The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-02-04
BASILICA IS
DISCOVERED.
The Early Christian Church Is
Twelve Centuries Old.
FOUND IN the ROMAN FORUM.
Great Paintings Show Remarkable
Freshness, but Are in Great Danger
BY Exposure TO Tho Alr.
FOUND IN the ROMAN FORUM.

A recent traveller in Rome writes very
Interestingly 20 the London Times, con-
cerning a remarkable church. which has
Roman Forum. where the Italian govern
ment is making examinations. lie says:
Finally we come To the great church
which has been revealed by the removal
OF 5. Maria Liberatriee and the ground
behind II. At right angles to the en-
trance. and Immediately behind the shrine
OF Juturna, IL a smaller church. which,
as the well preserved eighth century fres-
Goes show, must have been dedicated 10
the Forty Martyrs.
Apparently our authorities contain no
trace of any such dedication i'm this re-
gion. The principal church consists Of
tho two great halls whict, constructed
in the second century between the Pal
atine hill and the massive brick struc-
ture known as the Temple OF Augustus,
were partly remodeled IN Christian times
and completely decorated internally with
painting.
What was this church? On December
Fl the discovery OF an inscription an
swered the question and put an end to a
long controversy.
Ii is s. Maria Antiqua--"Old st. Mary's"
as We should say. Ii was already "old"
by the middle of the seventh century.
when we find II mentioned for the first
time.
Then the Book Of the Popes" Uiber
Pontihcalis) tells us that I'm the early
years OF the eighth century John VII,
decorated IL with paintings, the reason,
no doubt. being that by the construction
of the adjoining papal residence II had be-
come the Papal chapel. After tho ninth
century tho name disappears.
PORTIONS WELL PRESERVED.
A few words must suffice TO give an
idea OF the remains which have now been
recovered. or the two halls OF classical
time, the outer, though not open TO the
sky, WAS perhaps treated as an Atrium.
as shown by the numerous burial re-
cesses CoculD eXcavated !n its walls.
Its sides at least were completely COW
cred with paintings, but. they have suf-
fered so severely that little of Importance
can be made but.
The inner church is far better pre-
served. In places the frescoes on the wall
are TO all intents and purposes az fresh
40 the day they We're painted. and the
architectural arrangements are fairly
easy TO trace.
An apse has been followed out of the
back wall of the square sanctuary, which
is fanked by two chspels, while the nave
OF the church was separated from the
aisles by two granite columns on either
side. Low screens divided up the space
in a curious way.
Every inch OF the surface OF walls.
screens, and columns was covered with
painting. Most OF that which has sur
viVed belongs demonstrably to the middle
OF the eighth century.
To the left of the colossal Christ in tho
apse stands bishop with a square MIN
bus, which shows that "a contemporary
person is represented.
Beside him is his name; IT Is Paul I.
(75s-s67l. a glimpse. by the way was not
OF this figure when the apse was excava-
ted nearly two hundred years ago; but
the rest In new 10 us
In the chapel To- the left. beneath cru
cifNion Of extraordinary brilliancy which
fills the recess above the altar (the base
OF which still stands I'm it's place. the
Virgin is represented, surrounded by Pc
ter and Paul, Quiricus and Julitts. the
saints TO whom the chapel was dedicated.
as the paintings on the side wall show.
But the two figures at either extremity
OF the group are OF still greater in
terest for us. To the left. with the
square nimbus and his name clearly In
scribed. stands Pope Zacharias 7il-762).
OLD IN SEVENTH CENTURY.
To the right an ecclesiastic presents
the model of a church 10 the Virgin Be
side him appears the inscription which
settles the name OF the church. Written
fully II runs. In the ungra mmatical Latin
of the time: 'Theodotus primocerius de-
fensorum IT dispensatore Sanctae Del
genotricis scmpcrduebirgo Marie aui sp-
pellstur antigua"
Theodotus can hardly be any other than
the uncle of Hsdrisn T.. who. we are
A.. l. H..
life as an official of the Byzantine gov
ernment and afterward became one OF the
highest dignitaries of the Roman church.
The scenes from the Old Testament
which covered the side walls OF the
church are IN the same style as these
paintings and formed part OF the same
scheme OF decoration.
But on the wall to the right of the apss
accident has revealed several layers OF
painting below
without attempting here to distinguish
these ninutely. one may say that the
earliest of them belong 10 a time when
tho classical tradition OF painting was
stil vigorous. and that some OF the lat
ter fragments. though harder and more
conventional in style. stll bear evil
dence to the continuance OF that tradi-
ton.
In any case. there IL a world OF differ
encc between them snd the eighth cen-
tury pictures. The same Impression Is
conveyed by some scenes from the life
,of Christ on the side walls OF tho sane
tuary, and, IA = less degree. hy tn. frsg-
ments OF old Testament subjects mostly
on the screens in the body OF the church.
They recall the miniatures which ~
iustrate Christian MSS. OF the fourth
20 the sixth century Now we know that
IL was not with rare sxceptions) iii