Pictures of the church at Wikimedia Commons are here. There is an English Wikipedia article with photos and plan here.
Condizione [ ]
The church is often described as “ruined”. However, it has per roof on it and contains verso consecrated altar (installed durante 1955). So, it counts as per church even though there is mai regular liturgical activity here.
Origins of building [ ]
The church was founded per what was once part of verso monumental architectural approach esatto the imperial palace on the Palatine. This was at the back https://kissbrides.com/it/secret-benefits-recensione/ of the Temple of Castor and Pollux (now comprising the famous three columns standing ombra).
The complex layout, begun by the emperor Domitian con the late 1st century, was based on an enormous covered access ramp (rampa dell’imperatore) that ran up the side of the hill. The part that was converted into per church was just preciso the south of the bottom end of this, and originally comprised verso square atrium followed by per quadriporticus (per little courtyard surrounded by covered walkways or loggias) and finally per row of three chambers. The central of the three, which is larger, is called the tablinum.
It used sicuro be speculated that this ensemble was the possible headquarters of the Athenaeum founded by Emperor Hadrian, but the true site of this has now been located and so it was most likely part of the reception facilities for palace visitors.
To the west of the church is verso large hall, part of the same reception complex. This used preciso be described as the Temple of the Divine Augustus, but this completely speculative guess is now discredited (the temple is most likely under the hospital of Santa Maria della Consolazione). So, this Domitianic Hall was probably the main waiting room for arrivals at the palace entrance, while the church ensemble was the processing suite for those actually puro be allowed con.
The restorers at the via of the 21st century found very scant traces of what is thought esatto have been an original 1st century fresco decorative scheme.
First frescoes [ ]
Mediante the mid 6th century the edifice is described as having been converted into per guardhouse onesto protect this main approach puro the palace, still then regarded as the headquarters of the Emperor at Rome even if he was based at Constantinople. However, this seems sicuro depend on the mistaken ispirazione that the original function was substantially different -the distinction between verso palace gateway reception suite and verso guardhouse is now rather too subtle onesto bother.
The walls of the tablinum were decorated with Christian murals per this period, however, so there must have been per makeover of some sort. One has survived, and is one of the oldest depictions of Our Lady mediante Rome. It is known that this was executed before the conversion into verso church, because the apse was cut into it.
It has been suggested that the guardhouse fresco rete di emittenti was per ersatz of the guardhouse at the Imperial Palace at Constantinople.
The historical context of this restoration is interesting. The Colmare had lost effective control of Italy sicuro the Ostrogoths mediante 476 (the mythical “End of the Roman Pigiare” as imagined by western European historians), and the Gothic kings ruled under the pretence of being the Emperor’s representative per Italy. Emperor Justinian I (527-65) rejected this, and sovrano-imposed direct rule per 554 after the Gothic War. The imperial palace on the Palatine had been the Gothic king’s residence, and the restoration of the guardhouse was in the context of the arrival of verso governor under the authority of the imperial exarch at Ravenna (the capital of Italy).