Chapel of San Silvestro, Rome
Chapel of San Silvestro in Rome (Oratorio di San Silvestro) is a small chapel that is part of the early Christian monastic complex. Its main value is a remarkable cycle of medieval frescoes depicting the Donation of Constantine.
History of the chapel
A small chapel was built in 1247. Its construction was ordered by Cardinal Stefano Conti, and construction took place on the first floor of his palazzo, which stood next to the church. The chapel was named after Pope Sylvester I, who ruled in the 4th century.
In 1562, Pope Pius IV gave the complex of the Four Crowned Martyrs to the Augustinian nuns. In 1577 Pope Gregory XIII allowed guilds engaged in stone carving to hold services in the chapel. The artist Raffaellino da Reggio decorated the presbytery with frescoes at their expenses in 1578.
In 1728 a new altar was created, and consecrated by Pope Benedict XIII. In 1913 and 2006, the chapel underwent 2 cardinal restorations, restoring the original appearance of the frescoes.
Chapel interior and frescoes
Inside, the oratorio has a rectangular plan with a single nave and a small presbytery with an altar. The floor is made of marble in the Сosmatesque style, and decorated with various ornaments. The vaulted ceiling is decorated with symbolic images of stars and crosses, and a Greek cross was created with the help of decorative majolica in its center. The base of the vault is decorated with a leaf frieze. The lunette over the door has a mural with an illustration of the Last Judgment.
In the past, the walls of the chapel had 3 levels with frescoes, but only the middle and upper ones survived to our days.
- On the middle, there are medallions with images of 27 prophets and holy days of the Old Testament, holding scrolls of prophecies about the Second Coming of Christ.
- But the upper part has been preserved quite well and it has the greatest value. Here you will see some scenes from the life of Pope Sylvester I, most of them occurred during the life of Emperor Constantine. The illustrations of the Donation of Constantine deserve particular attention among the frescoes. It depicts the scene when the emperor gave the Western Roman Empire to the power of the Holy See. In general, these frescoes are mostly political propaganda, then a religious significance. But their artistic value does not diminish in any way.
How to get there
The Chapel of San Silvestro is located in the heart of the historic center of Rome, on Via dei Santi Quattro, 19. Next to there is the Colosseum, the Triumphal Arch, as well as the Domus Aurea and the Basilica of St. Clement. Nearby there is the Labicana stop, which can be reached by tram (routes 3, 8) and buses (routes 51, 75, 85, 87, C3, N10).
Opening hours: for detailed information on visiting hours, call (+39) 335 495248.
Admission: the cost of the visit also needs to be specified by the abovementioned phone number.
