Daily Updates
Week Seven: Nov. 5
05 November. Ariel reporting: On our last class day in Rome, we smoothly slid into the early Christian world from our pagan studies. We began the day at Santa Sabina, a church on the Aventine hill overlooking the Circus Maximus. This church stands on the site where Constantine built one of the very first Christian basilicas, but it has been nicely remodeled in later centuries to resemble a more traditional church. Sabina was a martyr who was decapitated, and had a church built in her name by Pope Celestinus the First. The church was constructed between 425 and 432 AD, and some of the original features still survive. Most amazingly are the original wooden doors leading into the church; somehow the wood survived over 1500 years, through fires and Mussolini, and the carvings on the front can still be deciphered. Carved into the doors are Old and New Testament images, including the very first crucifixtion scene (which has no cross). The inside is quite nicely decorated with cut marbles and a mosaic on the back wall. After Sabina, we headed to Santa Maria Maggiore. This church is quite lovely, with a column in front and an obelisk in back. It also connects to the highest bell tower in Rome. Inside, the church swims in beautiful marble and shiny bronze and glittering mosaics. The church’s big claim to fame is that it has a reliquary with two large planks from the crib that Jesus was held in as a baby in Bethlehem. Also, the mosaics up above the side aisles all contain Old and New Testament images that date from the 5th century AD. Our last church was never intended to be a church; it started off as the largest imperial bathhouse ever built. Diocletian’s masterpiece of a bathhouse was turned into a church, Santa Maria Degli Angeli, in the 16th century by none other than the great Michelangelo. The main bathing room, the frigidarium, became the main nave of the church, the altar is in the old swimming pool, and the entrance vestibule to the church once contained the warm room, the tepidarium. While the church is beautifully decorated, one can’t help but think that thousands of naked Romans use to snap towels at each other here where everyone now prays. After a leisurely lunch, we headed to a remote section of town to see the lovely Santa Costanza. This complex consists of a church, funerary basilica, tomb, and catacombs. First we saw the church, St. Agnes, dedicated to Agnes, a girl who Diocletian really didn’t like. Then we moved to Constantine’s basilica, a structure that had no floor; instead, it was built on the tombs, which acted as the floor. Spooky. Then we saw the tomb of Constantia, the daughter of Constantine. She had a beautiful round mausoleum with original, 4th century mosaics on the roof. We analyzed the mosaics for all sorts of symbolism, trying to decide if the tomb actually showed any Christian references. After 30 minutes of intense study, all one member of the group had to say was “Wait, is that a pickle?”
05 November. Standing in the narthex of Santa Sabina on the Aventine Hill
05 November. Tori presents Santa Sabina
05 November. The preserved fifth century wooden doors from Santa Sabina
05 November. A close up of a strigilated column
05 November. The central nave of the church
05 November. The ceiling
05 November. A spandrel with an inlaid decoration of a chalice and the Eucharist
05 November. Tori presents the basilica
05 November. The fifth century mosaic and clerestory windows
05 November. Sun streams through the clerestory level and illuminates the arcade
05 November. Fall leaves
05 November. The group outside Santa Sabina
05 November. The group outside Santa Maria Maggiore
05 November. The gates of Santa Maria Maggiore
05 November. A single column from the Basilica of Maxentius, now outside the cathedral
05 November. The gates of Santa Maria Maggiore
05 November. Mosaics from the interior of the church
05 November. A side chapel from Santa Maria Maggiore
05 November. The main apse of the church with its golden mosaics
05 November. The inlaid mosaic floor
05 November. The inlaid mosaic floor
05 November. The frigidarium of the Baths of Diocletian
05 November. The cross vaults from the Baths of Diocletian
05 November. Opus sectile floor from the Baths
05 November. Opus sectile floor from the Baths
05 November. Opus sectile floor from the Baths
05 November. Katherine presents the Mausoleum of Santa Costanza
05 November. Walking towards the Mausoleum
05 November. The interior of the Mausoleum of Santa Costanza
05 November. The double columns from the Mausoleum
05 November. The Mausoleum of Santa Costanza
05 November. A mosaic from the barrel vault
05 November. Sunlight enters through the clerestory level