Rome was lost. Citizens were dying. This was 1522 and not the black death of 1348, Nevertheless the cultural memory must have been present. Adrian VI, Pope at the time, recalled a miracle of only a few years prior. In 1519 church of San Marcello burned. Miraculously the crucifix was spared. The pope carried this miracle of survival through the streets and districts of Rome. Miracle, clearly, begat miracle, and the citizens and the city were saved.
Five hundred years later, Pope Francis looked out upon a city whose citizens were dying. This was 2020 and not the plague of 1522, nevertheless the coronavirus was threatening the lives of all citizens. The crucifix was brought to the front of St. Peter's, and there, in the presence of this crucifix, the Pope delivered an Urbi et Orbi blessing; a blessing for the City and the World.
The miraculous crucifix is from the church of The Chiesa di San Marcello al Corseo, which is found along the Via del Corso. This two lane road in Rome leads off the Piazza Venezia, directly in front of the Victor Emmanuel II National Monument (The Wedding Cake). The Piazza Venezia is arguably the busiest square in Rome, and the Via del Corso runs in a direct line from the Piazza Venezia to the Piazza del Populo. Although not a particularly wide street, it is one of the few straight streets in the heart of the city. As you walk down the street you will pass fine clothing stores, the Galleria, and the Palazzo Chigi, the residence of the Prime Minister of Italy.
Early in your trip, however, you will come across the beautiful facade of the Chiesa de San Marcello al Corso, set off from the street by a small piazza. The curves of the facade betray its baroque dates (1682-1686). The church, however, is named after Pope Marcellus who died in AD 309. But it is the miracle associated with its burning in the Renaissance that adds to its fascination, especially in the current climate of the pandemic. Take the time to step in and consider the beautiful church and the miracle of the crucifix.
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