Santa Pudenziana Titular Church in Rome

While walking down the road from Santa Maria Maggiore, one of the more important basilicas of Rome, I looked to my right and notice an old Romanesque bell tower, though I could not see the Church itself. I thought this was odd, walking a little further down the street I still could not see the church building though the bell tower was clearly visible and towering over other buildings in the area. I came to the street where the bell tower was and notice at least 30 meters below street level a church, it was very old, probably from the early Christian times in Rome. The name was Basilica of Santa Pudenziana, I was surprised first because the name was hard to pronounce and secondly I had never heard of this basilica, the building is not very big and looks neglected, you can access it by going down a grand staircase to the original street level to enter the church.  A nun was at the door and I noticed a plaque stating that this was the National Church of the Philippines in Rome.

This church is one of the Titulo meaning that it is amongst the very first Christian church buildings in Rome to be established in early Christianity. Underneath is the house structure of a man called Pudens, who he was is not totally clear but he had a son Praxedes who became a Saint. It is also known that the Bishops of Rome lived on the site until 311 AD when Emperor Constantine built them a residence the Lateran Palace next to what was to become the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour and St-John Lateran, in 324 AD. Bishops Melchiade and Sylvester where the first ''Popes'' to live at the Lateran.

As for Santa Pudenziana, it appears that she never existed, her cult like that of so many Saints in the early church is the stuff of myth and myth making. Her name is taken from the man Pudens whose house was on the site but that is all we know for sure.  What is interesting is the tomb of Cardinal Lucien Bonaparte, who was responsible for this church because it is a titular church, only a Cardinal can be made responsible for it. Lucien Bonaparte was the great nephew of Emperor Napoleon I, like many Bonaparte, he came to live in Italy after the fall of his uncle.  Because he was a Prince from an Imperial house and his family is closely associated with Italy, he was guaranteed a Cardinal's hat.

Strange how Santa Pudenziana Basilica does not figure much in Christian tours of Rome, probably because it is too humble a place and does not fit with the triumphal and over the top agenda of the Vatican.