Spolia - st. peter's and the vatican
HAA 11
Spolia Notes
St. Peter’s in the Vatican · Poor design of St. Peter’s basilica (moved with wind, etc.)
· Spolia – reuse of earlier building material or decorative sculpture on new monuments (keeps building alive)
· Old basilica- leveled much of cemetery where St. Peter was buried, only his “marker” rose above ground
· HUGE building (nave as long as a football field!)
· Basilica preceded by an atrium of paved marble
· Principal adornments of the 4th century basilica were its reused columns and their appurtenances
· Nave shafts many different materials (very expensive)
· Even more precious materials for the shrine and “upper reaches” of the building (ex// sheets of gold)
· “The structure of the 4th century basilica was almost unchanged in the millennium-plus of its existence, but many additions and rebuilding occurred inside it”
· Fountain – streams of water surrounded by 4 columns
· Twisted columns – both beautiful and reused! (See images in the document, esp. page 24)
· Both St Peter and many of the Spolia lack history (ex// some of the Spolia don’t have known locations of origin, and no one knows when/where/why St. Peter died)
· Obelisk @ front of cathedral, holds huge bronze cross
· Circus - basically ¾ of a track, space for entertainment, etc.
· Many connections to the sun – “the sun was ubiquitous in the official religious culture of late antiquity”
· The sun of justice = Christ (According to Constantine)
· Nave shafts – different materials, uneven… “Hastily built”
· However, the capitals of the columns were organized in pairs
· Varietas = variety; in the bible (describing heaven) and also describes the variety of Spolia
· Counting the 100+ columns (!!!) was a way to quantify “the otherwise immeasurable space”
· Twisted columns – very rare, almost all in St. Peters
· Fountain – beautiful and elaborate (had columns
Spolia Notes
St. Peter’s in the Vatican · Poor design of St. Peter’s basilica (moved with wind, etc.)
· Spolia – reuse of earlier building material or decorative sculpture on new monuments (keeps building alive)
· Old basilica- leveled much of cemetery where St. Peter was buried, only his “marker” rose above ground
· HUGE building (nave as long as a football field!)
· Basilica preceded by an atrium of paved marble
· Principal adornments of the 4th century basilica were its reused columns and their appurtenances
· Nave shafts many different materials (very expensive)
· Even more precious materials for the shrine and “upper reaches” of the building (ex// sheets of gold)
· “The structure of the 4th century basilica was almost unchanged in the millennium-plus of its existence, but many additions and rebuilding occurred inside it”
· Fountain – streams of water surrounded by 4 columns
· Twisted columns – both beautiful and reused! (See images in the document, esp. page 24)
· Both St Peter and many of the Spolia lack history (ex// some of the Spolia don’t have known locations of origin, and no one knows when/where/why St. Peter died)
· Obelisk @ front of cathedral, holds huge bronze cross
· Circus - basically ¾ of a track, space for entertainment, etc.
· Many connections to the sun – “the sun was ubiquitous in the official religious culture of late antiquity”
· The sun of justice = Christ (According to Constantine)
· Nave shafts – different materials, uneven… “Hastily built”
· However, the capitals of the columns were organized in pairs
· Varietas = variety; in the bible (describing heaven) and also describes the variety of Spolia
· Counting the 100+ columns (!!!) was a way to quantify “the otherwise immeasurable space”
· Twisted columns – very rare, almost all in St. Peters
· Fountain – beautiful and elaborate (had columns