The early Christian architecture of Rome offers visitors an opportunity to discover a different artistic style from those that dominate much of the city, namely the Renaissance and Baroque. Churches with this architecture are also of archaeological significance, offering a window into the cultural expressions of the Greco-Roman and Paleochristian eras. Several churches in Rome, despite being heavily restored over the centuries, notably reflect this style, including Santa Sabina on the Aventine Hill, Santi Nereo ed Achilleo, San Saba, and the Mausoleum of Santa Costanza. Another notable example is the complex of Santi Quattro Coronati on the Caelian Hill, which includes the basilica proper, the Chapel of Saint Sylvester, and the Aula Gotica – one of Rome’s most important discoveries in the past century.
The Basilica of Santi Quattro Coronati is one of the oldest titular (parish) churches in Rome and one of the most important from its Carolingian era. Dedicated to the Four Crowned Martyrs (so named because they were anonymous at the time), legend has it that the first church building was erected in their honor under the reign of Pope Miltiades (AD 311–314). However, this is in doubt as it was narrated in the Acta Sebastiani, an allegorical rather than a historical account of the martyrdom of Saint Sebastian. What is certain is that it was built on the remains of a Roman domus (villa), much larger than the present church. It was first listed among the titular churches of Rome as the titulus Aemilianae, a likely nod to the family who owned the domus. In the mid-9th century, Pope Leo IV (AD 790–855 AD) reconstructed the church to reflect the Carolingian style: a large basilica with three naves, one central and two on the sides (such as in Old Saint Peter’s Basilica).
Features of the church interior include its 13th-century Cosmatesque flooring, its 17th-century apse frescoes, and a reliquary of the skull of Saint Sebastian.
The original Carolingian church building was lost during the Norman Sack of Rome in 1084. It was rebuilt on a smaller scale by Pope Paschal II (c. 1050–1118). Paschal II had the nave shortened (a rarity with reconstructed churches in Rome) to create a second courtyard and annexed the side naves to the Augustinian monastery to the south and the residence of the titular cardinal to the north. This cardinal’s residence would become the site of newly discovered medieval frescoes – the Aula Gotica.
A distinctive part of the complex – what gives it its medieval, fortress-like character – is its massive 13th-century tower. Built by Cardinal Stefano Conti (c. 1190–1254), the nephew of Pope Innocent III, the tower served as a defense from military threats and to control the key road between the Colosseum and Saint John Lateran. In this tower, the Cardinal built a large hall – the current site of the Aula Gotica – to host banquets and administer justice. This hall, with its exquisite frescoes, was only discovered in 1996, making it one of the most fascinating discoveries in Rome in the past century.
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| The Aula Gotica |
The frescoes in the Aula Gotica reflect an emerging Gothic artistic style and a blend of classical revival and Byzantine tradition. These frescoes, of which roughly half survive, cover the walls in a highly symbolic program. The frescoes on the south wall depict the months of the year with their associated activities, the personified Liberal Arts, and the Seasons. Those on the north wall depict the Virtues and Beatitudes as female warriors trampling their opposing vices, with Solomon, the ultimate Judge, at the center.
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| Detail of the Tauroctony in the Aula Gotica |
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| Allegory of the Church in a Two-Horse Chariot in the Aula Gothica |
Directly below the Aula Gotica is the Chapel of Saint Sylvester, also built by Cardinal Conti. The frescoes on its walls depict the shared experiences of Saint Sylvester I and Emperor Constantine I. The narrative starts on the west wall with Constantine afflicted with leprosy and his subsequent healing and baptism by Pope Sylvester. It continues with an aggressive depiction of the Donation of Constantine, illustrated by the Emperor leading the Pope on horseback in an act of homage. These were meant to underscore the primacy of the Pope over temporal rulers at a time of political tension between the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor.
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| Constantine leading Pope Sylvester |
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| Frescoes in the Chapel of St. Sylvester |
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| Entrance to the chapel of St. Sylvester and the skull of St. Sebastian |
While the Roman Colosseum and Saint John Lateran are usual staples in any tourist’s trip to Rome, the Santi Quattro Coronati complex offers visitors a visible testament to Rome’s Paleochristian and medieval past. It could be of particular interest to students of art history, with art from different eras discoverable in a single complex. Its architectural, archeological, and artistic significance is perhaps what makes it the most important landmark on Rome’s Caelian Hill.
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