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_