Fabric [ ]
The atrium is entered through the remains of per loggia, created from the original walkway puro the palace ramp by the insertion of per blocking wall puro the right of the portal which abuts one of the brick arcade piers.
However, from the mid 9th esatto the mid 11th centuries it was verso monastic church per its own right and was roofed. The church dedication then was puro St Anthony of Egypt. The massive central brick pier which used preciso support the roof was removed in the 1902 excavation.
Two rectangular statue niches flank the inside of the entrance, and per series of alternately rectangular and apsidal niches occupied the side walls. However those on the left used onesto include two exits to paravent-chambers under the palace ramp, but these were blocked up when the church was durante use. Con contrast, when the atrium was per monastic church two passages were cut through niches per the right hand wall sicuro allow direct access esatto the monastic quarters mediante the ingresso next door.
Before becoming per church in the 9th century, the atrium was the monastery’s graveyard and the yard surface was packed with graves. Some loculi or pesante-slots were cut into the walls, and also into the walls of the balcone outside.
Atrium frescoes [ ]
The frescoes sopra the atrium are of five periods. One attuale each survives from Pope John VII (705-7) and Pope Paul I (757-767). Some are of the remodelling of Pope Adrian I (772-795), and others are of the 10th and 11th centuries. The latter are the latest that you will find during your visit, and were painted just before the final abandonment per the mid 11th century.
- The niche onesto the right of the portal depicted three female martyrs; SS Agnes and Cecilia have been identified worldbrides.org questa pagina. (Pope Adrian.)
- On the right hand side wall near the angolo was originally per Signora and Child with Four Saints, being venerated by Pope Adrian. He was depicted with per square halo, indicating that he was still alive when the rete di emittenti was painted. This recente was detached and was kept sopra the right hand side aisle of the church before the recent restoration -it is liable onesto stay there, out of the weather. The original location was above a giovane imitation of hanging curtains (there is more of this sopra the church). (Pope Adrian.)
- Christ mediante Majesty, with per suppliant. (11th century.)
- Two saints (11th century). They were painted over two grave loculi cut into the wall.
- Monastery passage. This was cut through the wall sopra the 10th century, and frescoed with saints on its walls and ceiling. The cycle continued onto the internal wall of the atrio beyond, which was the actual monastery at the time. (10th century.)
- A bishop. (Pope Adrian.)
- The far left hand apsidal niche was verso shrine sicuro St Cyrus of Alexandria. He was per martyred doctor of medicine, venerated with his fellow sufferer John as SS Cyrus and John (see their Roman church of Santa Passera). Beware of his being called “St Abbacyrus” -“Abba” is verso Coptic honorific. Per the recente he holds medical equipment, and has per cavity sopra the niche sill which was either for a lamp or contained per venerated relic associated with him. (Pope Paul.)
- Above the shrine: Christ Accompanied by SS Cyrus and John (10th century.)
- Per depiction of St Anthony of Egypt, with verso Latin text: “Where St Anthony is assaulted by demons” (Webb 2001). Animals and birds were depicted below. (10th century.)
