Santa Maria in Trastevere

Facade of S. Maria in Trastevere

What: one of the earliest places of Christian worship in Rome, the oldest church dedicated to Mary
Who: early Christians; Pope Innocent III commissioned the building of basilica over original 3rd/4th century structure
When: structure dates from 1140
Where: in Trastevere, "accross the Tiber" literally (trans-Tibere)
Why: In 38 B.C. oil spring up out of the ground miraculously.  This was interpreted as a sign of the imminent coming of Christ, the "Anointed One" (anointed with oil)

Interior

FunFacts:

• In the Portico (front area of church, not inside):
• 2 coats of arms, the current pope's and the titular cardinal's
• Scallop shell=sign of the pilgrim and baptism
• Fragments of the catacombs cover the walls
• Elaborate doors emphasize that when one enters a church, he or she is entering into a different, sacred space
• Floors are "Opus Sectile"
• the colors, patterns, and variation of the floors are meant to remind us of creation
• Granite columns inside are from the Nile, have ionic capitals
• Monks invented cursive handwriting when copying manuscripts
• Mosaics
• date back to either 1140 or 1290, products of the high middle ages, made by Greeks
• Intermediate mosaics--Mary's life



Annunciation



Nativity of Christ



Visit of the Magi



Presentation of Christ in the temple



The Dormition of Mary

• Lamb and sheep and upper mosaic figures



note the lamb and sheep

• Lamb in the middle=Christ, sheep=apostles
• sheep=symbol of charity; provides all, asks for nothing
• the sheep are coming from Bethlehem and Jerusalem
• God the Father is represented as the small hand over Christ's head
• Mosaic on the facade (outside): Mary with the virgins with oil

• Arms of chair=griffins
• griffins are half eagle, half lion--king of land and sky--symbol of Christ, King of all
• Aedicula--the image of Mary on the bell tower

Aedicula

• The roof is wooden, must be restored every 500 years
• Baldacchino

• the canopy over the altar
• the lower part is darker to remind us of earth
• the upper part is lighter to remind us of heaven
• Porphyry--the dark purple stone used on the lower part of the baldacchino

Terms:

• Palinpsest
• the mixture/layering of styles and periods in a single structure
• Balustrade
• railing with posts, Baroque and Rennaissance
• Contrapposto
• the play of opposing forces in sculpture
• seen in the statues of popes in front of S. Maria in Trastevere
• Spolia
• the reuse of building materials
• Dies Talias
• what Romans called the day they died, means "birthday;" the day they died was the day they were born into eternal life
• Opus Sectile
• the colors, patterns, and variation of the floors are meant to remind us of creation
• Entasis
• intentional swelling on the shaft of the column to create an optical illusion
• Apse
• semicircular area behind altar