Church of St. Catherine the Great Martyr - the current Orthodox shrine of modern times in Rome, subordinated to the Moscow Patriarchate. Located on the territory of the residence of the Embassy of the Russian Federation.
The temple of Catherine is already interesting by the very fact of existence - the center of the Russian Orthodox faith in the heart of the papal Catholic diocese.Confessional friction is mitigated by the personality of the great martyr, because she was revered by Christians in an era when Catholics and Orthodox were united.
St. Catherine
During her life, Catherine was a noble resident of Alexandria; she received a worthy education at the beginning of the 4th century. accepted Christ. Wanting to open her contemporary eyes to paganism, Catherine entered the imperial palace and participated in a theological dispute with the court sages, as a result they all believed in Christ.
Such a daring act entailed the imprisonment and speedy execution of the girl, but before that, with her fervent speeches and unshakable faith, she had converted the emperor’s wife and part of his army to Christianity - all of them were also executed.
Three centuries after these bloody events, the followers of Catherine on Mount Sinai found her imperishable remains and transferred to a new temple.
Story
The idea of founding an Orthodox church in Italy appeared at the end of the 19th century. The first step was taken at the beginning of the 20th century, when the Russian embassy bought the land on the Tiber embankment for the construction of the church, but the revolution turned the whole way of society and such a factor as religion for a long time disappeared from the life of Soviet people. The Diaspora at that time also could not provide significant assistance.
In the 90s of the last century, many immigrants from those countries that make up the canonical territory of the Moscow Patriarchate arrived in Italy. The idea of creating a symbol of the Russian Orthodox Church in a foreign land has gained new strength. The initiative quickly gained support among the clergy, and in 2001 the Moscow Patriarch Alexy II solemnly blessed the creation of the Church of St. Catherine the Great Martyr. The construction of the main part took only 4 years.
In 2006, the temple was first consecrated, and since then there are regular divine services, a parish school operates at the temple.
In May 2009, the world Christian community observed the solemn Great Consecration of the shrine, the great celebration of faith and unity of the Russian Orthodox people, who dared to take a desperate step and did not stop at any difficulties.
Architecture and Interior
The main architect was Andrei Obolensky, whose team was able to create the perfect harmony of Orthodox tradition and Roman architectonics.The territory is located on a hill, which predetermined the architectural composition of the temple, starting from the foot of the Gianicolo hill and ending at its top. In order not to discord with Roman architecture, the main church is built in the form of a tent, and all walls are lined with travertine, traditional for primordially Roman architecture.
The lower aisle of the church complex is marked with a faience iconostasis in honor of Konstantin and Elena. And the main part, the so-called upper church, is the main marble iconostasis. The project of the latter was created and for the most part implemented by Alexander Soldatov, a teacher at the Moscow Icon Painting School. Being non-traditional for the Russian church, the iconostasis consists of only two rows. The lower one is made in a modest manner without frills and inappropriate brilliance using the fresco technique. The top row has already been made in the usual medallion technique with gilding and rich decoration, paying tribute to Russian Orthodox traditionalism.
In 2012, painting began on the inside of the temple, which is a picture of the path of the Great Martyr Catherine from birth to ascension. Within the walls of the church there are a number of Orthodox relics, attracting hundreds of parishioners here daily, both on their own initiative and as part of pilgrimage tours for Orthodox Christians from Russia and the whole world.
Interesting Facts
- To obtain a license to build a temple, had to amend some laws of the Lazio region, previously prohibiting any development in this corner of Rome.
- At the height of construction, local architectural authorities limited the height of the church, since no building in Rome could be taller than St. Peter's Basilica (Basilica di San Pietro). The architect did not abandon his plan and solved the problem by “drowning” the structure in the hill.
How to get there
- Address: Via del Lago Terrione 77
- Bus: No. 64, go to the San Pietro stop.
- Underground: Line A, Ottaviano-San Pietro Station.
- Working hours: services are held at 9:00 and 17:00 according to the timetable indicated on the site.
- Official site: www.stcaterina.com
