About The Basilica of Saint John of the Florentines (San Giovanni dei Fiorentini):
Dedicated to St. John the Baptist, the protector of Florence, this church for the Florentine community in Rome was started in the 16th century and completed in the early 18th, and is the national church of Florence in Rome. Interestingly, St. Philip Neri was its rector for more than a decade before founding his society of priests, the Oratorians.
It is notable for the tomb of the famous sculptor, Francesco Borromini, who is buried under the dome.
The church also holds a relic of Saint Mary Magdeline: a portion of her foot (bone fragments) which rest in a silver foot-shaped reliquary. Mary Magdalene’s body passed through Rome on the journey to her shrine in Maximin la Sainte Baume, France, and bone fragments from her foot were given to the pope.
The relics, from the foot that first entered Christ’s empty tomb, were placed for veneration in a chapel that preceded the Basilica here. Once the Basilica was constructed they were put on display for veneration and are still there today.
Finding The Basilica of Saint John of the Florentines (San Giovanni dei Fiorentini):
The Basilica is located in the Rione Ponte neighborhood of Rome…the ponte referring to the nearby Caste Sant Angelo. It is close to the Tiber, and not very far from Vatican City (a little less than a mile walking distance).
Address: via Acciaioli, 2 00186, Roma
Tel: +39 06 68892059
