose of wind or earthquake engineering, columns may be designed to resist lateral forces...
s along the sides. The most important work of art is a fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
of the Madonna with Child in the Roman style from the 15th century.