Chiesa di Sant'Eugenio | Turismo Roma
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Chiesa di Sant'Eugenio

As the 25th anniversary of Pius XII's episcopal consecration approached, the Pope let it be known that with the gifts he had received from Catholics all over the world, he wanted to have a church built in a new Roman neighbourhood without a parish church. The jubilee church was dedicated to St Eugene, Pope Pacelli's first name. Its construction began in 1942, designed by architects Enrico Pietro Galeazzi and Mario Redini, and after work was interrupted due to the war, it was completed in 1951. The church was consecrated on 2 June 1951, the feast of St Eugene, by Pope Pius XII himself.It has been a parish since 1951 (erected with the breve Petrianae navis of 16 March), and entrusted since 1980 to the care of the priests of the personal prelature of Opus Dei; since 1960 it has had the cardinal's title of St. Eugene. On 23 May 1951 Pius XII elevated the church to a minor basilica with the breve Honoris pastoralis.On 3 March 1986, the church was visited by Pope John Paul II.Totò's first funeral was held here.The façade of the church is made of travertine, with a high portal in the centre and two lower ones on the sides. It is divided into two orders. In the lower one are six pilasters with capitals in eclectic Corinthian style. Above the two lower portals are sculptures depicting the Allegories of Justice and Peace by Alessandro Monteleone. In the upper order is a large window with a loggia, flanked by Symbols of the Four Evangelists by Francesco Nagni. At the top of the dome is a bronze statue by A. Gerardi depicting St Michael the Archangel. At the rear is the bell tower containing eight bells in B2 with falling clapper cast by the Colbachini Foundry of Padua in the 1950s.The interior has three naves separated by twin columns, with a transept, five side chapels and a high dome. In the left-hand nave are chapels dedicated to St Nicholas of Flüe, St Catherine of Siena and St Philip Neri; between the chapels are stained-glass windows depicting St Popes Marcellus I, Sylvester I and Damasus I. In the right-hand nave are chapels dedicated to Saints Frances Xavier Cabrini and Francis of Assisi, separated from each other by the stained glass window depicting Pope Gregory VII.In the transept are other stained glass windows dedicated to the popes Martin I and Ormisda on the left, and Leo IV and Agathon on the right. Also in the transept are two important altars: on the left the altar dedicated to Our Lady of Fátima, donated by the republic of Portugal; on the right the altar dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul, donated by the republic of Lebanon. To the left of the high altar is the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament.
The church is rich in important works of 20th century Italian art, among which are worth mentioning:
on the façade, set within panels in the upper order, the high reliefs of the four evangelists by Francesco Nagni, and on the side portals in the lower order, the figures of Peace and Justice by Alessandro Monteleone;
at the main altar, the bronze statue of St Eugene by Attilio Selva;
in the apse, mosaics depicting religious allegories by Ferruccio Ferrazzi;
several bronzes arranged in the side chapels and depicting Italian saints, including St Francesca Xavier Cabrini by Pericle Fazzini, St Francis of Assisi by Domenico Rambelli, St Philip Neri by Francesco Messina;
valuable paintings are the frescoes by Giuseppe Ceracchini in the Chapel of St. Joseph, two frescoes by Marcello Avenali in the Chapel of Sts. Peter and Paul;
bronze Stations of the Cross by different authors: the first four by Attilio Torresini, the next three by Alfredo Biagini, the next three by Antonio Berti, and the last four by Giacomo Manzù;
two bronze grilles by Pietro De Laurentiis, the first depicting angels and the second sheep, in the sacristy.
To the right of the nave is a chapel dedicated to Saint Agnes, with a marble altar with a carved dossal. The entire surface of the chapel is covered in mosaic and there are six bronze candelabra, all attributable to the sculptor Venanzo Crocetti.
Pipe organ

In the two chancels on either side of the presbytery is the Mascioni pipe organ opus 651 built in 1950 and restored in 2007 by the same company. With electric transmission, it has three keyboards of 61 notes each and a pedalboard of 32. The pipes are divided between the two chancels as follows

on the left-hand choir there are the pipes of the first and second keyboard (Positive and Grand Organ, respectively) and part of the Pedal;
on the right-hand chancel are the third keyboard pipes (Echo-Expressive) and the remaining part of the pedal.

The console is located on the left chancel.
The funerals of Totò, Antonello Falqui and the wife of Italian President Giuseppe Saragat were celebrated in this church.

Information

Address 
POINT (12.4742462 41.9188257)
Timetables 

For the timetable of the masses and visiting conditions, please consult the contacts.

Contacts 
Email: 
info@parrocchiasanteugenio.it
Telephone: 
06 3201923
Web site: 
www.parrocchiasanteugenio.it
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Location

Basilica di Sant'Eugenio, Viale delle Belle Arti, 10
Viale delle Belle Arti, 10
41° 55' 7.7736" N, 12° 28' 27.2856" E

 

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