Lecture on the Basilica of Santa Sabina, Rome

Introduction

• Located at the top of the Aventine Hill in Rome
• Dates to the 400s, about a century after Christianity was legalized by Constantine
• Offers a significant view of Rome

Historical Context

• Nearby Capitoline Hill housed Roman temples like the Temple of Jupiter
• Site serves to emphasize the new official religion of the Roman Empire

Architectural Influence

• Early Christians did not create new architectural forms, reused Roman basilica
• Basilicas were administrative structures in ancient Rome
• Functionality shifted from administrative to religious, holding large congregations

Comparison to Pagan Structures

• Pagan Greek and Roman temples were houses for gods, with minimal interior space
• Christian basilicas needed to accommodate large gatherings and symbolized imperial authority
• Longitudinal axis in basilicas focused on the altar, suitable for liturgy

Design of Santa Sabina

• Features arches creating visual rhythm leading to the altar
• Reflects design of old Saint Peter’s Basilica, built by Constantine:
  • Old Saint Peter's was larger, had trussed ceiling, and double aisles
  • Served as a major pilgrimage site

Notable Features

• Original 5th-century carved wooden doorway with scenes from Old and New Testament
  • Includes an early depiction of the crucifixion, rare for early Christian art
• Interior of Santa Sabina:
  • Open space with clear view of the nave and apse
  • Lit by sunlight through gypsum windows in the clerestory
  • Flat ceiling with wooden beams, pitched roof
  • Columns (spolia) reused from pagan buildings
  • Nave arcade of arches
  • Inlaid stone images in the spandrels showing chalice and bread plates, symbolic of the eucharist
  • Elaborate carved screen separates the sanctuary from the nave

Influence and Legacy

• Santa Sabina's architectural forms influenced future Christian church designs
• Incorporation of transepts in later churches to symbolize the cross
• Originally decorated walls with frescoes or mosaics, now missing

Conclusion

• Despite later additions (Baroque chapels), much of Santa Sabina's original form remains
• Offers insight into the earliest Christian architecture and its continuity of Roman traditions