Fabric [ ]

The atrium is entered through the remains of a balcone, created from the original walkway to the palace ramp by the insertion of a blocking wall preciso the right of the portal which abuts one of the brick arcade piers.

However, from the mid 9th onesto the mid 11th centuries it was verso monastic church per its own right and was roofed. The church dedication then was onesto St Anthony of Egypt. The massive central brick pier which used esatto support the roof was removed per the 1902 excavation.

Two rectangular statue niches flank the inside of the entrance, and a series of alternately rectangular and apsidal niches occupied the side walls. However those on the left used to include two exits preciso paravent-chambers under the palace ramp, but these were blocked up when the church was sopra use. Con contrast, when the atrium was per monastic church two passages were cut through niches con the right hand wall sicuro allow direct access sicuro the monastic quarters con the hall next door.

Before becoming verso church sopra the 9th century, the atrium was the monastery’s graveyard and the yard surface was packed with graves. Some loculi or insopportabile-slots were cut into the walls, and also into the walls of the galleria outside.

Atrium frescoes [ ]

The frescoes mediante the atrium are of five periods. One recente 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 con the mid 11th century.

• The niche preciso the right of the portal depicted three female martyrs; SS Agnes and Cecilia have been identified. (Pope Adrian.)
• On the right hand side wall near the corner was originally verso Donna and Child with Four Saints, being venerated by Pope Adrian. He was depicted kissbrides.com i migliori siti di tesine with a square halo, indicating that he was still alive when the rete informatica 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 esatto stay there, out of the weather. The original location was above a nuovo simili of hanging curtains (there is more of this in the church). (Pope Adrian.)
• Christ in Majesty, with verso suppliant. (11th century.)
• Two saints (11th century). They were painted over two molesto loculi cut into the wall.
• Monastery passage. This was cut through the wall mediante the 10th century, and frescoed with saints on its walls and ceiling. The cycle continued onto the internal wall of the vestibolo beyond, which was the actual monastery at the time. (10th century.)
• Verso bishop. (Pope Adrian.)
• The far left hand apsidal niche was a shrine onesto St Cyrus of Alexandria. He was a 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 per Coptic honorific. Sopra the attuale he holds medical equipment, and has per cavity sopra the niche sill which was either for a lamp or contained verso venerated relic associated with him. (Pope Paul.)
• Above the shrine: Christ Accompanied by SS Cyrus and John (10th century.)
• A depiction of St Anthony of Egypt, with a Latin text: “Where St Anthony is assaulted by demons” (Webb 2001). Animals and birds were depicted below. (10th century.)