Santo Spirito in Sassia
| Santo Spirito in Sassia | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Basic information | |
| Location | Rome, Italy |
| Geographic coordinates | 41°54′05″N 12°27′40″E / 41.90139°N 12.46111°ECoordinates: 41°54′05″N 12°27′40″E / 41.90139°N 12.46111°E |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Deaconry |
| Leadership |
|
| Architectural description | |
| Architect(s) | Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, or Baldassare Peruzzi, |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Architectural style | Renaissance |
| Completed | 1545 |
Church of the Holy Spirit in the Saxon District (Italian: Santo Spirito in Sassia) is a 12th-century titular church in Rome, Italy. It is in Borgo Santo Spirito, a street which got its name from the church, placed in the southern part of Rione Borgo. The current holder of the titulus is Cardinal-Deacon Dominique Mamberti. It is the official sanctuary of Divine Mercy since 1994.
The church stands on the site of King Ine of Wessex's Schola Saxonum, or "Saxon School", a charitable institution for West Saxon pilgrims. It included a hostel and a chapel, Saint Maria. In mediaeval times a substantial number of pilgrims from Wessex, including fighting men, traveled the Via Francigena from Canterbury to Rome.
It was rebuilt in the 12th century and subsequently restored several times. In 1475 Pope Sixtus IV commissioned joining the church to the nearby Hospital of the Holy Spirit for foundlings (which Pope Innocent III had built and whose history is given in wall-paintings in the church's sacristy) and given a bell tower. In 1538–1545, Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, or Baldassare Peruzzi, rebuilt the church after it had been damaged during the Sack of Rome. An organ, which survives, was added in 1547. In 1585–1590, Pope Sixtus V had the exterior restored, giving the church its present façade by Ottavio Mascherino, inspired by a design of Sangallo). This facade has two stories, with Corinthian pillars dividing the lower one into five sections, and the upper divided into three sections. In the upper middle section is a circular window, and above that is the coat-of-arms of Pope Sixtus V. The façade is crowned by a pediment. It is a typical example of Renaissance architecture.
...
Wikipedia