'Sistine Chapel of the Early Middle Ages' buried for a millenium by an earthquake reopens

telegraph.co.uk ^ | March 23, 2016 | Nick Squires,

[rdl6989]

A 1,500-year-old church which was buried under debris from an earthquake for more than a millennium has reopened to the public after a painstaking restoration of some of the world’s earliest Christian art.

The sixth-century church of Santa Maria Antiqua is located in the ancient Roman Forum, at the bottom of the Palatine Hill, where Roman emperors lived for centuries in sumptuous palaces.

[rdl6989]

ping

[JimSEA]

Wow. I want to go and see that. I don’t keep up with things like you do and hadn’t known about this.

[rdl6989]

Yes, this would be something to see.

[cld51860]

Just as interesting is the link within this story about the hidden ramp the emperors used to go unnoticed between Palatine Hill and the Forum. I was in Rome last spring and it was amazing. But I would have loved to seen both of these as well.

[skeeter]

See it now before its converted to a mosque carpark.

[Mrs. Don-o]

I wonder if the figures in the frieze, below, were originally outlined in white, or if that is just part of the restoration process. I don't know much about the art of that era (500-ish, I suppose you could say "late antiquity Roman").

[SatinDoll]

No, the outlines in white are not original but part of the restoration. I’m an Art Historian, and my specialty is late Antiquity (100 AD - 500 AD) and early Medieval (500 AD - 1000 AD).

[Darksheare]

Ping!

[Mrs. Don-o]

Thank you. Count on a FR person to know! That’s just what I sorta expected.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks rdl6989 and Darksheare.

Here's the links to topics which showed up in the search hits -- this is *very* junky compared with, well, my usual junk, because I'm having a monitor issue (#1 went south a couple days ago):

• Fifth-century church in Roman Forum to reopen to ... - Free Republic
• Icons as useful aids for attaining holiness - Free Republic
• THURSDAY IN THE FIFTH (PASSION) WEEK OF LENT Stational ...
• Orthodox Feast of the 40 Martyrs at Lake Sebaste, March 9
• The Neverending Story (The New Christian Chronicles)
• Buried church gives up secrets of Byzantine art in Rome
• Rome church opens after centuries under rubble - Free Republic
• The Life Of Saint Ann[and St.Joachim] - Free Republic

[lepton]

So, why would they do that?

I’d expect it in a magazine, but on the walls?

[SatinDoll]

Why would restorers outline the figures on the walls in white?

I do not really know, but in this case I would guess it makes them easier to see clearly.

[NoCmpromiz]

PFL

[Mrs. Don-o]

I don’t know this for a fact, but I would guess that those outlines are just a temporary part of the restoration process. Something like putting masking tape down to shield one part from drips and nicks and dust. When the whole thing is restored -— and it’s a painstaking process -— I’ll bet the white outlines are removed.

[SunkenCiv]

This topic was posted 03/23/2016, thanks again rdl6989 and Darksheare.