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Basilica of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere

Saints & Tombs Not Applicable
Rome, Italy 9th century Feast day: November 22

The burial place of St. Cecilia.

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The Story

The Basilica of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere rises, according to tradition, over the very house of St. Cecilia, a young Roman noblewoman martyred for the faith in the early centuries of the Church. Honored since antiquity as a virgin martyr, Cecilia is named in the Roman Canon of the Mass and venerated as the patroness of musicians. According to the traditional account, Cecilia consecrated her virginity to Christ, won her husband Valerian and his brother to the faith, and met death with serene courage after an attempted execution left her lingering for three days. She was buried in the Catacomb of St. Callistus, near the Crypt of the Popes. In 822 Pope Paschal I, guided by tradition to her resting place, translated her body to the basilica he had rebuilt on the site of her home, placing it beneath the high altar. In 1599, when Cardinal Sfondrati opened the tomb during renovations, the saint's body was reported to be intact; the sculptor Stefano Maderno carved his famous statue showing her exactly as she was said to have been found, and it lies before the altar today. The basilica also preserves Pietro Cavallini's remarkable Last Judgment fresco and a 9th-century apse mosaic. A community of Benedictine nuns has lived beside the church since the 16th century, keeping the tradition of sung Gregorian liturgy alive at the shrine of music's patroness.

Church Recognition

Santa Cecilia in Trastevere is a minor basilica and ancient titular church of Rome; St. Cecilia is commemorated in the Roman Canon, and her relics have rested beneath the high altar since their translation by Pope Paschal I in 822.

Catholic Teaching

St. Cecilia's shrine reflects the Church's veneration of the martyrs and their relics (CCC 1674; 2473), and her patronage of music recalls the Church's teaching that sacred song is a treasure of the liturgy, offered for the glory of God (CCC 1156-1158).

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Practical

Additional Information

Pilgrims venerate the tomb of St. Cecilia beneath the high altar and Maderno's celebrated statue of the saint, and may visit the excavations beneath the basilica and Cavallini's Last Judgment fresco. The feast of St. Cecilia on November 22 draws musicians and choirs, and the resident Benedictine nuns sing the liturgy on Sundays and solemnities.

Go Deeper

The official website of the basilica and its Benedictine community is https://www.benedettinesantacecilia.it. The ancient Passio of St. Cecilia recounts her traditional story, and CCC 1156-1158 presents the Church's teaching on sacred music.

Location

Visit the official website ↗ See it on the interactive map →

In the Area

Other sacred sites within 40 miles.