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San Lorenzo fuori le Mura: Roman sarcophagus within the church

Date

Circa 1910

Creator

G. Massiot & cie
Part of: Architectural Lantern Slides of Italy
Architecture Library, Hesburgh Libraries

Just inside the entrance is the tomb of Guglielmo Cardinal Fieschi, died 1256, but entombed in an ancient sarcophagus, incidentally decorated with a relief depicting a pagan marriage feast.

The basilica of San Lorenzo fuori le Mura is one of the most important basilica churches and one of the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome. The basilica is the shrine tomb of the church's namesake, Saint Lawrence, one of the first seven deacons of Rome martyred in 258. Pope Pius IX, awaiting canonization into sainthood, is also buried at the basilica. Before the present-day basilica was constructed, the estate upon which it sits was once home to a small oratory built by Emperor Constantine I. The emperor built it over the site on which it was believed that Saint Lawrence was executed. In the 580s, Pope Pelagius II commissioned the construction of a church over the site, in honor of the martyr. In the 13th century, Pope Honorius III commissioned the construction of another church in front of the older structure. The two structures were united as part of a program of urban renewal. Excavations have revealed several other crypts of various people, buried below street level. Saint Hilarius is buried here. The portico, ca. 1220, has Cosmatesque decoration by the Vassaletti family of craftsmen. In Rome, it seems, galleries were added to basilicas to provide space for the crowds of pilgrims seeking access to the graves of Roman martyrs, or as a separate upper gallery for women (matronaeum).

Images

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Metadata

Creator
G. Massiot & cie
Date
Circa 1910
Publisher
Architecture Library, Hesburgh Libraries
Material Type
photographs
Conditions Governing Access
To view the physical lantern slide, please contact the Architecture Library to arrange an appointment
Related Location
Rome, Lazio, Italy: Piazzale del Verano 3

Metadata

Campus Location
Architecture Library, Hesburgh Libraries
Link to Finding Aid
https://curate.nd.edu/show/c821gh9667w
This digital collection may not include all items or all of the information available about the source collection. See the finding aid for more information.

Metadata

Contact Us

Our collection information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. If you have spotted an error, please contact Architecture Library, Hesburgh Libraries at asklib@nd.edu.


Also from Architectural Lantern Slides of Italy

City Hall, Cremona: Detail, raking view of facade at corner, showing loggia or arcade and crenellations

City Hall, Cremona: Detail, raking view of facade at corner, showing loggia or arcade and crenellations

Old Cathedral, Brescia: Overall view, with main portal to the right

Old Cathedral, Brescia: Overall view, with main portal to the right

Pisa Cathedral: Exterior view of the apsidal facade

Pisa Cathedral: Exterior view of the apsidal facade

Cremona Cathedral: Distant view showing cathedral and the Torrazzo to the left

Cremona Cathedral: Distant view showing cathedral and the Torrazzo to the left

Orvieto Cathedral: Marble private chapel with scene of the Visitation

Orvieto Cathedral: Marble private chapel with scene of the Visitation

Colosseum: Interior, showing rooms under the wooden floor

Colosseum: Interior, showing rooms under the wooden floor

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