This had been the site of the large home of
Lucius Fabius Cilo, a wealthy Roman of the late second century. It had been a gift to him from
Septimius Severus, and is marked on the
Forma Urbis Romae. Christian ownership resulted in substantial renovation in around 370: walls were heightened and the internal layout was modified along the lines of today's church. The original title of this church is uncertain. It has been suggested it was known as
titulus Tigridae, referring perhaps to an early sponsor or founder. It has been handed down that when the
Emperor Constantine departed to found the city that became
Constantinople, he bade farewell to
Pope Sylvester I at this church. In the eighth century, the basilica was consecrated by
Pope Gregory III to the entirely mythical
St Balbina, whose legend has her dying around 130 CE. The building underwent many revisions, including under
Pope Paul II in 1464, and under
Cardinal Pompeo Arrigoni in 1600. Initially affiliated with the
Augustinians, the church came into the charge of secular priests of
Naples during
Pope Innocent XII's time. The adjoining monastery has a commanding medieval defence tower. Inside the basilica there is a very fine episcopal chair with
Cosmatesque decoration from the 13th century. The church was heavily restored in the 1930s. An ancient sarcophagus was discovered during the restoration. It is now used as a font. Frescoes were discovered on the side walls from the 9th to 14th centuries. The Baroque frescoes in the apse and the triumphal arch were painted by
Anastasio Fontebuoni in 1599. The triumphal arch is decorated with the figures of Sts Paul and Peter. In the apse the mythical St Balbina is depicted between martyrs. Previous titulars include
Alfonso de la Cueva, marqués de Bedmar and
Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros. It was at this church in 1875 that the
Franciscan priest
Simpliciano of the Nativity founded the
Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart. ==Hungarian connection==