Santa Prassede: vanity of vanities!

Entrance

Rome is a city shaped by the Papacy. Despite the fame of the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, the centre of the city which we know today is a product of the Popes. The gilded and ornate basilicas of St. Peters, St. John Lateran, and Santa Maria Maggiore are all testament to their former secular power as well as the Roman Catholic Church’s influence. But literally just around the corner from Santa Maria Maggiore stands a far less conspicuous structure, the Church of Santa Prassede. Dedicated to the Roman martyr Praxedes, Santa Prassede might appear diminutive in comparison to Maria Maggiore’s baroque ostentation but it too is a monument of Papal power.

The present structure was begun in 817 by Pope Paschal I, a figure associated with the Carolingian Renaissance, a period of cultural revival in Western Europe under the Frankish king and Emperor Charlemagne. He had also been a supporter of the Roman Church, hence his coronation on Christmas Day 800 by Pope Leo III. Before Charlemagne Rome had been under the jurisdiction of the Byzantine Empire, at least notionally. But with Italy overrun by the Lombards and the Empire distracted fighting for survival against the Arabs in the 8th century, the Papacy had grown increasingly autonomous. However it was an event immediately prior to Paschal’s ascension which allowed him to establish Papal authority in opposition to the emperor. In 815, two years prior to Paschal’s election, his predecessor Leo III had declared Emperor Leo V (probably one of history’s more exasperating name combinations) a heretic for re-establishing Iconoclasm within the Byzantine Empire. Artists and monks fleeing the destruction of images were welcomed by Paschal, who decided to use the Empire’s loss to the Papacy’s advantage.

As soon as he had been declared Pope, Paschal initiated an ambitious construction program, rebuilding the churches of Santa Maria in Domnica and Santa Cecilia in Trastevere as well adding two chapels to St. Peters Basilica. With the support of the Franks and the Byzantine Emperor denounced as a heretic, Paschal sought to elevate the Papacy and used architecture to celebrate Papal theocracy. Santa Prassede was designed as a St. Peters in miniature, a hint that Paschal viewed himself as the sole successor to Constantine now that the Emperor and Patriarch in Constantinople had erred into heresy.

Today when you first enter Santa Prassede the impression you receive is far from grandeur. Stepping into the dank coolness of its interior after dazzling combination of midday sun and Santa Maria Maggiore, Robert Browning’s poem inspired by the church best describes the atmosphere:

       ‘And then I shall lie through centuries,      

                                                                  

And hear the blessed mutter of the mass,

And see God made and eaten all day long,

And feel the steady candle-flame, and taste

Good strong thick stupefying incense-smoke!’

Triumphal Arch

This verse could have been prompted by any one of Italy’s ancient, neglected churches, their relics (both historical and spiritual) fading and gathering dust over the centuries while the devout silently shuffle past. But when you turn towards the apse you find yourself dwarfed by the majesty of a distant era. A triumphal arch rises high above you but instead of lauding the bloodthirsty exploits of an emperor it is adorned with visions of paradise. Behind the arch and in the apse is heaven itself, Christ standing in celestial victory, superior to any conquest on Earth. Rising gracefully on the clouds flocking beneath His feet He stands before a sky of ocean blue, as if the seas and heavens have become one. He is flanked by saints including Praxedes while to the far left stands Paschal, humbly dedicating the church itself. The blue nimbus behind his head indicates that he was still alive at the time.  But while he might appear humble before Christ that was far from how he presented himself to the world. And even here in the presence of God and behind the victory arch of salvation, Paschal is clearly declaring that just as Christ offers the only way to redemption so the Roman Church offers the only path to Christ. 

Apse mosaic with Pope Paschal to the far left

To the side of the nave is the small chapel of San Zeno, an obscure saint and apparently an early bishop of Verona. Alongside the remains of numerous other holy figures Paschal had Zeno’s relics brought from the catacombs to the church. This chapel is interesting for two reasons. Firstly, it is covered with the most stunning mosaics. Stepping inside (and after inserting a coin for the lights) is like walking into a jewel box. Above the marble-clad walls golden mosaics glitter like a vision of the divine itself. Four classical columns, one in each corner, are surmounted by four tesserae angels, all of whom support a roundel of Christ Pantokrator. From the ceiling He gazes down coolly at the mortals below. On the eastern wall is a unique depiction of the ‘Deesis’ (entreaty in Greek), a common motif in Byzantine art. Traditionally shown as the Virgin and John the Baptist beseeching Christ to show mercy on the world, what makes this version unique is the absence of Christ, who has been replaced by a window. Though the Pantokrator is on the ceiling above, it has been suggested that the window itself represents Christ, or rather the light flowing through it as based on the Gospel of John where He declares ‘ego sum lux mundi’ (I am the Light of the World).

Christ the Pantokrator

Theodora to the far left

In a small niche there is another depiction of Christ as a rather cute Agnus Dei (Lamb of God). From his furry feet flow four springs from which several deer drink. Beneath this we find four figures, the Virgin and on either side of her Saint Praxedes and her sister Saint Pudentiana. But to the far left is another woman and the second reason for the chapel’s importance, who was still alive when the mosaic was made as indicated by her blue nimbus. Identified as ‘Episcopa Theodora’ she was in fact the mother of Paschal, and the chapel of San Zeno was intended as her burial chamber. What more could signify Paschal’s grandiose designs than a tomb for his own mother, as if seeking to memorialise a dynasty. Constantine himself had a mausoleum erected for his mother Helena as well as other relatives.

Santa Prassede, today a minor sight amongst Rome’s venerable historical remains, is still a monument to Pope Paschal I and his ambitions for the Papacy. But like all earthly accomplishments his dreams have passed into the dust of history. As if thinking of Paschal, Browning began his poem ‘Vanity, saith the preacher, vanity!’ Dedicated to temporal glory as well as Praxedes, Santa Prassede is a testament to the vanity of vanities. And yet, has vanity ever looked so beautiful?

Browning, R. The Bishop Orders his Tomb at Saint Praxed's Church

Deliyannis, D. M. Emerick, J. J. "Altars Personified: The Cult of the Saints and the Chapel System in Pope Pascal I's S. Prassede (817-819)”, Archaeology in Architecture: Studies in Honour of Cecil L. Striker. 2005, pp. 43 - 63

Schaeffer, M. M. Women in Pastoral Office: The Story of Santa Prassede, Rome. Oxford University Press: 2013