San Silvestro in Capite

Church of Saint Sylvester the First San Silvestro in Capite (Italian) Sancti Silvestri in Capite (Latin)
Facade of San Silvestro in Capite, National Church in Rome of English Catholics in Rome, on Piazza San Silvestro. Beyond the portal, there is an atrium, with access to the church.
Basic information
Location	Rome
Geographic coordinates	41°54′11.2″N 12°28′50.3″E / 41.903111°N 12.480639°E / 41.903111; 12.480639Coordinates: 41°54′11.2″N 12°28′50.3″E / 41.903111°N 12.480639°E / 41.903111; 12.480639
Affiliation	Roman Catholic
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	minor basilica, National Church in Rome of Great Britain, titulus
Leadership	Desmond Connell
Website	Official website
Architectural description
Architect(s)	Francesco da Volterra, Carlo Maderno
Architectural type	Church
Architectural style	Romanesque, Baroque
Groundbreaking	761
Specifications
Direction of façade	SSE
Length	40 metres (130 ft)
Width	20 metres (66 ft)
Width (nave)	14 metres (46 ft)

The Basilica of Saint Sylvester the First also known as (Italian: San Silvestro in Capite, Latin: Sancti Silvestri in Capite) is a Roman Catholic minor basilica and titular church in Rome dedicated to Pope Saint Sylvester I. It is located on the Piazza San Silvestro, at the corner of Via del Gambero and the Via della Mercede, and stands adjacent to the central Post Office.

Built in the 8th century as a shrine for the relics of the saints and martyrs from the Catacombs, the church is the National church of Great Britain. The Latin words "in capite" refers to the canonical title of Pope Sylvester the First, to which in capite means in First, in Chief, or in Head. The basilica is also famous for a relic, a fragment of a head purported to be that of Saint John the Baptist, kept in a chapel to the left of the entrance. A second Roman church dedicated to Saint Sylvester is San Silvestro al Quirinale.

The last Cardinal-Priest of the titulus S. Silvestri in Capite was Desmond Cardinal Connell, Archbishop Emeritus Dublin, Ireland. He died on 21 February 2017.

The original church was built in the 8th century by the Popes Paul I and Stephen III, atop ruins of a pagan temple dedicated to Sol Invictus, to house venerated relics of early Christian saints who were buried in the catacombs. The church was rebuilt and the campanile with Romanesque arcades added in 1198 during the papacy of Innocent III, while in the 13th century the church was donated to the Poor Clares.