Location and Name

The Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme is located in the south-east of Rome, in the Esquilino district. Originally part of an imperial palace complex, the building was converted into a church under Emperor Constantine the Great in the 4^th century AD. 

The Latin part of its name, ‘in Hierusalem’, refers to the fact that its floor is said to have been covered with soil from Jerusalem, which is why the basilica is considered to be part of the Holy Land. It houses the relics of the True Cross, which, according to Christian tradition, were brought to Rome from the Holy Land by Constantine's mother Helena of Constantinople in 325.

Relics of the Cross

The relics of the Cross are now kept in the Cappella delle Reliquie. They include a piece of the cross of Jesus Christ, two thorns from the Crown of Jesus, a Holy Nail from the Cross, half of the wooden tablet bearing the title ‘INRI‘, fragments of the Grotto of the Nativity and the Holy Sepulchre, part of the cross of the ‘good thief’ who was crucified alongside Jesus, and the index finger of the Apostle Thomas. However, only the piece of the Cross and the Holy Nail are said to have been brought to Rome by Helena. 

Architecture

Over the centuries, Santa Croce in Gerusalemme has been rebuilt several times. In the 18^th century, Pope Benedict XIV commissioned extensive restoration work, which gave the church its current Baroque appearance. The distinctive façade was designed by architects Pietro Passalacqua and Domenico Gregorini.