High Altar, Constantine's Basilica

A wonderfully ornate and colorful fresco at the base of the ceiling in the Gallery of the Library at the Vatican Museums. No matter how much I have... more

by Douglas Taylor

Title

High Altar, Constantine's Basilica

Artist

Douglas Taylor

Medium

Photograph - Fine Art Digital Photography

Description

A wonderfully ornate and colorful fresco at the base of the ceiling in the Gallery of the Library at the Vatican Museums. No matter how much I have searched, I have found little information about this work of art other than what I overheard from one of the English speaking tour leaders as she shepherded her flock through the museum. She stopped to point out this fresco, and commented that it is the only known art in the Vatican to depict the interior of Constantine's Basilica. If she named the artist, I did not hear.

Constantine's Basilica was the original great basilica of Rome, located at the site of today's Saint Peter's Basilica, and for the very same reason. They are both built over the ancient crypt of St. Peter. Peter was buried in a pagan necropolis adjacent to Nero's Circus in 64 CE. When Constantine converted to Christianity, he commissioned construction over St. Peter's tomb in 324 CE. The great church remained until Pope Julius started pulling it down around 1510 CE to begin the massive construction project that eventually became the modern Saint Peter's Basilica.

All of the Vatican is included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site listing.

Uploaded

January 29th, 2024