Santa Passera, Medieval church in Portuense, Rome, Italy
Santa Passera is a medieval church standing on the opposite bank of the Tiber from Saint Paul Outside the Walls Basilica, incorporating elements of an ancient Roman tomb into its structure. The building uses earlier Roman materials and shows how medieval structures were built upon older foundations.
The building originated in the 9th century and served a community of workers who extracted tuff stone from the nearby hills. The site remained a center of this mining activity for a long period, shaping the local landscape.
The interior walls show traces of medieval frescoes that reveal how people here once prayed and expressed their faith in past times. You can still see today how simple and direct these religious images were.
You can reach the church by exploring the Portuense district, where the area is easy to walk around and find. The best time to visit is in the late morning or early afternoon when sunlight illuminates the location and the surroundings are easy to navigate.
The name Santa Passera evolved from Abbas Cyrus through linguistic shifts across centuries. This references two Egyptian saints, Cyrus and John, whose relics eventually made their way to Rome and were venerated in this sanctuary.
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