supposed to be formed from the remains of
NERO'S MEAT-MARKET.
A coin representing this market agrees with the architecture of the church. "Then Nero celebrated a feast by way of thanksgiving for his preservation, and dedicated the market-place where meat is sold" (Dion Cassius).
The church is open all day on the 26th of December, being the saint's day. On other days, ring the bell at the door on the right. It is 133 feet in diameter. The outer circle consists of thirty-six columns, and the inner of twenty. There was originally another outer circle: this was destroyed, and the space between the columns of the second circle, present outer, filled in to make the walls of the church. In the centre two Corinthian columns support a cross wall. The tabernacle contains the relics of S. Stephen. The frescoes by Pomarancio on the walls, representing martyrdoms, are simply disgusting. In the vestibule is an ancient episcopal chair, from which S. Gregory read his fourth homily.
Left from the church, and left again, we enter the Piazza di Navicella.
In the piazza is a small marble ship, placed here by Leo X., near where it was found, this place having been the camp of the sailors. The church opposite is that of
S. MARIA DELLA NAVICELLA,
or S. Maria in Dominica, only open on the second Sunday in Lent. It was restored by Leo X. from designs by Raphael. The Doric portico is by Michael Angelo. It has eighteen fine columns of gray granite. The mosaics in the tribune are of the ninth century. The frieze over the windows of the nave is by Giulio Romano and Pierino.
To the right of the church are remains of the Monastery of