History

The history of Casa Santa Sofia and the adjacent Church of the Saints Sergius and Bacchus is closely connected with the development of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) in Rome.

Buildings of the Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus and Casa Santa Sofia on Della Madonna dei Monti

After the signing of the Union of Beresta in 1596, when the Kyiv Metropolis of the Orthodox Church merged with the Roman Holy See, she needed to create her own office at the Vatican. Responding to the requests of Ukrainian bishops, Pope Urban VIII in 1641 donated the Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus and the building adjacent to it – the patriarchal house (Casa Santa Sofia building) – on the Piazza della Madonna dei Monti Kyiv Metropolitans.

Pope Urban VIII

During the 20th century, the owners and owners of the patriarchal house changed several times. And only thanks to the efforts of the Patriarch of the UGCC and Cardinal Josyf Slipyj (1892-1984), who after the Siberian exile launched active work in Rome, from 1970 the building of the church and the patriarchal house returned to the property of the UGCC.

Patriarch of the UGCC and Cardinal Josyf Slipyj

This is evidenced by the inscription above the central entrance to the Casa Santa Sofia ("Returned the property of the temple and courtyard and restored Cardinal Josyf I PA 1969 - 1973”).

Also, with the assistance of Josyf Slipyj, a Greek-Catholic Basilica di Santa Sofia was erected in Rome on the basis of plans for the initial construction of the 11th century homonymous cathedral in Kyiv (Ukraine).

Basilica di Santa Sofia

The same name was given to the modern property – Santa Sofia.

In 1971, Patriarch Josyf Slipyj invited the sisters of St. Anna’s catechism and instructed them to make a guest house for UGCC pilgrims in the Patriarch’s house on Della Madonna dei Monti Square.

From 2018, the professional international company ArtBuild Hotel Management took over the management of the property.