S. Croce in Gerusalemme in Rom 22 - 1828

Friedrich Maximilian Hessemer made this pencil drawing of S. Croce in Gerusalemme in Rome. The basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, or Holy Cross in Jerusalem, had a public role in Rome as one of the seven pilgrimage churches of the city. Its dedication to Jerusalem signaled its importance in the geography of the Catholic world, not just the secular one. The drawing depicts the church's architectural features, the bell tower, and the facade, and, crucially, its place within a landscape. A figure in the foreground seems to be making their way to the basilica on foot. Hessemer may have been interested in the social structures of his own time. We know that the growth of secular pilgrimage and tourism was on the rise in the 19th century, often connected to nationalist sentiment. Art historians look at all kinds of sources to understand art in its period. Travel guides, letters, and popular engravings can reveal a lot about the meaning of a place like S. Croce in Gerusalemme and its broader social context.