Via dei Pettinari takes its name from the fact that at one point in history, the street was lined with the shops of the “pettinari”, or those who sold ivory and ebony combs for use in hair, or to comb silk.

The Basilica di Sant’Eustachio is on Piazza di Sant’Eustachio.  According to legend, the church sits on the spot where the house of a Roman officer, Placidus, once stood.  He was out hunting one day, when he spotted a stag that had an image of Christ between his antlers.  He immediately converted to Christianity, and his home became a place of devotion.  A church was eventually built on the spot, and the building, we see today, was constructed in the 1700s.

A funeral slab marks the spot where the poet, Filippo Chiappini, is buried, in the atrium of the basilica.

Nearby, you will find the funeral slab of Valentino Palladoro, a carrier soldier, who was decorated with the Iron Crown.

The high altar dates from 1739, and is the work of Nicola Salvi.  Under the altar, there lie the relics of Sant’Eustachio, and his family.

The canopy, over the high altar, is the work of Ferdinando Fuga.

 

Next up: More of beautiful Rome, as we explore the area around the Pantheon!

 

Note: This blog is written in English, and the author takes no responsibility for the quality of any translation that may appear.  If you have enjoyed this post, please, check out our archives for more posts from Rome, as well as other Italian destinations.  Grazie!