Santa Maria Antiqua
| Ancient Church of Saint Mary in the Roman Forum [Santa Maria Antiqua al Foro Romano] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) Template:It icon | |
|---|---|
 Oratory of the Fory Martyrs, by the entrance to Santa Maria Antiqua in the Forum Romanum | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Inactive |
| Year consecrated | 5th century |
| Location | |
| Location |  Rome, Italy |
| Geographic coordinates | 41°53′27.6″N 12°29′8.1″E / 41.891000°N 12.485583°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Church |
| Style | Byzantine architecture |
| Groundbreaking | 5th century |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 30 metres (98 ft) |
| Width | 20 metres (66 ft) |
The Ancient church of St Mary (Italian: Santa Maria Antiqua al Foro Romano) is a Roman Catholic Marian church in Rome, built in the 5th century in the Forum Romanum, and for long time the monumental access to the Palatine imperial palaces.
This church is the oldest Christian monument in the Roman Forum and includes the earliest Roman depiction of Santa Maria Regina depicting the Virgin Mary as a Queen in the 6th century.[1][2][3]
History
Pope John VII used this church in the early 8th century as see of the bishop of Rome. It is possible that the Titulus Cyriaci, recorded in the acts of the 499 synod, is to be identified with this church[citation needed].
The church was partially destroyed in 847, when an earthquake caused parts of the imperial palaces to collapse and cover the church. For this reason, a new church called Santa Maria Nova (New St. Mary, now Santa Francesca Romana) was erected nearby by Pope Leo IV, on a portion of the ruined temple of Temple of Venus and Roma, where once stood a chapel commemorating the fall of Simon Magus.[4] Santa Maria Antiqua suffered further damages during the Norman Sack of Rome (1084).
The church of Santa Maria Liberator was built in 1617 on its ruins, but then demolished in 1900 to bring the remains of the old church to light.[5]
Byzantine frescoes
The inside of the church is decorated with ancient frescoes in Byzantine style, dating back to Pope Martin I (649-655), Pope John VII (705-707), and Pope Zachary (741-752).
-
Sant'Abbaciro (Saint Cyrus) -
Fresco in Santa Maria Antiqua -
Detail: Angel of the Annunciation (565-578) -
Crucifixion (741-752) -
Crucifixion from Santa Maria Antiqua
Notes
- ^ Erik Thunø, 2003 Image and relic: mediating the sacred in early medieval Rome ISBN 88-8265-217-3 page 34
- ^ Bissera V. Pentcheva, 2006 Icons and power: the Mother of God in Byzantium ISBN 0-271-02551-4 page 21
- ^ Anne J. Duggan, 2008 Queens and queenship in medieval Europe ISBN 0-85115-881-1 page 175
- ^ Benigni, U. (1913). . In Herbermann, Charles (ed.). Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
{{cite encyclopedia}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ Horace, K. (1913). . In Herbermann, Charles (ed.). Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
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See also
References
- Horace, K. (1913). . In Herbermann, Charles (ed.). Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
{{cite encyclopedia}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - Benigni, U. (1913). . In Herbermann, Charles (ed.). Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
{{cite encyclopedia}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - David, Joseph (1911). Sainte Marie-Antique; étude liturgique et hagiographique avec un plan de l'église (in French). Rome: M. Bretschneider.
- Webb, Matilda (2001). "Santa Maria Antiqua". The Churches and Catacombs of Early Christian Rome. Brighton: Sussex Academic Press. pp. 112–122. ISBN 1-902210-58-1.
- Santa Maria Antiqua Project. "Santa Maria Antiqua: history from antiquity until the year 847 A.D." Soprintendenza Archeologica di Roma. Retrieved 2009-06-13. [dead link]
- Romanelli, Pietro; Nordhagen, Per Jonas (1999). S. Maria Antiqua (in Italian) (2 ed.). Roma: Ist. poligrafico dello Stato, Libreria dello Stato. ISBN 88-240-3719-4.
- Nordhagen, Per Jonas (1990). Studies in Byzantine and Early Medieval Painting. London: Pindar Press. ISBN 978-0-907132-47-9.
- Angiolino, Loredana (2004). "Santa Maria Antiqua: Chiesa Bizantina a Roma". Bollettino Telematico dell'Arte (in Italian) (363). ISSN 1127-4883.
Further reading
- Lucey, Stephen J. (2007). "Art and Socia-Cultural Identity in Early Medieval Rome - The Patrons of Santa Maria Antiqua". In O'carragain, Eamonn; Neuman de Vegvar, Carol L. (eds.). Roma Felix: formation and reflections of medieval Rome. Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing Ltd. pp. 139–158. ISBN 0-7546-6096-6.
- Osborne, J.; Brandt, G.; Morganti, eds. (2005). Santa Maria Antiqua al Foro Romano cento anni dopo. Campisano Editore. ISBN 88-88168-21-4.
External links
- "Santa Maria Antiqua", by Chris Nyborg.
