History
Its construction date is uncertain, though it is assumed to have been in the reign of pope Hadrian I (772-795). It was definitely in existence at the time of pope St. Paschal I (817-824), who added an apsidal mosaic (lost in the 1607 rebuild) of himself with a model of the church. Under Paschal II (1099-1118) the painters Gregorius and Petrolinus were employed to work on the church's apsidal decoration. A new bell-tower (not visible from the street) was built in 1160, and still survives.
In 1563 it was assigned by pope Pius IV (1559-1565) to the Sylvestrine Fathers, by whom it is still run, and they soon carried out a minor restoration. Other restorations and renovations occurred in 1607 (gutting the apse), c.1640 (giving the church its current baroque appearance, with a simple 2 storey façade, probably by Antonio Canziani), 1725, 1857 and 2007 (interior). In 1940, the church was threatened with demolition by the expansion of the central police-station in the neighbouring former monastery of Santa Marta, though this was averted. The interior of the church is at present undergoing another comprehensive restoration.
Paolo Maruscelli (1594-1649) designed the church's travertine portal, flanked by pilasters and surmounted by a triangular pediment, and the plate above it reads: D. STEPH. PROT. CONG. MONAC. / SILVESTRINORVM. The façade's second order includes a window crowned with a segmented pediment and flanking pilasters, and right at the top is a triangular pediment with a small window, a rare feature in Roman churches.
Read more about this topic: Santo Stefano Del Cacco
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