Santa Maria in Domnica, facade.

Santa Maria in Domnica — also known as Santa Maria alla Navicella — is a basilica church in Rome. The church was built no later than the 7th century. The Cardinal Deacon of the Titulus S. Mariae in Domnica is William Joseph Levada. St. ... The facade of Santa Barbara dei Librai, one of the many churches of Rome. ... Nickname: The Eternal City Motto: SPQR: Senatus PopulusQue Romanus Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 21 April 753 BC Mayor Walter Veltroni Area    - City 1,500 km²  (580 sq mi... The Cardinal Deacons are the lowest-ranked of the three orders of Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church. ... William Joseph Levada William Joseph Levada, (born 15 June 1936, Long Beach, California) is a Roman Catholic bishop, the Archbishop Emeritus of San Francisco, currently serving in the Roman Curia as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. ...

Origin

The church was built in ancient times, close to the barracks of the 5th cohort of Vigiles. Pope Paschal I, who is to be credited for the age of renovation and artistic splendour that happened in Rome in early 9th century, rebuilt the church in 818-822, providing it with a noteworthy musive decoration. Saint Paschal I was pope from 817 to February 11, 824. ...

Pope Leo X renovated the church, and Andrea Sansovino directed the works. Pope Leo X, born Giovanni di Lorenzo de Medici (11 December 1475 – 1 December 1521) was Pope from 1513 to his death. ... Andrea dal Monte Sansovino (c. ...

Name

The attribute "in Domnica" has been differently explained. One interpretation is the derivation from dominicum, which means "of the Lord", and by extension "church".^[1] Another interpretation refers to the name of Cyriaca, a woman who lived close by, and whose name means "belonging to the Lord", dominica in Latin.^[2]

The attribute "alla Navicella" means "near the little ship", and refers to the Roman sculpture of a ship that has been placed in front of the church for a long time, turned into a fountain by Leo X.

Notes

1. ^ Armellini.
2. ^ Thayer.

References

• Armellini, Mariano, Le chiese di Roma dal secolo IV al XIX[1]
• Thayer, Bill, "S. Maria in Domnica", Gazetteer