The Right Transept
The Right Transept
| This big and luminous transept is known as the "Transept
of Saints Processus and Martinian" two Roman martyrs who were the warders
of St. Peter in the Mamertine prison and whom he converted and baptized.
Their relics are kept in the porphyry urn under the altar. On either side are two columns of antique yellow marble which, along with those of the altar of St. Joseph are believed to be unique. The mosaic above the altar depicts the cruel martyrdom of the saints, who were killed before their parents' eyes while an angel hands over the palm of martyrdom. The mosaic is a fme reproduction of a painting by the French artist Jean de Boulogne (1640). On the left of the altar is a mosaic portrayal of the martyrdom of St. Erasmus, the bishop who was killed at Formia during the persecution of Diocletian (303-313). The altar on the right is dedicated to St. Wenceslas, king and patron saint of Bohemia, martyred because of his Christian faith. The painting by Angelo Caroselli was done in 1740. The ovals on the right and left depict saints Cyril and Methodius, joint patrons of Europe. According to Pope Pius XI they were sons of the Orient, Byzantine by birth, Greek by nationality, Roman by mission, Slav by apostolate and did everything for everyone to achieve the unity of the Catholic church. The large transept has a history of its own: the sessions
of the First Vatican Council were held here from 8
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