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Santi Quattro Coronati Review
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Santi Quattro Coronati 
- Address: Via Santi Quattro Coronati 20, Colosseo, Rome | Map It
- Phone: 06/70475427
- Category: Museums/Galleries, Religious Sites
- Location: Celio
Fodor's Review:
One of the magical cul-de-sacs in Rome where history seems to be holding its breath, this church is strongly embued with the sanctity of the Romanesque era. Marvelously redolent of the Middle Ages, this is one of the most unusual and unexpected corners of Rome, a quiet citadel that has resisted the tide of time and traffic flowing below its ramparts. The church honors the Four Crowned Saints -- the four brothers Seveus, Severinus, Carpophorus, and Victorius, all Roman officials who were whipped to death for their faith by emperor Diocletian (284-305). The original 9th-century church was twice as large as the current one. The abbey was partially destroyed during the Normans' sack of Rome about 1085, but it was reconstructed about 30 years later. This explains the inordinate size of the apse in relation to the small nave. Don't miss the cloister, with its well-tended gardens and 12th-century fountain. The entrance is the door in the left nave; ring the bell if it's not open.
There's another medieval gem hidden away off the courtyard at the church entrance: the Chapel of San Silvestro. (Enter the door marked Monache Agostiniane and ring the bell at the left for the nun; she will pass the key to the chapel through the wheel beside the grille.) The chapel has remained, for the most part, as it was when consecrated in 1246, decorated with marbles and frescoes. These tell the story of the Christian emperor Constantine's recovery from leprosy thanks to Pope Sylvester I. Note, too, the delightful Last Judgment fresco above the door, in which the angel on the left neatly rolls up sky and stars like a backdrop, signaling the end of the world. When you leave, lock the door and return the key to the nun. A donation is appropriate.
- Open: Easter-Christmas, daily 9:30-12:30 and 3:30-6; Christmas-Easter, daily 9:30-12:30
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