Santi Leonardo e Romualdo was a 16th century Camaldolese monastery church, now demolished, that used to stand on the east side of Via della Lungara, opposite the Palazzo Salviati in the rione Trastevere.
The dedication was to St Leonard of Noblac, a French hermit near Orleans. There was a subsidiary dedication to St Romuald.
Name[]
There are various versions of the name in the sources: Santi Leonardo e Romualdo, San Leonardo alla Lungara, San Leonardo in Settignano, San Leonardo de Ponte Grandinato, San Leonardo de Monte Grandinato.
History[]
This seems to have been an ancient church, but the first documentary reference is to Pope Innocent III (1198-1216) granting it to the Chapter of St Peter's.
It was granted in turn to the Hermits of Camaldoli of the Monte Corona reform by Gregory XIII (1572-85). They rebuilt it, and established a hospice next to it which was used as the base in Rome for the congregation. The architect was Ludovico Gregoriani.
Unusually, this church was demolished on the orders of the Papal government in the mid 19th century. This took place in 1863 in order to make room for the approach to an iron bridge that was erected across the river here. This in turn was replaced by the present bridge in 1942. The site of the monastery was covered by the Lungotevere Gianicolense, which was finished here in 1887.
The congregation survives, and should be distinguished from the Camaldolese Benedictine Congregation of Camaldoli. Monte Corona monks are not Benedictines.
Location[]
The site is now entirely below the Lungotevere roadway. It is directly opposite the entrance into the Palazzo Salviati complex on the Via della Lungara, and the retaining wall marks the line of the façade.
Appearance[]
This was a small church but, according to Vasi in the 18th century, the interior decoration was magnificent. It had a simple rectangular plan with a tiny apse, and was architecturally part of the edifice of the very small monastery. Despite its size, it had an octagonal dome over the presbyterium with a tall drum and a tiled saucer of eight pitches. There was a tall central lantern.
The monastery perched, rather precariously, right on the bank of the river here and the water reached the church's shallow rectangular apse.
The main altar had an altarpiece by Ercole Orfeo da Fano showing Our Lady with SS Leonard and Romuald. It was commissioned by the monks when they rebuilt the church.