"Jerusalem’s Holly Cross in Rome
From Jerusalem to Rome
Among the 900 churches of Rome, one holds special significance for the Christian faith: The Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem. Since the earliest days of the Church, during Holy Week, the Pope and Emperor would walk barefoot and wear sackcloth and ashes as symbols of mourning, repentance, and humility before God. The procession would commence from the Basilica of Saint John Lateran and make its way to the Basilica of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem, where Mass was celebrated in front of the most precious Christian relics. The relics of the Holy Cross tell the history of Jesus’ death on the cross and his triumphant resurrection. Seventeen centuries ago, Saint Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine, brought these relics to Rome from the Holy Land.
By Pawel
Table of Contents
Where Basilica di Santa Croce in Gerusalemme is located in Rome?
Interor of Santa Croce Church
Golgotha
Golgotha, from the Latin word “Calvaria,” meaning “Skull,” was the place of Jesus’s crucifixion according to all four Gospels. It was situated on a hill outside the city gates of Jerusalem, next to an old quarry where Pontius Pilate’s praetorians had executed Christ.
Crucifixion was one of the most shameful forms of death in the Roman Empire, reserved for slaves, army deserters, foreigners, and rebels against the Emperor. That’s why Jews considered the wooden crosses, the boards with the names of the crucified, and the nails to be unclean and would throw them into nearby pits – the same fate as Jesus’ cross.
Despite increasing persecution of Christians, Golgotha became a revered place of worship for early Christians after Jesus’s resurrection. However, in 133 AD, Emperor Hadrian decided to block Christians’ access to Golgotha and the nearby tomb where Jesus’s body had been laid. He intended to transform this popular area into a place for pagan gods, filling the ground around the hill and pits with soil to create strong foundations for the Temple of Jupiter and Venus.
Unintentionally, Emperor Hadrian’s actions helped preserve the Relics of the Passion, as Roman protection and the dry soil kept them underground. These relics remained buried until Emperor Constantine decriminalized Christianity, and his mother, Saint Helena, arrived in the Holy Land in 335 AD.
A Waitress Who Become Empress Saint
Saint Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine, never held the titular empress title due to her low-class family background, as love marriages were uncommon among imperial court members. As a young girl, Helena worked as a waitress at the outskirts of the Roman Empire, where she fell in love with the ambitious soldier Constantius Chlorus. She bore him a son who would later become Emperor Constantine.
Helena spent most of her life as the forgotten concubine of Constantinus. At the age of 65, her son invited her to Rome, where she converted to Christianity under his influence and became a devoted patron of the faith. She was granted the Roman Empress title of Augusta.
First Pilgrim to Holy Land
At the age of 72, she embarked on a hazardous pilgrimage to the Holy Land, travelling by sailboat and mule to Syria and Judea, aiming to discover the very locations where Christ had walked and preached three centuries prior. Helena was initially disappointed, as Jerusalem did not match the descriptions from the Bible. Undeterred, she arranged meetings with wise men of Jerusalem to learn everything about Jesus and the city’s history. She ordered the demolition of Pagan Temples and excavation works.
At the foot of Golgotha Hill, Helena experienced a miracle when three wooden crosses were unearthed. An old, dying woman was brought and laid next to two crosses with no effect. However, when she was placed before the True Cross, she instantly recovered.
Helena venerated the True Cross and the other relics she acquired during her journey through the Holy Land, considering them sacred treasures. She brought them back to Rome and placed them in the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem. The basilica’s floor was covered with soil from the Holy City of Jerusalem, giving it its name.
Sacred Collection of Relics Includes:
One Large “ Patibulum “ and Three Small Fragments of the True Cross
A Large Portion of the Title of the Cross “ Titulus Crucis “
One of the Sacred Nails
Two Thorns from Our Lord’s Crown
The Finger of Saint Thomas the “doubting apostle” which had touched Our Lord’s wounded side.
"When you leave but part of you stays behind, that’s when you know you have visited unmissable place"
Egyptomania and the Marble Pyramid in Rome
It harkens back to a glorious era when Roman power extended across the Mediterranean Sea to Heliopolis and beyond.
Saint Helena is the First Pilgrim to Holy Land
Among the 900 churches of Rome, one holds special significance for the Christian faith: The Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem.
Nero's Legacy and Piazza Del Popolo Ghostly Secrets
Constant sound of water pouring from fountain calms you; it’s safe here four lions will guard you. Shut your eye. Let your mind wonder back in time.
Miracles, Protection From Nature Elements, Local Tales, Myths And Legends
Biblical Stories In Art Through Time
Travel of Apostles and Saints
Religious Festivals