San Teodoro, Rome
San Teodoro (Italian for "Saint Theodore"), informally known as San Toto,[1] is an early medieval church in Rome dedicated to the martyr and warrior saint Theodore of Amasea. Its use was given to the Eastern Orthodox community of Rome by Pope John Paul II in 2004.
History[edit]
Antiquity[edit]
The church is located at the northwest foot of the Palatine Hill along the ancient road between Rome's main forum and the Forum Boarium. It may have been erected over the ruins of the granaries of Agrippa[2] or repurposed a former temple of Juno Sospita in the area.[3] The latter is suggested by its unusual round shape, which resembles the well-preserved nymphaeum once identified as the Temple of Minerva Medica. An ancient pagan altar was located in the atrium before the church.
Catholic church[edit]
The cult of St Theodore was prominent and widespread by the end of the 4th century and a mosaic including Theodore was erected at SS Cosmas and Damian c. 530. San Teodoro may have been built as early as the 6th century as well.[4] Its apsis mosaic dates to the 6th century and shows Christ in a black robe with gold lati clavi,[2] which on Roman garments indicated high rank, seated on an orb representing the heavens and flanked by Peter and Paul and by the two martyrs Theodore (a later addition, from Nicholas V's restoration) and Cleonicus.
Interior[edit]
At the back of the atrium, outside the church, is an ossuary with stacked skulls and bones, visible through a grille. The Capitoline Wolf was kept in this church until the 16th century. As a Greek Orthodox church, it now has an iconostasis, or icon screen, that separates the sanctuary from the main body of the church.