Letter 32 to Severus

Name of text: Letter 32 to Severus
Author of text: Paulinus of Nola
Date of text: 403-404
Date of person in text: c. 355-431
Name of structure in text: Basilica Nova, Nola
Type of structure in text: Church
Date of structure in text 401-403
Century of structure 1: 5 AD
Century of structure 2: 5 AD
Country in text: Italy
Region in text: Campania
City in text: Nola, Naples Province
Specific place of mosaic in text: Apse
Description of mosaic in text:

A vault adorned with mosaics provides light for the apse, the floor and walls of which are faced with marble. These are the verses which describe the scene depicted on the vault:


The Trinity shines out in all its mystery.  Christ is represented by a lamb, the Father’s voice thunders forth from the sky, and the Holy Spirit flows down in the form of a dove.  A wreath’s gleaming circle surrounds the cross, and around this circle the apostles form a ring, represented by a chorus of doves.  The holy unity of the Trinity merges in Christ but the Trinity has its threefold symbolism.  The Father’s voice and the Spirit show forth God, the cross and the lamb proclaim the holy victim.  The purple and the palm point to kingship and to triumph.  Christ Himself, the Rock, stands on the rock of the Church, and from this rock four plashing fountains flow, the evangelists, the living streams of Christ. 

Mosaic date in text: 5 AD
Tesserae silver mentioned in text? No
Tesserae gold mentioned in text? No
Colour descriptions in text: purple
Bibliography:

Paulinus of Nola, Letters of Paulinus of Nola, letter 32,trans. by P. G. Walsh (London: Longmans, Green and Co., 1967), vol. 2, p. 145


Goldschmidt, R. C., Paulinus’ Churches at Nola (Amsterdam: 1940)

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Comments: costruita da S. Paolino tra il 401 ed il 403 sul lato settentrionale di quella già esistente, alla quale era collegata da un atrio e da un triplice ingresso.
Era articolata in tre navate, separate da undici colonne, con quattro cappelle laterali ed un'abside trichora, il cui catino era decorato da un mosaico, purtroppo, ora perduto, ma descritto

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