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55-648: Together with the Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus , it one of the most important examples of Christian-Roman sculpture of the Constantinian era. It draws its name from its clear references to the dogmas of the Council of Nicaea (325), in particular to Christ being consubstantial with God the Father, as shown (for example) by the scene of a figure with the appearance of Jesus between Adam and Eve , though whether

110-430: A blending of late Hellenistic style with the contemporary Roman or Italian one, seen in the "robust" proportions of the figures, and their slightly over-large heads. The setting in the niches casts the figures against a background of shadow, giving "an emphatic chiaroscuro effect" – an effect much more noticeable in the original than the cast shown here, which has a more uniform and lighter colour. The cast also lacks

165-402: A damaged plaque surmounting the lid is a poem praising Bassus in largely secular terms, and the inscription running along the top of the body of the sarcophagus identifies him, and describes him as a " neophyte ", or recent convert. Further small reliefs on the lid, and heads at the corners, are badly damaged. They showed scenes of feasts and a burial procession typical of pagan sarcophagi; it

220-554: A few years older than the sarcophagus and made for another elite Christian, is full of personifications of cities, months and other concepts. The putti in the Chronography also relate closely to those on the sides of the sarcophagus. The Old Testament scenes depicted were chosen as precursors of Christ's sacrifice in the New Testament , in an early form of typology . Adam and Eve are shown covering their nakedness after

275-427: A mild and passive appearance, contrasting strongly with the powerful and determined expression of the figure in low relief profile behind him on the wall, the only figure in these scenes depicted in this style and technique. If he is not just one of Pilate's subordinate officers, he may be intended as a portrait or statue of the emperor; Roman official business was usually conducted before such an image, upon which (under

330-454: A model of the church to Christ. On the walls, each having 11 windows, were frescoes of various people and scenes from both the Old and New Testament . According to combined statements by Ghiberti and Vasari , Giotto painted five frescoes of the life of Christ and various other panels, some of which Vasari said were "either destroyed or carried away from the old structure of St. Peter's during

385-428: A popular type of Christian tomb by upper-class patrons whose standards asserted themselves increasingly both in the content and in the style of these monuments", Kitzinger concludes that the changes must reflect a larger "regeneration" in style. The carvings are in high relief on three sides of the sarcophagus, allowing for its placement against a wall. The column and many parts of the figures are carved completely in

440-409: A result, the continual force of the wind has already displaced the wall more than six feet (1.8 m) from the vertical; I have no doubt that eventually some... slight movement will make it collapse... At first, Pope Julius II had every intention of preserving the old building, but his attention soon turned toward tearing it down and building a new structure. Many people of the time were shocked by

495-418: A wide central nave and two smaller aisles to each side, which were each divided by 21 marble columns, taken from earlier pagan buildings . It was over 350 feet (110 m) long, built in the shape of a Latin cross , and had a gabled roof which was timbered on the interior and which stood at over 100 feet (30 m) at the center. In the 6th century, an atrium—known as the "Garden of Paradise"—was added at

550-468: Is a rare example in Giotto's work of a documented commission, and includes Giotto's signature, although the date, like most dates for Giotto, is disputed, and many scholars feel the artist's workshop was responsible for its execution. It had long been thought to have been made for the main altar of the church; more recent research suggests that it was placed on the "canon's altar", located in the nave, just to

605-617: Is linked to the Passion of Jesus , of which the entry to Jerusalem is the start, a development that was to play a great part in shaping the Christian art of the future. The inclusion of the pagan figure of Caelus may seem strange today, but since the conquest of Judea by the Romans and the interpretatio romana between Judaism and the Roman religion, Caelus was associated with Yahweh as

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660-478: Is possible the lid was not created to match the base. The emphasis on scenes of judgement may have been influenced by the career of Bassus as a magistrate, but all the scenes shown can be paralleled in other Christian works of the period. In all the three scenes where he appears Christ is a youthful, beardless figure with shortish hair (though longer than that of other figures), which is typical of Christian art at this period . The angel standing behind Abraham in

715-551: Is responsible for the destruction of approximately half of all papal tombs. As a result, Donato Bramante , the chief architect of modern St. Peter's Basilica, has been remembered as Maestro Ruinante . The Stefaneschi Altarpiece is a triptych by the Italian medieval painter Giotto , commissioned by Cardinal Giacomo Gaetani Stefaneschi to serve as an altarpiece for one of the altars of Old St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. It

770-535: Is seen at the point when he has lost everything, but retains his faith; his wife and a "comforter" look on anxiously. Christians saw these as foreshadowings of the sacrifice of God's only son, Jesus, though the Crucifixion itself, a rare subject up until the 5th century, is not depicted. The scenes prior to the martyrdoms of Peter and Paul, both common in Early Christian art, show the same avoidance of

825-512: The Aurelian walls , and thus easy targets. They were "filled to overflowing with rich liturgical vessels and with jeweled reliquaries housing all of the relics recently amassed". As a result, the raiders destroyed Saint Peter's tomb and pillaged the holy shrine. In response Pope Leo IV built the Leonine wall and rebuilt the parts of St. Peter's that had been damaged. By the 15th century,

880-477: The Fall of Man , which created the original sin and hence the need for Christ to be sacrificed for our sins. Adam and Eve themselves made no sacrifices, but behind Eve is a lamb, and beside Adam a sheaf of wheat , referring to the sacrifices of their two sons, Cain and Abel . Just to the right of the middle is Daniel in the lion's den, saved by his faith, and on the left is Abraham about to sacrifice Isaac. Job

935-517: The Fall of Man . Christ was compared to Adam in Romans 5:14–21, and was sometimes called the "new Adam", especially in connection with baptism (at this period catechumens were apparently naked when this was administered). This may also be referred to in the second scene, or the central figure may represent the Divine Logos , who is also shown with the appearance of Jesus. The scene represents

990-538: The Sacrifice of Isaac is depicted similarly, and without wings. Christ appears in the centre of both rows; in the top row as a law-giver or teacher between his chief followers, Peter and Paul (the Traditio Legis ), and on the bottom entering Jerusalem. Both scenes borrow from pagan Roman iconography : in the top one Jesus is sitting with his feet on a billowing cloak representing the sky, carried by Caelus ,

1045-470: The "division of labours" between Adam and Eve; the central figure holds a sheaf of corn in one hand and a dead hare (in another Vatican example a lamb) in the other, although one might expect hunting hares to be Adam's task and agriculture Eve's, rather than the opposite as the sarcophagus seems to suggest. Adam and Eve also functioned as typological forerunners of Jesus and Mary, and the Tree of Knowledge of

1100-504: The 16th and 17th centuries' demolition of Old St. Peter's Basilica (save one which was destroyed during the Saracen Sack of the church in 846 ). The remainder were transferred, mostly just the sarcophagi or coffins and their contents, to modern St. Peter's Basilica, which stands on the site of the original basilica, and a handful of other churches of Rome. The only papal tombs to survive the demolition and be properly reconstructed in

1155-726: The 4th to 16th centuries, where St. Peter's Basilica stands today in Vatican City . Construction of the basilica , built over the historical site of the Circus of Nero , began during the reign of Roman Emperor Constantine I . The name "old St. Peter's Basilica" has been used since the construction of the current basilica to distinguish the two buildings. Construction began by orders of the Roman Emperor Constantine I between 318 and 322, after his conversion to Christianity and took about 40 years to complete. Over

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1210-556: The Cross of the Crucifixion . In addition they represented faithfulness in marriage, and scenes of them between the Logos are interpreted by some as representing their marriage ceremony, suitable for the sarcophagus of a married couple. Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus The Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus is a marble Early Christian sarcophagus used for the burial of Junius Bassus , who died in 359. It has been described as "probably

1265-604: The Dogmatic Sarcophagus, also show groups of three figures usually interpreted as representing the Trinity in scenes from Genesis. Sometimes one figure is beardless, while the other two are bearded. Given the funerary context, and that adjacent scenes often show New Testament miracles, including the Raising of Lazarus , the emphasis of these scenes may relate as much to the overcoming of sin and hope of new life as

1320-489: The administration of a large part of the Western Empire. Bassus served under Constantius II , son of Constantine I . Bassus, as the inscription on the sarcophagus tells us, converted to Christianity shortly before his death – perhaps on his deathbed. Many still believed, like Tertullian , that it was not possible to be an emperor and a Christian, which also went for the highest officials like Bassus. The style of

1375-402: The boggy area of the city where Paul's execution was traditionally believed to have happened. Peter's execution was believed to have happened close to his grave, which was within a few feet of the location of the sarcophagus; both executions were believed to have occurred on the same day . Old St. Peter%27s Basilica Old St. Peter's Basilica was the church buildings that stood, from

1430-652: The building of the new walls." The fragment of an 8th-century mosaic, the Epiphany , is one of the very rare remaining bits of the medieval decoration of Old St. Peter's Basilica. The precious fragment is kept in the sacristy of Santa Maria in Cosmedin . It proves the high artistic quality of the destroyed mosaics. Another one, a standing madonna , is on a side altar in the Basilica of San Marco in Florence . Since

1485-406: The church was falling into ruin. Discussions on repairing parts of the structure commenced upon the pope's return from Avignon . Two people involved in this reconstruction were Leon Battista Alberti and Bernardo Rossellino , who improved the apse and partially added a multi-story benediction loggia to the atrium façade, on which construction continued intermittently until the new basilica

1540-478: The climactic moments which were usually chosen in later Christian art. But they demonstrate to the viewer how the heavenly crown could be achieved by ordinary Christians, although the Imperial persecutions were now over. Both scenes also took place in Rome, and this local interest is part of the balance of Christian and traditional Roman gestures that the sarcophagus shows. The reeds behind Paul probably represent

1595-515: The crucifixion and burial of Saint Peter in 64 AD, the spot was thought to be the location of the tomb of Saint Peter, where there stood a small shrine. With its increasing prestige, the church became richly decorated with statues, furnishings and elaborate chandeliers, and side tombs and altars were continuously added. The structure was filled with tombs and bodies of saints and popes. Bones continued to be found in construction as late as February 1544. The majority of these tombs were destroyed during

1650-536: The deified pagan emperors) any oaths required were made. The lower scene loosely follows the entry ("adventus") of an emperor to a city, a scene often depicted in Imperial art; Christ is "identified as imperator by the Imperial Eagle of Victoria " in the conch moulding above the scene. There was already a tradition, borrowed from pagan iconography , of depicting Christ the Victor ; in this work that theme

1705-420: The design of any Greco-Roman temple. The design may have been derived from the description of Solomon's Temple in 1 Kings 6 . Constantine took great pains to build the basilica on the site he and Pope Sylvester I believed to be Saint Peter's grave, which had been marked since at least the second century. This influenced the layout of the building, which was erected on the sloped Vatican Hill , on

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1760-538: The effects created by light on polished or patinated highlights such as the heads of the figures, against the darker recessed surfaces and backgrounds. Ernst Kitzinger finds "a far more definite reattachment to aesthetic ideals of the Graeco-Roman past" than in the earlier Dogmatic Sarcophagus and that of the "Two Brothers", also in the Vatican Museums . The form continues the increased separation of

1815-472: The entrance and had five doors, which led to the body of the church. The altar of Old St. Peter's Basilica used several Solomonic columns . According to tradition, Constantine took these columns from the Temple of Solomon and gave them to the church; however, the columns were probably from an Eastern church . When Gian Lorenzo Bernini built his baldacchino to cover the new St. Peter's altar, he drew from

1870-449: The figure is to be understood as Christ or God the Father is less clear – the dogmatic point works either way. The front face is split into two registers, typical of the style of the time, with Old Testament and New Testament subjects and a central shell-shaped clipeus containing the portraits of the dead couple, embraced and wearing marital clothes typical of the 4th century ( tunica manicata , dalmatina and toga contabulata by

1925-763: The lower row show scenes with all participants depicted as lambs: on either side of Christ entering Jerusalem are the Miracle of the loaves and fishes and the Baptism of Jesus . The other scenes may be the Three youths in the fiery furnace , the Raising of Lazarus , Moses receiving the tablets and Moses striking the rock . The sides have more traditional Roman scenes of the Four Seasons represented by putti performing seasonal tasks such as harvesting grapes. On

1980-566: The male hairstyles (apart from those of Christ and Peter), the squat square figures and the lack of calligraphic detail. There are echoes of the previous "plebeian" official art, which has led some to suggest that the sarcophagus is from the same workshop that produced and amended the reliefs for the Arch of Constantine (dedicated in 315). The account in Genesis naturally credits the Creation to

2035-520: The man, who holds a rotulus in his hand, and tunic and palla by the woman). The heads are basic types, showing there was either no desire or not enough time to personalize the sarcophagus. In the upper register are five episodes, two from the book of Genesis and three miracles of Christ: In the lower register are six scenes, one linked to Christ's birth, two to the Bible and three to St Peter: The sarcophagus can be dated to between 330 and 340 due to

2090-580: The next twelve centuries, the church gradually gained importance, eventually becoming a major place of pilgrimage in Rome . Papal coronations were held at the basilica, and in 800, Charlemagne was crowned emperor of the Carolingian Empire there. In 846, Saracens sacked and damaged the basilica. The raiders seem to have known about Rome's extraordinary treasures. Some holy—and impressive—basilicas, such as St. Peter's Basilica, were outside

2145-465: The present St Peter's are the two from the 1490s by Antonio del Pollaiuolo , of Pope Innocent VIII and Pope Sixtus IV . These were well-regarded and innovative works, with bronze effigies by a major Florentine sculptor. Along with the repeated translations from the ancient Catacombs of Rome and two 14th century fires in the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran , the rebuilding of St. Peter's

2200-529: The primordial god according to the Ancient Roman religion . Christ hands Peter a scroll, probably representing the Gospels , as emperors were often shown doing to their heirs, ministers or generals. Before Pilate Christ also carries a scroll, like a philosopher. Pilate, perhaps worried by Jesus's reputation for miracles, is making the gesture Italians still use to ward off the evil eye . Pilate has

2255-613: The proposal, as the building represented papal continuity going back to Saint Peter . The original altar was to be preserved in the new structure that housed it. The church was demolished in 1505 and construction of the new church began the following year. The design was a typical basilica form with the plan and elevation resembling those of Roman basilicas and audience halls, such as the Basilica Ulpia in Trajan's Forum and Constantine's own Aula Palatina at Trier , rather than

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2310-526: The round. The arrangement of relief scenes in rows in a columnar framework is an introduction from Asia Minor at about this time. No portrait of the deceased is shown, though he is praised in lavish terms in an inscription; instead, the ten niches are filled with scenes from both the New and Old Testaments , plus one, the Traditio Legis , that has no Scriptural basis. The scenes on the front are: in

2365-426: The rules obeyed by official reliefs. Some figures are portrayed frontally, but certainly not all, and they are not shown in a thoroughly Late Antique manner; the scenes are three-dimensional and have depth and background .... drapery hangs on recognizable human forms rather than being arranged in predetermined folds; heads are varied, portraying recognisably different people." The sarcophagus has been seen as reflecting

2420-571: The same god, so the representation alludes to the recognition of Christ as "Son of God and King of the Creation", proving that the transition from paganism to Christianity was more peaceful and syncretic than is popularly believed. From the following century personifications of the River Jordan often appear in depictions of the Baptism of Jesus , and the manuscript Chronography of 354 , just

2475-498: The same museum, this sarcophagus is one of the oldest surviving high-status sarcophagi with elaborate carvings of Christian themes, and a complicated iconographic programme embracing the Old and New Testaments . Junius Bassus was an important figure in late antique Rome, a senator who was in charge of the government of the capital as praefectus urbi when he died at the age of 42 in 359. His father had been Praetorian prefect , running

2530-490: The scenes; it had been an innovation of the earliest Christian sarcophagi to combine a series of incidents in one continuous (and rather hard to read) frieze , and also to have two registers one above the other, but these examples show a trend to differentiate the scenes, of which the Junius Bassus is the culmination, producing a "multitude of miniature stages", which allow the spectator "to linger over each scene", which

2585-523: The single figure of God, in Christian terms, God the Father. However the first person plural in Genesis 1:26 "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness", and New Testament references to Christ as creator (John 1:3, Colossians 1:15) led Early Christian writers to associate the Creation with the Logos , or pre-existing Christ. A number of other sarcophagi in the same Vatican collection as

2640-588: The single most famous piece of early Christian relief sculpture." The sarcophagus was originally placed in or under Old St. Peter's Basilica , was rediscovered in 1597, and is now below the modern basilica in the Museo Storico del Tesoro della Basilica di San Pietro (Museum of Saint Peter's Basilica ) in the Vatican . The base is approximately 4 x 8 x 4 feet. Together with the Dogmatic sarcophagus in

2695-499: The top row, Sacrifice of Isaac , Judgement or Arrest of Peter , Enthroned Christ with Peter and Paul ( Traditio Legis ), and a double scene of the Trial of Jesus before Pontius Pilate , who in the last niche is about to wash his hands. In the bottom row: Job on the dunghill, Adam and Eve , Christ's entry into Jerusalem , Daniel in the lion's den (heads restored), Arrest or leading to execution of Paul . The tiny spandrels above

2750-422: The twisted design of the old columns. Eight of the original columns were moved to the piers of the new St. Peter's. The great Navicella mosaic (1305–1313) in the atrium is attributed to Giotto di Bondone . This giant mosaic, commissioned by Cardinal Jacopo Stefaneschi , occupied the whole wall above the entrance arcade facing the courtyard. It depicted St. Peter walking on the waters . This extraordinary work

2805-480: The west bank of the Tiber River . Notably, since the site was outside the boundaries of the ancient city, the apse with the altar was located in the west, so that the basilica's façade could be approached from Rome itself to the east. The exterior, unlike earlier pagan temples, was not lavishly decorated. The church was capable of housing from 3,000 to 4,000 worshipers at one time. It consisted of five aisles,

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2860-533: The work has been greatly discussed by art historians, especially as its date is certain, which is unusual at this period. All are agreed that the workmanship is of the highest quality available at the time, as one might expect for the tomb of such a prominent figure. The sarcophagus in many respects shows fewer features of the Late Antique style of sculpture typified in the Arch of Constantine of several decades earlier: "The sculpture ignores practically all

2915-399: Was begun. Alberti pronounced the basilica a structural abomination: I have noticed in the basilica of St. Peter's in Rome a crass feature: an extremely long and high wall has been constructed over a continuous series of openings, with no curves to give it strength, and no buttresses to lend it support... The whole stretch of wall has been pierced by too many openings and built too high... As

2970-448: Was mainly destroyed during the construction of the new St. Peter's in the 16th century, but fragments were preserved. Navicella means "little ship" referring to the large boat which dominated the scene, and whose sail—filled by storm winds—loomed over the horizon. Such a natural representation of a seascape was known only from ancient works of art. The nave ended with an arch, which held a mosaic of Constantine and Saint Peter, who presented

3025-553: Was not the intention of earlier reliefs which were only "shorthand pictographs" of each scene, only intended to identify them. He notes a "lyrical, slightly sweet manner" in the carving, even in the soldiers who lead St Peter to his death, which compares to some small carvings from the Hellenized east in the Cleveland Museum of Art , though they are several decades older. Even allowing for "the gradual appropriation of

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