Chiesa di San Nicola de Calcarario

Between 1926 and 1929, in order to unearth the temples of the sacred area of Torre Argentina, several buildings were demolished, streets and squares disappeared, and the 17th-century church of San Nicola dei Cesarini was also demolished. This last demolition brought to light the medieval church below, known as San Nicola de calcarario, and built at Temple A of the sacred area.The ancient church dates back to the 9th century, but is first attested in medieval documents in the 12th century, in a bull by Pope Urban III in 1186. It was called de calcarario due to the presence of lime kilns in the district. Regarding this appellation, Armellini comments that:in that street were the lime kilns destined to transform into cement the leftovers of Roman greatness, that is, the monuments that not the barbarians but the Roman degenerates from the tenth century onwards demolished and transformed into quarries of material to make lime!

(Armellini, op. cit., p. 493)
Of this church, only parts of the apsidal area and transept remain today: the two apses, one major and one minor, are internally decorated with remains of frescoes depicting effigies of saints; an altar from the 12th century was also found in the demolition excavations, which was left in place; the excavations also unearthed remains of a cosmatesque floor, some brick pillars and the semi-annular crypt (typical of the 9th century).
During the 17th century, the ancient church was demolished and rebuilt on two occasions, in 1611 and 1695; in the latter it was entrusted by Innocent XII to the Somaschi fathers. It was named after the Cesarini family because of its proximity to the palace of the Roman family, which was also destroyed in the demolitions of 1926-1929.
Inside, the church featured two paintings by Avanzino Nucci depicting a Saint Blaise and a Saint Charles, as well as works by Marco Benefial on the high altar and in a side chapel.