Santa Prassede

Basilica of Saint Praxedes Basilica di Santa Prassede all’Esquilino (Italian) Basilica Sanctae Praxedis (Latin)
Ceiling of the San Zeno chapel.
Basic information
Location	Rome, Italy
Geographic coordinates	41°53′46″N 12°29′55″E / 41.89611°N 12.49861°E / 41.89611; 12.49861Coordinates: 41°53′46″N 12°29′55″E / 41.89611°N 12.49861°E / 41.89611; 12.49861
Affiliation	Roman Catholic
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Minor basilica
Leadership	Paul Poupard
Website	Chiesa Rettoria Santa Prassede
Architectural description
Architectural type	Church
Groundbreaking	780
Completed	822
Specifications
Direction of façade	SSE
Length	45 metres (148 ft)
Width	30 metres (98 ft)
Width (nave)	17 metres (56 ft)

External video

Santa Prassede (Praxedes), Smarthistory

The Basilica of Saint Praxedes (Latin: Basilica Sanctae Praxedis, Italian: Basilica di Santa Prassede all’Esquillino), commonly known in Italian as Santa Prassede, is an ancient titular church and minor basilica in Rome, Italy, located near the papal basilica of Saint Mary Major. The current Cardinal Priest of Titulus Sancta Praxedis is Paul Poupard.

The church in its current form was commissioned by Pope Hadrian I around the year 780, and built on top of the remains of a 5th-century structure and was designed to house the bones of Saint Praxedes (Italian: S. Prassede) and Saint Pudentiana (Italian: S. Pudenziana), the daughters of Saint Pudens, traditionally St. Peter's first Christian convert in Rome. The two female saints were murdered for providing Christian burial for early martyrs in defiance of Roman law. The basilica was enlarged and decorated by Pope Paschal I in c. 822.

Pope Paschal, who reigned 817-824, was at the forefront of the Carolingian Renaissance started and advocated by the emperor Charlemagne. They desired to get back to the foundations of Christianity theologically and artistically. Paschal, thus, began two, linked, ambitious programs: the recovery of martyrs' bones from the catacombs of Rome and an almost unprecedented church building campaign. Paschal dug up numerous skeletons and transplanted them to this church. The Titulus S. Praxedis was established by Pope Evaristus, around 112.