The story of Saint Cecilia, from her conversion to where she is today, is one of the most touching in terms of her as an individual and most interesting for the development of churches in Rome.
The story of Cecilia begins in the reign of the emperor, Septimius Severus (AD 193-211). Cecilia was a young woman of faith who was engaged to a Roman, Valerius. On their wedding day she converted him to Christianity, and he, subsequently, converted his brothers. This did not sit well with the Roman officials and they ordered her and the family to be put to death. At first they tried to drown her, and, when that did not bring about her death it was ordered that she was to executed by beheading. Three times the executioner tried to remove her head, and three times the axe only produced wounds. Finally, she was permitted to leave. She lived for three days bearing the wounds of her attempted execution. She died and was placed in the catacombs of Callixtus.
In the early 9th century, seven hundred years later, Pope Paschal I (pope, AD 817-824) knew of Saint Cecilia and she told him in a dream where to find her remains. This was a moment of dramatic change in the church and the history of relics in Rome. Pope Paschal translated her relics from the catacombs outside of Rome to the church her built dedicated to her inside the city. Up to this point, worship of the saints had taken place outside of the city walls, either at the burial site of the saint or in the churches outside of the city. Consider the churches we have encountered or that you may be familiar with that are referred to as "Outside the Walls". At the time of Pope Paschal I very few relics were revered inside the city.
The mosaic in the apse of the church shows St. Cecilia, her husband, St. Valerius, and Pope Paschal I, who presents us with a square halo, signifying that he is alive.
The miraculous story of St. Cecilia continues in the last year of the 16th century, when, in 1599, renovations were done on the church. The sarcophagus bearing the remains of St. Cecilia was discovered and opened in the presence of the cardinal of the church. Her body was intact, and covered with a light veil. The sculptor Stefano Moderno was summoned to document this moment, and it is his sculpture that you see below the altar.
The likeness of St. Cecilia is carved in the baroque style; Moderno was a contemporary of Gian Lorenzo Bernini, and the work wonderfully presents the style of the day. St. Cecilia lies on her side, covered in a delicate fabric. Her head appears twisted, her face turned from the viewer. The burial veil covering her face has slipped, and visible are the wounds of her attempted execution. We can clearly see the giant cut on her neck. There is an inscription that testifies that the marble image reflects the exact position and state of the body as she was found.
I accept the story for what it is. The story of St. Cecliia, and the sculpture, and the beautiful setting of the structure of Santa Cecilia makes for an amazing experience.
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