The building was constructed in 1913 by the engineer Aristide Leonori at the behest of Pope Pius X, as a solemn celebration of the 16th centenary of the Edict of Milan (313). The pontiff himself supported the construction costs, and the location chosen was where, according to tradition, the emperor Constantine I had the trumpets sounded to announce to the city the end of hostilities against the Christians. Construction work began on 17 October 1912, and the church was inaugurated on 29 December of the following year. However, it was only consecrated in 1918 by Monsignor Giuseppe Pallica, Archbishop of Philippi. In the meantime, on 19 March 1914, it was elevated to a parish with the apostolic constitution of Pius X Quod iam pridem and entrusted to the Stigmatine priests. In 1964, Paul VI elevated it to the rank of minor basilica. Finally, the basilica is the seat of the cardinalate of Santa Croce in Via Flaminia, established by Pope Paul VI on February 5, 1965. Among the church's furnishings is a modern reproduction, richly adorned with embroidery and jewels, of the ancient Constantinian Labarum, the military ensign on which Constantine placed the Sign of the Cross following his famous vision (In hoc signo vinces).
Father Emilio Recchia, parish priest from 1934 to 1965, and Father Cornelio Fabro, a distinguished philosopher, were illustrious figures in the parish's history.
The basilica is home to the Royal Deputation of the so-called Spanish branch of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George for Italy; the analogous institution of the French branch of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George is based in the church of San Giorgio in Velabro.
The church's façade is in the Romanesque basilica style. It is preceded by a portico with six granite columns with Ionic capitals. The entablature features a mosaic frieze with an inion commemorating the 16th centenary of the Edict of Milan: An. Chr. MCMXIII Pius X P.M. in memor. pacis a Constantino eccl. datae Cruci SS. DD. ab edicto a. MDC. The façade features a mosaic by Biagio Biagetti depicting three scenes: the Triumph of the Cross in the center, the Edict of Milan on the sides, and Constantine's Victory at the Milvian Bridge. Next to the church is the six-story bell tower, heavily inspired by that of the 12th-century Basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin. At its base is a marble statue of the Madonna in Prayer, a votive offering commemorating the area's narrow escape from a bombing raid in August 1943. The bell tower houses a set of six bells in A♭3, jammed in the Veronese style, the only church in Rome to have such a set.
Passing through a portico, three doors lead into the basilica, which has three naves divided by granite columns supporting arches; the ceiling is trussed. The counterfaçade features a canvas depicting the Battle of the Milvian Bridge, a copy of the fresco in the Hall of Constantine in the Vatican Museums. Halfway down the right nave is the baptistery, separated from the main body of the church. Designed by Carlo Stopponi in 1961, the octagonal baptistery features the Stations of the Cross, a mosaic by Biagio Biagetti (1942-46). The pulpit, created in the Cosmatesque style by Pio Leonori, brother of the architect Aristide, is located in the left nave.
The apse of the central nave is illuminated by five windows, three of which are stained glass windows by Giuseppe Moroni. They depict the Invention of the Cross by Saint Helena, the Redeemer before the Cross, and Emperor Heraclius carrying the cross on his shoulders. The high altar, located beneath a high ciborium of early Christian inspiration, is flanked by a gilded bronze cross containing relics. The fresco in the apse, also by Moroni, depicts the Last Judgement. In the apse's loggia is the Balbiani-Vegezzi Bossi pipe organ (1928), featuring 12 registers on two manuals and a pedal.
The chapels in the side aisles are also of considerable artistic value, containing works by the two Leonoris, Biagetti, Stopponi, Alessandro Delprato, Lorenzo Berlendis, and Antonio Achilli.
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Mass times
Mondays: 09.00, 18.30Tuesdays: 09.00, 18.30Wednesdays: 09.00, 18.30Thursdays: 09.00, 18.30Fridays: 09.00, 18.30Saturdays and public holidays: 19.00Sundays and public holidays: 09.00, 10.30, 12.00, 19.00
Mass times in July and August
Mondays: 09.00, 19.00Tuesdays: 09.00, 19.00Wednesdays: 09.00, 19.00Thursdays: 09.00, 19.00Fridays: 09.00, 19.00Saturdays and public holidays: 09.00, 19.00Sundays and public holidays: 09.00, 10.00, 19.00
12.00 noon Mass in July and August is suspended
Times may be subject to change, so please always contact the Church

Location
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