San Giacomo Scossacavalli
| Church of San Giacomo Scossacavalli Chiesa di San Giacomo Scossacavalli |
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Piazza Scossacavalli with Palazzo Torlonia and San Giacomo in an 18th-century etching by Giuseppe Vasi
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| Basic information | |
| Location | Rome, Italy |
| Geographic coordinates | 41°54′8.5″N 12°27′41.5″E / 41.902361°N 12.461528°ECoordinates: 41°54′8.5″N 12°27′41.5″E / 41.902361°N 12.461528°E |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| Country | Italy |
| Year consecrated | Before 8th century; 23 November 1777 |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Parish (1275–1825) |
| Status | Destroyed in 1937 |
| Patron | St. James |
| Architectural description | |
| Architect(s) | Antonio da Sangallo the Younger |
| Architectural style | Renaissance, Mannerist |
| Groundbreaking | About 1520 |
| Completed | 1592 |
| Specifications | |
| Direction of façade | West |
| Materials | Stone, Brickwork |
San Giacomo Scossacavalli (also known as San Giacomo a Scossacavalli) was a church in Rome important for historical and artistic reasons. The church, facing the Piazza Scossacavalli, was built during the early Middle Ages and since the early 16th century hosted a confraternity which commissioned Renaissance architect Antonio da Sangallo the Younger to build a new shrine. This was richly decorated with frescoes, painted (among others) by mannerist artist Giovanni Battista Ricci and his students. The church was demolished in 1937, when Via della Conciliazione (the avenue leading to St. Peter's Basilica) was built and the piazza and central part of the Borgo rione were demolished. Many decorative elements still exist, since they were preserved from demolition.
The church was located in Rome's Borgo rione, on the east side of Piazza Scossacavalli, its facade facing west and opposite the Palazzo dei Convertendi. Its south side paralleled the Borgo Vecchio.
The church's name gave birth to a legend. When Helena (mother of Constantine the Great) returned from her trip to the Holy Land, she brought back two stone relics: one from the presentation of Jesus at the Temple and one on which Abraham bound Isaac. The empress wanted to donate the stones to Saint Peter's Basilica, but when the convoy arrived at the site of the future church the horses (Italian: cavalli) refused to move further despite urging (Italian: scossi). A chapel hosting the stones was built, the origin of the church. The most probable reason for the name was the discovery, near the square, of a thigh from a Roman equestrian statue (coxa caballi in Vulgar Latin).
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Wikipedia