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69-594: The shrine is known for housing relics belonging to Helena , mother of Emperor Constantine , various minor relics from the Holy Sepulchre , both the pontifically crowned images of Nostra Signora di Mano di Oro di Aracoeli (1636) on the high altar and the Santo Bambino of Aracoeli (1897). It is also famous for the exquisite Pinturicchio frescos in the Bufalini Chapel on the right hand side of

138-409: A common-law marriage , a cohabitation recognized in fact but not in law. Others, like Timothy Barnes, assert that Constantius and Helena were joined in an official marriage, on the grounds that the sources claiming an official marriage are more reliable. Helena gave birth to the future emperor Constantine I on 27 February of an uncertain year soon after 270 (probably around 272). At the time, she

207-652: A lytell crosse made of the holy crosse ... " In an ecumenical gesture, these relics visited the Orthodox Church of Greece and were displayed in the church of Agia Varvara (Saint Barbara) in Athens from 14 May to 15 June 2017. In Great Britain, later legend, mentioned by Henry of Huntingdon but made popular by Geoffrey of Monmouth , claimed that Helena was a daughter of the King of Britain , Cole of Colchester , who allied with Constantius to avoid more war between

276-480: A mosaic in the tympanum of the main door, one of three doors that were later additions. The gothic window is the primary detail that tourists observe from the bottom of the stairs; it is the only authentically Gothic detail of the basilica. The basilica is built as a nave and two aisles that are divided by Roman columns, which were taken from diverse antique monuments and are all different. Among its numerous treasures are Pinturicchio 's 15th-century frescoes depicting

345-636: A popular tradition that Helena was a British princess and the daughter of " Old King Cole " from the area of Colchester . This led to the later dedication of 135 churches in England to her, many in around the area of Yorkshire , and revived as a suggestion in the 20th century in the novel by Evelyn Waugh . It is unknown where she first met Constantius . The historian Timothy Barnes has suggested that Constantius , while serving under Emperor Aurelian , could have met her while stationed in Asia Minor for

414-569: A spot which has been accounted holy from the beginning in God's judgment, but which now appears holier still, since it has brought to light a clear assurance of our Saviour's passion. Sozomen and Theodoret claim that Helena also found the nails of the crucifixion . To use their miraculous power to aid her son, Helena allegedly had one placed in Constantine's helmet, and another in the bridle of his horse. According to one tradition, Helena acquired

483-467: A test. Possibly through Bishop Macarius of Jerusalem , she had a woman who was near death brought from the city. When the woman touched the first and second crosses, her condition did not change, but when she touched the third and final cross she suddenly recovered, and Helena declared the cross with which the woman had been touched to be the True Cross . On the site of discovery, Constantine ordered

552-800: Is also commemorated every Bright Wednesday along with the saints from Mount Sinai , by the Russian Orthodox Church and the Orthodox Church in America . Her alleged skull is displayed in the east crypt of the Cathedral of Trier , in Germany . Portions of her relics are found at the basilica of Santa Maria in Ara Coeli in Rome , the Église Saint-Leu-Saint-Gilles in Paris , and at

621-486: Is also held by the Filipino community of Jersey City, New Jersey . In medieval legend and chivalric romance , Helena appears as a persecuted heroine, in the vein of such women as Emaré and Constance ; separated from her husband, she lives a quiet life, supporting herself on her embroidery, until such time as her son's charm and grace wins her husband's attention and so the revelation of their identities. Helena

690-418: Is also unknown. The sources are equivocal on the point, sometimes calling Helena Constantius' "wife", and sometimes, following the dismissive propaganda of Constantine's rival Maxentius , calling her his " concubine ". Jerome , perhaps confused by the vague terminology of his own sources, manages to do both. Some scholars, such as the historian Jan Drijvers, assert that Constantius and Helena were joined in

759-749: Is considered by the Eastern Orthodox , Oriental Orthodox , Eastern and Roman Catholic churches, as well as by the Anglican Communion and Lutheran Churches , as a saint. She is sometimes known as Helen of Constantinople to distinguish her from others with similar names . Her feast day as a saint of the Eastern Orthodox Church is celebrated with her son on 21 May, the "Feast of the Holy Great Sovereigns Constantine and Helena, Equal to

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828-553: Is the altar of the son of God): hence the name Ara Coeli. During the Middle Ages, this church became the centre of the religious and civil life of the city. It was here in 1341 that Petrarch was proclaimed Poet laureate . During the republican experience of the 14th century, when self-proclaimed Tribune and reviver of the Roman Republic Cola di Rienzo inaugurated the monumental stairway of 124 steps in front of

897-482: Is the king of jews" to mock his powerlessness. This inspired buildings as early as the arch of Constantine and old Saint Peters basilica which featured an engraving a Christ with a poem inscribed in second person perspective, an essential feature of later tympanum inscriptions. Early reliquaries and pilgrimage churches employed this convention, such as the Shrine of Saint Martin at Tours which in 558 installed engravings of

966-425: Is the protagonist of Evelyn Waugh 's 1950 novel Helena . She is also the main character of Priestess of Avalon (2000), a fantasy novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley and Diana L. Paxson . She is given the name Eilan and depicted as a trained priestess of Avalon . Helena is also the protagonist of Louis de Wohl 's novel The Living Wood (1947) in which she is again the daughter of King Coel of Colchester. In

1035-632: The Abbaye Saint-Pierre d'Hautvillers . The church of Sant'Elena in Venice claims to have the complete body of the saint enshrined under the main altar. In 1517, the English priest, Richard Torkington, having seen the relics during a visit to Venice described them as follows: " She lith in a ffayr place of religion, of white monks, ye may see her face perfythly, her body ys covered with a cloth of whith sylke ... Also there lyes upon her breast

1104-659: The Holy Tunic on her trip to Jerusalem and sent it to Trier . Several relics purportedly discovered by Helena are now in Cyprus , where she spent some time. Among them are items believed to be part of Jesus Christ's tunic, pieces of the holy cross, and pieces of the rope with which Jesus was tied on the Cross. The rope, considered to be the only relic of its kind, has been held at the Stavrovouni Monastery , which

1173-716: The Mount of Olives ; sites of Christ's birth and ascension, respectively. Local founding legend attributes to Helena's orders the construction of a church in Egypt to identify the Burning Bush of Sinai. The chapel at Saint Catherine's Monastery —often referred to as the Chapel of Saint Helen—is dated to the year 330. Jerusalem was still being rebuilt following the destruction caused by Titus in AD 70. Emperor Hadrian had built during

1242-597: The True Cross . The Eastern Orthodox Church , Catholic Church , Oriental Orthodox Churches , Anglican Communion , and the Lutheran Church revere her as a saint . Helena was Greek , however, her birthplace is not known with certainty. Helenopolis , then Drepanum, in Bithynia is, following Procopius , "generally assumed" to be the place. Her name is attested on coins as Flavia Helena, Flavia Julia Helena and sometimes Aelena. Joseph Vogt suggested that

1311-580: The nave from the aisles are supported on columns, no two precisely alike, scavenged from Roman ruins. Originally the church was named Sancta Maria in Capitolio , since it was sited on the Capitoline Hill (Campidoglio, in Italian ) of Ancient Rome; by the 14th century it had been renamed. A medieval legend included in the mid-12th-century guide to Rome , Mirabilia Urbis Romae , claimed that

1380-420: The 130s a temple to Venus over the supposed site of Jesus ' tomb near Calvary , and renamed the city Aelia Capitolina . Accounts differ concerning whether the temple was dedicated to Venus or Jupiter. According to Eusebius, "[t]here was a temple of Venus on the spot. This the queen (Helena) had destroyed." According to tradition, Helena ordered the temple torn down and, according to the legend that arose at

1449-417: The 15th century, the town's coat of arms has shown a representation of the True Cross and three crowned nails in her honour. Colchester Town Hall has a Victorian statue of the saint on top of its 50-metre-high (160 ft) tower. The arms of Nottingham are almost identical because of the city's connection with Cole, her supposed father. Flores de Mayo honors her and her son Constantine for finding

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1518-588: The 2021 novel Eagle Ascending by Dan Whitfield she is depicted as having lived to age 118 as result of the powers of the True Cross. Tympanum (architecture) A tympanum ( pl. : tympana ; from Greek and Latin words meaning "drum") is the semi-circular or triangular decorative wall surface over an entrance, door or window, which is bounded by a lintel and an arch . It often contains pedimental sculpture or other imagery or ornaments. Many architectural styles include this element. Alternatively,

1587-875: The Apostles ". Her feast day in the Roman Catholic Church and in Antiochian Western Rite Vicariate falls on 18 August. Her feast day in the Coptic Orthodox Church is on 9 Pashons . Some Anglican and Lutheran churches keep the 21 May date. Helena is honored in the Church of England on 21 May but in the Episcopal Church on 22 May . In the Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Churches ,

1656-470: The Baptistry of St. Jean at Poitiers created in the 6th through 7th century CE defined Merovingian architecture. The form became abstracted in this period, replacing sculptures with geometric engravings and mosaics, and using small alternating curved and triangular pediments above windows on churches such as St. Generoux from the 9th or 10th century. This transformation continued throughout the later parts of

1725-651: The Britons and Rome. Geoffrey further states that she was brought up in the manner of a queen, as she had no brothers to inherit the throne of Britain. The source for this may have been Sozomen's Historia Ecclesiastica , which, however, does not claim Helena was British but only that her son Constantine picked up his Christianity there. Constantine was with his father when he died in York , but neither had spent much time in Britain. The statement made by English chroniclers of

1794-460: The Conques tympanum is far more detailed in its figures and scenes in a way reminiscent of Roman reliefs. This work was meant to be horrifying to the people who passed under it, on the right demons torture the souls of the damned, sinners are fed to grotesque monsters, and people are crammed into small spaces as they await their judgment. Contrasting this is Christ in the middle and the saved souls on

1863-486: The Coucy Doujon tympanum was carved between 1225 and 1230 and is evidence that tympanums were used in secular settings as well. The large tympanum was positioned above the door to the largest tower, as a way to tell anyone entering the building a message. The message for this particular tympanum is relatively unknown, featuring a figure likely from Coucy family history fighting a lion. Lions had many symbolic meanings in

1932-569: The Empire, but is not epigraphically attested in inscriptions of Bithynia (Helena's proposed region of origin) and it was also common in Latin-speaking areas. Procopius lived much later than the era he was describing and his description may have been actually intended as an etymological explanation about the toponym Helenopolis . On the other hand, her son Constantine renamed the city " Helenopolis " after her death around AD 330, which supports

2001-524: The French legacy of architectural innovation while also appearing on churches across Europe. The tympanum above the west portal of the Sainte-Foy church in Conques is possibly the most famous tympanum; carved in the early 1100s it is emblematic of the style, purpose and culture of Romanesque tympanums. This tympanum depicts the last judgement, which was the subject of a large portion of tympanums, however,

2070-613: The Golden Hands), a Byzantine icon of the 10-11th century, in the altar . This Marian image was Pontifically crowned on 29 March 1636 by Pope Urban VIII . Pope Pius XII consecrated the people of Rome to the Most Blessed Virgin Mary and her Immaculate Heart in front of this image on 30 May 1948. In the transept there is a sepulchral monument by Arnolfo di Cambio . The church was also famous in Rome for

2139-562: The Great . She was born in the lower classes traditionally in the city of Drepanon, Bithynia , in Asia Minor , which was renamed Helenopolis in her honor, although several locations have been proposed for her birthplace and origin. Helena ranks as an important figure in the history of Christianity . In her final years, she made a religious tour of Syria Palaestina and Jerusalem , during which ancient tradition claims that she discovered

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2208-610: The Holy Name of Jesus . [REDACTED] Media related to Santa Maria in Aracoeli (Rome) at Wikimedia Commons Helena (empress) Flavia Julia Helena ( / ˈ h ɛ l ə n ə / ; ‹See Tfd› Greek : Ἑλένη , Helénē ; c. AD 246/248–330), also known as Helena of Constantinople and in Christianity as Saint Helena , was an  Augusta of the  Roman Empire and mother of Emperor Constantine

2277-498: The Middle Ages, according to which Helena was supposed to have been the daughter of a British prince, is entirely without historical foundation. It may arise from the similarly named Welsh princess Saint Elen (alleged to have married Magnus Maximus and to have borne a son named Constantine) or from the misinterpretation of a term used in the fourth chapter of the panegyric on Constantine's marriage with Fausta. The description of Constantine honoring Britain oriendo ( lit.  "from

2346-600: The True Cross with a parade with floral and fluvial themed parade showcasing her, Constantine and other people who followed her journey to find the True Cross. Her discovery of the Cross along with Constantine is dramatised in the Santacruzan , a ritual pageant in the Philippines . Held in May (when Roodmas was once celebrated), the procession also bears elements of the month's Marian devotions . A Santacruzan procession

2415-575: The belief that the city was indeed her birthplace. The Byzantinist Cyril Mango has, however, argued that Helenopolis was refounded to strengthen the communication network around Constantine's new capital in Constantinople , and was renamed simply to honor Helena, not to necessarily mark her birthplace. There was also a Helenopolis in Palestine and a Helenopolis in Lydia . These cities, and

2484-573: The building of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre . Churches were also built on other sites detected by Helena. The "Letter From Constantine to Macarius of Jerusalem", as presented in Eusebius' Life of Constantine , states: Such is our Saviour's grace, that no power of language seems adequate to describe the wondrous circumstance to which I am about to refer. For, that the monument of his [Christ's] most holy Passion, so long ago buried beneath

2553-466: The campaign against Zenobia . It is said that upon meeting they were wearing identical silver bracelets; Constantius saw her as his divinely-sent soulmate. Barnes calls attention to an epitaph at Nicomedia of one of Aurelian's protectors, which could indicate the emperor's presence in the Bithynian region soon after AD 270. The precise legal nature of the relationship between Helena and Constantius

2622-611: The church was built over an Augustan Ara primogeniti Dei , in the place where the Tiburtine Sibyl prophesied to Augustus the coming of the Christ . "For this reason the figures of Augustus and of the Tiburtine sibyl are painted on either side of the arch above the high altar". Its name originates from a legend according to which a sibyl predicted the coming of the son of God to Augustus by saying: "Haec est ara Filii Dei" (This

2691-524: The church, designed in 1348 by Simone Andreozzi, on the occasion of the Black Death . Condemned criminals were executed at the foot of the steps; there Cola di Rienzo met his death, near the spot where his statue commemorates him. In 1571, Santa Maria in Aracoeli hosted the celebrations honoring Marcantonio Colonna after the victorious Battle of Lepanto over the Turkish fleet. Marking this occasion,

2760-557: The compartmented ceiling was gilded and painted (finished 1575), to thank the Blessed Virgin for the victory. In 1797, during the French occupation and the Roman Republic , the basilica was deconsecrated and turned into a stable. It was almost demolished in the 1880s during the construction of the nearby Vittoriano . The original unfinished façade lost the mosaics and subsequent frescoes that originally decorated it, save

2829-399: The court of Diocletian at Nicomedia, where Constantine grew to be a member of the inner circle. Helena never remarried and lived for a time in obscurity, though close to her only son, who had a deep regard and affection for her. Constantine was proclaimed augustus (emperor) in 306 by Constantius' troops after the latter had died, and following his elevation his mother was brought back to

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2898-460: The early Middle Ages, gradually shifting into the large circular stained glass windows of the gothic era known as rose windows. Classical pediments more closely transformed into rose windows than tympanums, and when pedimental shapes reappeared over gothic and Romanesque portals, inspiration can be traced in other directions. According to the Gospel of Luke, above Jesus on the cross was written "this

2967-546: The eastern provinces in 327 to return to Rome, bringing with her large parts of the True Cross and other relics, which were then stored in her palace's private chapel, now the Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme , where they can be still seen today. This has been maintained by Cistercian monks in the monastery which has been attached to the church for centuries. Helena died around 330, with her son at her side. She

3036-484: The end of a gabled roof, in later imperial Rome the form was adjusted. Pediments started being placed above any doorway and curved instead of triangle shapes were introduced, ignoring structural value and instead using the now abstracted form purely for decoration. After the collapse of the Roman empire, regions with significant classical architecture quickly adopted and transformed the features. In France examples such as

3105-626: The end of the 4th century, chose a site to begin excavating, which led to the recovery of three different crosses. The legend is recounted in Ambrose , On the Death of Theodosius (died 395) and at length in Rufinus ' chapters appended to his translation into Latin of Eusebius's Ecclesiastical History , the main body of which does not mention the event. Then, Rufinus relates, the empress refused to be swayed by anything short of solid proof and performed

3174-492: The ever-rising Benedictine order changed rules on how churches should operate and appear. Architecturally the Romanesque era saw an increased appreciation for classical forms, coupled with an increase in church construction related to several factors including political turmoil and as thanks to god for not ending the world in the year 1000. Tympanums are one of the most prominent features of Romanesque architecture, building on

3243-480: The feast of Meskel , which commemorates her discovery of the cross, is celebrated on 17 Meskerem in the Ethiopian calendar (September 27, Gregorian calendar, or on 28 September in leap years). The holiday is usually celebrated with the lighting of a large bonfire , or Demera , based on the belief that she had a revelation in a dream. She was told that she should make a bonfire and that the smoke would show her where

3312-474: The first to call her a stabularia , a term translated as "stable-maid" or "inn-keeper". He makes this comment a virtue, calling Helena a bona stabularia , a "good stable-maid", probably to contrast her with the general suggestion of sexual laxness considered typical of that group. Other sources, especially those written after Constantine's proclamation as emperor, gloss over or ignore her background. Both Geoffrey of Monmouth and Henry of Huntingdon promoted

3381-448: The ground, should have remained unknown for so long a series of years, until its reappearance to his servants now set free through the removal of him who was the common enemy of all, is a fact which truly surpasses all admiration. I have no greater care than how I may best adorn with a splendid structure that sacred spot, which, under Divine direction, I have disencumbered as it were of the heavy weight of foul idol worship [the Roman temple];

3450-590: The imperial treasury in order to locate the relics of the Christian tradition . In AD 326–28 Helena undertook a trip to Palestine. According to Eusebius of Caesarea , who records the details of her pilgrimage to Palestine and other eastern provinces, and Socrates Scholasticus , she was responsible for the construction or beautification of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem , and the Church of Eleona on

3519-524: The left, serving as a reminder for pilgrims of why they made their journey. The imagery on this tympanum is primarily meant to remind the viewer of the power of gods judgement, part of many ways that tympanums through the era mentally prepare pilgrims for the experience of the church. There are many more subtle messages however, such as encouraging donations through depicting a miser character being damned, and even making comments about politics by showing Charlemagne bowing his head. Another example from France,

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3588-625: The life of Christ and the churches patron saint (Saint Martin). These engravings situated directly above the main entrances had poems inscribed directing visitors on how they should feel entering the church. This was quickly replicated in Carolingian era churches such as the abbey of Saint Gall in Switzerland, completing the decorative style of the tympanum. The Romanesque era (1000–1200) saw massive change in church architecture. Pilgrimage required churches to rethink layouts and symbolism and

3657-491: The life of Saint Bernardino of Siena in the Bufalini Chapel , the first chapel on the right. Other features are the wooden ceiling, the inlaid cosmatesque floor, a Transfiguration painted on wood by Girolamo Siciolante da Sermoneta , and works by other artists like Pietro Cavallini (of his frescoes only one survives), Benozzo Gozzoli , and Giulio Romano . It also houses the Madonna Aracoeli (Our Lady of

3726-443: The little church of San Biagio de Mercato and the underlying " Insula Romana ") - were discovered in the 1930s. At first the church followed the Greek rite, a sign of the power of the Byzantine exarch. Taken over by the papacy by the 9th century, the church was given first to the Benedictines , then, by papal bull to the Franciscans in 1249–1250; under the Franciscans it received its Romanesque - Gothic aspect. The arches that divide

3795-474: The name Helena was typical for the Greek-speaking part of the Roman Empire and that therefore her place of origin should be looked for in the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire. No Greek inscriptions have been attested dedicated to Helena during her lifetime. The 6th-century historian Procopius is the earliest authority for the statement that Helena was a native of Drepanum, in the province of Bithynia in Asia Minor . The name Helena appears in all areas of

3864-434: The outset", "from the beginning") may have been taken as an allusion to his birth ("from his beginning") although it was actually discussing the beginning of his reign. At least twenty-five holy wells currently exist in the United Kingdom dedicated to a Saint Helen. She is also the patron saint of Abingdon and Colchester . St Helen's Chapel in Colchester was believed to have been founded by Helena herself, and since

3933-426: The province of Helenopontus in the Pontus, were probably all named after Constantine's mother. Two other locations in France and the Pyrenees have been named after Helena. Equally uncertain to Drepanum and without strong documentation suggestions about her birthplace are: Naissus (central Balkans), Caphar or Edessa ( Mesopotamia ) and Trier . The bishop and historian Eusebius of Caesarea states that Helena

4002-463: The public life in 312, returning to the imperial court. She appears in the Eagle Cameo portraying Constantine's family, probably commemorating the birth of Constantine's son Constantine II in the summer of 316. She lived in the Horti Spei Veteris in Rome which she converted into an even more luxurious palace. According to Eusebius, Helena was converted to Christianity by Constantine. He appointed her as Augusta , and gave her unlimited access to

4071-431: The sacristy. At midnight Mass on Christmas Eve the image is brought out to a throne before the high altar and unveiled at the Gloria . Until Epiphany the bejeweled image resides in the Nativity crib in the left nave of the basilica. The relics of Helena , mother of Constantine the Great , are housed in the basilica, as is the tablet with the monogram of Jesus that Bernardino of Siena used to promote devotion to

4140-487: The time were sometimes blank but often contained statues of the gods and representations of geographic features, there are uncountable stories and messages in these inscriptions however the symbolism remained closely related to the philosophy and democracy associated with classical Greek city states. These themes continued when the Romans spread the style further into Europe, picking up an aspect of authoritarian symbolism in provinces captured by conquest. Originally serving as

4209-419: The true cross was buried. So she ordered the people of Jerusalem to bring wood and make a huge pile. After adding frankincense to it, the bonfire was lit and the smoke rose high up to the sky and returned to the ground, exactly to the spot where the Cross had been buried. Uncovering of the Precious Cross and the Precious Nails ( Roodmas ) by Empress Saint Helen in Jerusalem falls on 6 March . She

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4278-445: The tympanum may hold an inscription, or in modern times, a clock face. Tympanums are by definition inscriptions enclosed by a pediment, however the evolution of tympanums gives them more specific implications. Pediments first emerged in classical Greece 700-480 BCE, with early examples such as the pantheon remaining famous to this day. Pediments spread across the Hellenistic world with the rest of classical architecture. Inscriptions at

4347-479: The west doors. The church stands on the Arx , the northern of the two peaks of the Capitoline hill, at an elevation of c. 48 m above sea level. In antiquity, this was the site of the Temple of Juno Moneta , but no remains of the temple have been certainly identified, and its precise location is a subject of debate. The ancient walls discovered in the cellars beneath the church appear to belong chiefly to shops and houses, and some scholars have argued that temple itself

4416-444: The wooden statue of the Santo Bambino of Aracoeli , carved in the 15th century of olive wood from the Garden of Gethsemane and covered with valuable ex-votos . Many Romans believed in the spiritual efficacy of devotion to this statue. The French took the statue in 1797, it was then recovered, and then stolen again in February 1994. A copy was made from wood from Gethsemane , which copy is presently displayed in its own chapel near

4485-401: Was about 80 on her return from Palestine. Since that journey has been dated to 326–28, she was probably born around 246 to 249. Information about her social background universally suggests that she came from the lower classes. Fourth-century sources, following Eutropius ' Breviarium, record that she came from a humble background. Bishop Ambrose of Milan, writing in the late 4th century was

4554-426: Was also said to have been founded by Helena. According to tradition, Helena is responsible for the large population of cats in Cyprus . Local tradition holds that she imported hundreds of cats from Egypt or Palestine in the fourth century to rid a monastery of snakes. The monastery is today known as "St. Nicholas of the Cats" (Greek Άγιος Νικόλαος των Γατών ) and is located near Limassol . Helena left Jerusalem and

4623-405: Was buried in the Mausoleum of Helena , outside Rome on the Via Labicana . Her sarcophagus is on display in the Pio-Clementine Vatican Museum , next to the sarcophagus of her granddaughter Constantina (Saint Constance). However, in 1154 her remains were replaced in the sarcophagus with the remains of Pope Anastasius IV , and Helena's remains were moved to Santa Maria in Ara Coeli . Helena

4692-455: Was in Naissus ( Niš , Serbia ). In order to obtain a wife more consonant with his rising status, Constantius divorced Helena some time before 289, when he married Theodora , Maximian 's daughter under his command. The narrative sources date the marriage to 293, when Constantius was appointed caesar (heir-apparent) of Maximian, but the Latin panegyric of 289 refers to the new couple as already married. Helena and her son were dispatched to

4761-410: Was situated in the garden to the southeast of the church, where other walls of tufa and concrete are visible. The foundation of the church was laid on the site of a Byzantine abbey mentioned in 574. Many buildings were built around the first church; in the upper part they gave rise to a cloister, while on the slopes of the hill a little quarter and a market grew up. Remains of these buildings - such as

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