San Giuliano dei Fiamminghi
The Church of St. Julian of the Flemings is a Roman Catholic church dedicated to Saint Julian the Hospitaller, located in Rome, Italy. Historically, the church has been the National Church in Rome of the Southern Netherlands and, in 1830, became the national church of the Kingdom of Belgium.
Entrance of the Church of St. Julian of the Flemings, National Church in Rome of Belgium.
Entrance of the Church.
Monument Funeraire de la Comtesse de Celles
National churches in Rome
Charitable institutions attached to churches in Rome were founded right through the medieval period and included hospitals, hostels, and others providing assistance to pilgrims to Rome from a certain "nation", which thus became these nations' national churches in Rome. These institutions were generally organized as confraternities and funded through charity and legacies from rich benefactors belonging to that "nation". Often, they were also connected to national scholæ, where the clergymen of that nation were trained. The churches and their riches were a sign of the importance of their nation and of the prelates that supported them. Up to 1870 and Italian unification, these national churches also included churches of the Italian states.
Door of San Giuliano dei Fiamminghi: Arms of Pope Benedict XVI and arms of titular bishop (Jan Pieter Schotte) on the left, arms of Belgium on the right, marking it as the Belgian national church.