Maria Maggiore

Name of structure: Maria Maggiore
Extended name of structure:
Type of structure: Church
Country or main area: Italy
Region within country or main area: Lazio
City or area within region: Rome
Date of structure: 432-40
Century of structure 1: 5 AD
Century of structure 2: 5 AD
Specific place of mosaic: Apse; apse arch; triumphal arch; nave wall panels.
Brief descriptive contents of mosaic: Apse: Virgin and Christ enthroned, saints, inscription, scenes of the Life of the Virgin.
Apse arch: Martyrs, Evangelist symbols, Lamb.
Triumphal arch: early life of Christ, empty throne.
Nave panels: Old Testament scenes.
Date of mosaic: Apse, apse arch, triumphal arch: 432-40. Apse semi dome redone 1292-96.
Century of mosaic 1: 13 AD
Century of mosaic 2:
Silver tessera at site: Unknown
Gold tessera at site: Yes
Colour tessera at site: Yes
Were other materials found at site (i.e., glass cakes)? Unknown.
Has analysis been done? No
Samples taken from where? n/a
Excavation and restoration campaigns: 1970s
Bibliography of mainly technical resources:

B. Brenk, 'La tecnica dei mosaici paleocristiani di Santa Maria Maggiore a Roma', in Medieval Mosaics. Light, Color, Materials, ed by E. Borsook, F. Superbi & G. Pagliarulo (The Harvard University Center for Italian Renaissance Studies at Villa Tatti, Cinisello Balsamo 2000), 139-49.


Orrù, M. & Ranzi, C. (eds.), Patriarcale basilica di S. Maria MAggiore. progetto del restauro dei mosaici de V sec. nel'arco trionfale e nella navata. Relazione relativa alla documentazione grafica. Guida alla lettura delle tavole della documentazione grafica (1990s).


Orrù, M. & Ranzi, C., Patriarcale Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore - Roma, Progetto di restauro, mosaici di V. sec. della navata centrale e dell'arco trionfale, mosaici di Jacopo Torriti (1295) nel catino absidale, affreschi attribuiti a Giotto (1300?) nei transetti (Documentazione grafica informatizzata a cura di Marcella Orrù e Corinna Ranzi, Coordinamento di Bruno Zanardi, Marcella Orrù, Corinna Ranzi, Bruno Zanardi) (Getty restoration project, CD Rom, 1996)


Nordhagen, P. J., 'The archaeology of wall mosaics: a note on the mosaics in Sta. Maria Maggiore in Rome', The Art Bulletin 65/2 (1983), 323-24.


Spain, S., 'Carolingian restorations of the mosaics of S. Maria Maggiore in Rome', Gesta 16 (1977), 12-22.


Bovini, G., 'I mosaici romani dell' epoca di Sisto III (432-440). II. I mosaici della navata mediana e dell' arco trionfale di S. Maria Maggiore', Corsi di cultura sull' arte ravennate e bizantina 10 (1963), 67-101.


Krautheimer, R., Corbett, S., Frankl, S. & Frazer, A. K., Corpus Basilicarum Christianarum Romae (Monumenti di antichità cristiana pubblicati dal Pontificio Instituto di Archeologia Cristiana). 6 Vols. (Vatican City, New York, 1937-80).

Snyder, James, ‘The Mosaic in Santa Maria Nova and the Original Apse Decoration of Santa Maria Maggiore, in eds R. Enggass and M. Stokstad, Hortus Imaginum (Lawrence: University of Kansas, 1974), 1-10


Gardner, Julian, ‘The Capocci Tabernacle in Santa Maria Maggiore’, in Papers of the British School in Rome, 38 (1970), 220-30
URLs:
Comments: Apse by Jacopo Torriti is incomplete.

Mosaic panel dd 1256, showing Giovani Giocomo Capocci and his wife Vinia was originally on their tabernacle which stood in the apse of S. Maria Maggiore.  Is now in chapel to the left of the choir of S. Michele in Vico, Lazio. There are also fragments from this tomb in Mary and Nicholas church, Wilton, Wiltshire, UK, so see entries for these two churches.
For details see: Gardner, Julian, ‘The Capocci Tabernacle in Santa Maria Maggiore’, in Papers of the British School in Rome, 38 (1970), 220-30

Previous Next