Sant’Igino Papa is a later 20th century parish church at Via Ernesto Rossi 44 in the Collatino quarter, in the suburb of Colli Aniene between the Via Tiburtina and the Strada dei Parchi. Pictures of the church at Wikimedia Commons are here.
The patron saint is Pope Hyginus in English. He was of the early 2nd century, and by tradition was eighth after St Peter.
History[]
The parish was set up in 1977. The permanent church was designed by the partnership of Carlo Bevilacqua and Anna Maria Feci, and opened in 1991.
Exterior[]
Layout and fabric[]
The church is a fairly low, flat-roofed building in white concrete on a basically square plan.
However, a three-storey trapezoidal range with a higher elevation and containing ancillary parish accommodation has been inserted symmetrically into the square of the plan to the left. This trapezoid has its longest side parallel to the church, and this forms the left hand side wall of the complex. This walls is appreciably longer than the corresponding side wall to the right, resulting in an acute angle poking out to the left of the façade and another one at the back.
The complex stands on a crypt.
The exterior walls, which are brilliant white, have a negative batter -they slope upwards and outwards. The effect is fascinating. They rise above the flat roof to provide a parapet for the latter. The back wall is mostly in glass below this.
The flat roof has a skylight strip along the major axis. It also has a little campanile sitting in the lower right hand quadrant, being an open cage of girders shaped as an inverted trapezoid on top of a cube.
Façade[]
The church stands back from the street, in a pleasant garden setting with mature trees. Because of the crypt, the entrance is elevated. The church frontage has a deep slot across its entire width, which comprises a loggia -the external wall provides a balustrade in the same way that it provides a parapet for the roof.
Bolted to the fascia above the loggia to the right is a large cross finial, comprising two metal girders with a square polychrome plate where they cross.
Access to the loggia is not by stairs, but by a pair of longitudinal ramps. The right hand one is longitudinal, but the left hand one is diagonal and hugs the protruding angle of the ancillary block that juts out here.
Within the loggia, the top of the actual church frontage has a window strip.
Interior[]
The rather small interior is rather plain. The interior walls are in fine pink brick, carefully laid, and the roof is in white with longitudinal wooden beams. It is supported by four concrete columns in dark grey.
The wall behind the high altar is entirely of stained glass, showing an abstract motif based on the Cross and dominated by light blue with yellow and red details. This feature dominates the interior, and gives it interest.
The sanctuary furnishings are high-quality, in smooth limestone, matched by the two-step platform on which the altar stands. Part of the set is a cylindrical tub font to the right.
On the right hand side wall is a very good set of Stations of the Cross, sculpted by Guido Sotriffer.
Access[]
The church is open daily from 7:00 to 12:00, and 16:30 to 20:00.
During Advent and Lent the morning opening is at 6:00.
Liturgy[]
Mass is celebrated, according to the Diocese (May 2018):
Weekdays 7:00 (not Saturdays, or in July and August), 8:30 (not Saturdays, or in July and August), 18:30;
Sundays and Solemnities 8:30, 10:00, 11:30 (not July and August).
There is Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament:
Sundays and Solemnities 18:30, with Vespers;
First Fridays, after the evening Mass.
Rosary is recited at 17:45 from Tuesday to Friday.
The Divine Office is celebrated:
Lauds is combined with the 8:30 Mass when celebrated, but is at 6:30 in Advent and Lent;
Vespers is combined with the 18:30 Mass, except on Saturdays.
External links[]
(The Italian Wikipedia page has been stupidly deleted by predatory editors.)
Parish website (not properly maintained, and lacks security.)