Church · Rione Regola · Rome

Church of San Tommaso ai Cenci

San Tommaso ai Cenci is a church in Rome, located in the rione Regola, on the Monte de' Cenci. A side exit leads into Piazza delle Cinque Scole, in the neighbouring rione Sant'Angelo. It stands in the dense historic quarter close to the Tiber, in the heart of old Rome.

At a glance

Type: Roman Catholic church
Period: Historic church of Rome
Style: Roman ecclesiastical architecture
Location: Monte de' Cenci, rione Regola, Rome, Italy

Overview

The church of San Tommaso ai Cenci stands in the rione Regola of central Rome, on the rise known as Monte de' Cenci. One of its side exits opens onto Piazza delle Cinque Scole, in the adjoining rione Sant'Angelo. The church is closely tied to the historic Cenci district near the Tiber.

History

The church takes its name from its position on the Monte de' Cenci, the small hill associated with the Cenci family that gave the area its identity. Like many churches in this part of Rome, it is embedded in a quarter shaped over centuries by noble residences and the nearby Jewish Ghetto. Its setting reflects the layered history of the rione Regola.

What you see

The church is woven into the compact urban fabric of the Monte de' Cenci, with a side passage connecting it to Piazza delle Cinque Scole. Its position on the rise distinguishes it among the narrow streets of the quarter. The surroundings preserve the character of one of Rome's oldest districts.

Cultural significance

San Tommaso ai Cenci forms part of the rich ecclesiastical heritage of central Rome and of the historic Cenci district. Its location between the rioni Regola and Sant'Angelo links it to the storied area around the former Ghetto and the Tiber bend.

Practical information

Address: Monte de' Cenci, rione Regola, Rome, Italy. Opening hours for visits and services may be limited. Check official parish or diocesan sources before planning a visit.

Getting there

The church lies in the heart of historic Rome, a short walk from the Jewish Ghetto, Largo di Torre Argentina and the Tiber. The area is best reached on foot or by the buses and trams serving central Rome.

Sources & resources

Historical events at this place (1)

2021 Chiesa San Tommaso e il monte dei Cenci

This church is incorporated into the Palazzo dei Cenci near the bank of the Tiber, where the mole stood in the Middle Ages, from which it took the title in capite molarum (at the head of the mole).



It also had the name of San Tommaso Fraternitatis since it was, for a certain period, the seat of the Romana Fraternitas, one of the most important and ancient Roman associations.



From the annexed Palazzo dei Cenci, from the 15th century onwards, it took its current name; Piranesi&#39;s thesis, on the fact that the complex overlooked Balbo&#39;s theater, is not shared by all scholars.



In the records of the visit under Alexander VII, the following report is found:

&laquo;This church was said in ancient times De capite molarum, nunc de Cenciis, is located in the Rule in the place called Monte Cenci, it is a branch of s. Lorenzo in Damaso. It has an image of the Savior and St. Tommaso touching the wounds of S. N. On the right there is a chapel with paintings relating to S. Francesco, said to be founded by Cristoforo Cenci, today owned by Felice and Cristoforo Cenci heirs of the former. There is a chapel or altar under the invocation of s. Maria della Sbarra which today is owned by D. Giulio de Cenci consistorial lawyer who has an income of about 100 scudi. There is a burial for children, one for men, one for women. He has only one fornicated ship. There is the feast of St. Thomas with the first and second vespers. There is no baptistery, because they are baptized in St. Lorenzo in Damaso. There is an epigraph on the door which recalls that the church was under the patronage of the Cenci. It has a certain income of sc. 250. In the year 1554 Rocco Cenci obtained from Julius III the patronage of the church ... Pius IV in the year 1559 with the bull Ratione congruit confirmed the aforementioned concession which was carried out by the bishops of Tivoli ... In the church there are 3 altars under the invocation of s. Tommaso, on the left that of the ss. Crucifix or St. Catherine without dowry, and another under the invocation of the Nat. by N. S. G. C. The parish has about 25 houses. The bell tower has two bells. &quot;

(M. Armellini, The churches of Rome from the fourth to the nineteenth century, Rome 1891, p. 573-574)



Between the two portals of the facade is the Roman funerary inscription of Marcus Cincius Theophilus; for the assonance with its name it was walled here by the Cenci.

https://culturalheritageonline.com/places/church-of-san-tommaso-ai-cenci-l4331/

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