The Lenten Station
On the Tuesday of the First Week of Lent, the Roman stational tradition brings the faithful to Sant’Anastasia al Palatino. This assignment places one of Rome’s oldest and continuously used churches at the center of early Lenten observance. The station underscores both penitential progression and historical continuity in the city’s liturgical life, moving from Ash Wednesday through the first days of the season.
Video Tour of Sant’Anastasia
Location and Naming
Sant’Anastasia stands near the Palatine Hill, in the rione Campitelli of central Rome. The church is officially known as Basilica di Sant’Anastasia al Palatino and functions as a titular minor basilica and parish church. Its appellation includes the Palatine reference to distinguish it from other churches of the same dedication in Rome. The dedication honors Saint Anastasia the Deliverer from Potters’ Field, a martyr venerated in early Christianity.
Early Origins
Sant’Anastasia is among the oldest Christian worship sites in Rome. Its origins trace back to the late 3rd or early 4th century, making it one of the earliest foundational churches that emerged as Christianity transitioned from persecution to legal public worship following the Edict of Milan. The church was originally established as a titulus — a house church associated with a Roman homeowner’s name; in this case, the name Anastasia appears to have been that of the original patron or donor.
This ancient lineage places Sant’Anastasia among the early network of Roman ecclesial sites that preceded the great basilicas erected in the Constantinian era. Over the centuries, the church was rebuilt and expanded, but its foundational identity remained tied to the early Christian community’s need for stable, public worship space after decades of suppression.
Medieval and Renaissance Rebuilding
Significant rebuilding took place in the 9th century, and again under Pope Nicholas IV (1288–1292), who oversaw important structural work. The medieval aspects of the present church reflect its continuous adaptation to liturgical and architectural needs. Renaissance interventions between the 15th and 16th centuries introduced additional artistic and structural features, illustrating how the church remained an active part of Rome’s ecclesiastical landscape.
Architectural Layout
Sant’Anastasia follows a basilican plan with a nave and side aisles separated by columns. The orientation and basic spatial logic reflect the deep roots of early Christian architectural practice in Rome. Later additions include chapels and ornamentation consistent with medieval and later Roman styles, but the church’s overall form retains the axial processionality typical of early basilicas.
Artistic and Devotional Features
Within Sant’Anastasia are multiple works of devotional and artistic interest. Among them is a venerated image of the Virgin Mary — the Madonna della Febbre — historically associated with prayers for healing and intercession. The presence of this Marian devotion highlights how the basilica functions not only as a station site for Lenten liturgy but also as a locus for ongoing popular piety among the faithful of the city.
Other interior features include chapels adorned with paintings and altarpieces from various periods, reflecting the evolving devotional focus of the parish and its patrons. Sculptural retrievals from earlier phases can be found incorporated into structural elements, underscoring the church’s multi-layered history.
Titular Status and Ecclesial Role
As a titular church, Sant’Anastasia is assigned to a cardinal-priest in the College of Cardinals, linking it institutionally to the broader governance of the Church. Its status as a minor basilica further emphasizes its liturgical and historical significance.
The Station Significance
On Tuesday of the First Week of Lent, the station at Sant’Anastasia anchors the Church’s penitential movement in a site that predates much of Christian Rome’s monumental architecture. In a church that was once a house of early believers and later expanded into a public basilica, the faithful are reminded that the Lenten call to conversion is rooted in the Church’s earliest struggles for worship, witness, and freedom.
The chains of history, structural layers, and devotional practices converge at Sant’Anastasia — a station church that connects Rome’s ancient Christian origins to the lived rhythm of the Lenten season.
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The full Lenten itinerary can be found here at the sticky post with links to every video tour of the Roman Station Churches available at Crux Stationalis.
I propose two works for your Lenten meditations and beyond Lent to concentrate your prayer on the Passion of Christ and his Love for you in His Passion: 31 Days of Meditations on the Passion written by a Passionist Father and Flowers of the Passion by St. Paul of the Cross.
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