Christianity as the Religion of Rome

Old St. Peter’s, Rome

Once Christianity received imperial sanction under Constantine, the need to build churches quickly arose. 

Originally, Constantine decided that the new churches should be built on the outskirts of the city of Rome to avoid any confrontation between the pagans and the Christians.  The most important of Constantine’s early churches was St. Peter's -- now called Old St. Peter's because it was torn down and rebuilt during the Renaissance and Baroque periods. 

The Old St. Peter’s was located at the old Roman circus.  This was the site where Peter was killed.  The bones of St. Peter now preserved and wrapped in gold thread.

At Old St. Peter's, one would walk up a staircase to a high podium and then enter into an open courtyard (which resembled the atrium of the Roman house) through what looks like a triple triumphal arch.  Beyond the courtyard was the entrance to the church.  On the outside, the church had plain brick walls.  Notice that you can see the side aisles, nave, and clerestory windows on from the exterior of the church.

Plan of an Early Christian Church	Plan of a Roman Basilica

The Christians adopted the Roman Basilican form for their churches, but removed one apse.  The mysteries of religion take place at altar, hence they desired to move through the church to the altar.  The church was a huge, monumental space for the newly converted.  It was designed to accommodate 3,000-4,000 worshippers at any one time.  The architectural terms that you should know are narthex (in yellow), nave (in green) two side aisles (in blue), the transept (in purple), the crossing (in orange), and the apse (in white).

Old St. Peter’s, Rome, Section

 

Notice that the nave and side aisles are separated by Corinthian columns.  At the end of nave, notice the apse set within a “triumphal arch.”  This arch frames the altar and the seats for the clergy. 

There is a massive amount of wall space which could be decorated with mosaics.  Also, notice the light that enters the nave through the clerestory windows. 

The architectural forms that we see are traditional, but the use is very different and the architecture is focused.

Santa Costanza, Rome, ca. 337-351	Pantheon, 118

Although the basilica plan emerged as the favorite church form within the Christian world, Early Christian architects also experimented with the central plan.  This was an architectural form which the Romans used and you'll recall that the Pantheon had a central plan with a hemispherical dome.

 The central plan was usually not used for the church, but for ancillary buildings, like mausoleums, baptisteries, and private chapels.  Santa Costanza was built as a mausoleum for Constantine’s daughter.  It included a central dome, like pagan antecedents. It is easier to understand this structure by looking at the plan.  Around the central domed space is a barrel vaulted walkway called an ambulatory.  It is separated from the central dome by 12 paired columns, which were symbolic of Christ’s 12 apostles. 

Santa Costanza, Rome, ca 337-351 

Exterior view of Santa Costanza	Interior view looking into the central dome; the interior was filled with mosaics, though many are now lost.
Interior view of the mosaics in the ambulatory. Not surprisingly, many scenes were from the Old Testament and the New Testament.  However, there were also many pagan images.	Below is a detail of the portrait bust of Constantia.  Around her notice the grape vines and putti gathering grapes.  At the very bottom, the villagers are making wine.

Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome, 432-440

This is the interior view of the church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome.  As you can see, it is a basilican church.  Notice the nave mosaics that are beneath the clerestory window.  There depict Old Testament stories.  The example below is one of these nave mosaics.

Parting of Lot and Abraham, Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome, 432-440

 

The parting of Lot and Abraham is an Old Testament story.  Abraham and Lot were in the desert with their family and cattle looking for a place to call home.  Lot decided to move toward the city (Sodom) and Abraham moved towards the country.

How is the city represented?  We see and arch, a wall, and several windows.

How is the country represented? We see a tent and one tree.

Notice that the artist is using short hand to show a lot of people through the appearance of many heads (a head cluster).  The small child is Abraham’s unborn son, Isaac. 

The mosaic presents Lot and Abraham with exaggerated gestures and emphasized eyes.  The wedge driving them apart is gold, although the sky is blue and the ground is brown.  Take notice of the use of gold in Christian art -- we will see this developed into a norm when we get to Byzantine art.