Sant'Anastasia is a church in the heart of ancient Rome. It sits at the western end of the Circus Maximus within an easy walk of the Tiber River further west, and the Roman Forum to the east. It is at the foot of the Palatine Hill, which gives it the appellation, "al Palatino". Founded in the early 300's, it was an important church in the early days of the church in Rome. In fact, for centuries Lent began here, with the Pope himself applying the ashes to the faithful. This practice stopped when the popes moved to France in the 1300's, and upon their return the practice had moved to Santa Sabina.
The church has been rebuilt and redecorated many times. The current iteration presents the visitor with a lovely white interior, with engaged ionic columns decorate the nave and a flat ceiling presents the visitor with an illusionistic painting popular in ceilings of the baroque period.
Surprisingly there is very little known about this church or its namesake Saint, Anastasia. There are no relics, nor is there a consistent story. Sadly, the church, like Anastasia, appears to be struggling for its current identity.
Nevertheless, the location of the church and its former prominence still hold sway, and is worth the detour as the visitor walks from the Forum to the Tiber in search of the Mouth of Truth.
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