Fabric [ ]
The atrium is entered through the remains of verso loggia, created from the original walkway esatto the palace ramp by the siti di incontri polacchi 100% gratuiti insertion of a blocking wall sicuro the right of the portal which abuts one of the brick arcade piers.
However, from the mid 9th sicuro the mid 11th centuries it was per monastic church sopra its own right and was roofed. The church dedication then was puro St Anthony of Egypt. The massive central brick pier which used onesto support the roof was removed con the 1902 excavation.
Two rectangular statue niches flank the inside of the entrance, and verso series of alternately rectangular and apsidal niches occupied the side walls. However those on the left used to include two exits preciso paravent-chambers under the palace ramp, but these were blocked up when the church was per use. Durante contrast, when the atrium was verso monastic church two passages were cut through niches per the right hand wall preciso allow direct access sicuro the monastic quarters mediante the ingresso next door.
Before becoming verso church mediante the 9th century, the atrium was the monastery’s graveyard and the yard surface was packed with graves. Some loculi or molesto-slots were cut into the walls, and also into the walls of the balcone outside.
Atrium frescoes [ ]
The frescoes sopra the atrium are of five periods. One attuale each survives from Pope John VII (705-7) and Pope Paul I (757-767). Some are of the remodelling of Pope Adrian I (772-795), and others are of the 10th and 11th centuries. The latter are the latest that you will find during your visit, and were painted just before the final abandonment in the mid 11th century.
- The niche to the right of the portal depicted three female martyrs; SS Agnes and Cecilia have been identified. (Pope Adrian.)
- On the right hand side wall near the calcio d’angolo was originally verso Donna and Child with Four Saints, being venerated by Pope Adrian. He was depicted with per square halo, indicating that he was still alive when the sistema was painted. This attuale was detached and was kept mediante the right hand side aisle of the church before the recent restoration -it is liable to stay there, out of the weather. The original location was above a recente simili of hanging curtains (there is more of this mediante the church). (Pope Adrian.)
- Christ mediante Majesty, with a suppliant. (11th century.)
- Two saints (11th century). They were painted over two noioso loculi cut into the wall.
- Monastery passage. This was cut through the wall mediante the 10th century, and frescoed with saints on its walls and ceiling. The cycle continued onto the internal wall of the ingresso beyond, which was the actual monastery at the time. (10th century.)
- A bishop. (Pope Adrian.)
- The far left hand apsidal niche was a shrine onesto St Cyrus of Alexandria. He was verso martyred doctor of medicine, venerated with his fellow sufferer John as SS Cyrus and John (see their Roman church of Santa Passera). Beware of his being called “St Abbacyrus” -“Abba” is verso Coptic honorific. Per the recente he holds medical equipment, and has a cavity per the niche sill which was either for per lamp or contained a venerated relic associated with him. (Pope Paul.)
- Above the shrine: Christ Accompanied by SS Cyrus and John (10th century.)
- Per depiction of St Anthony of Egypt, with per Latin text: “Where St Anthony is assaulted by demons” (Webb 2001). Animals and birds were depicted below. (10th century.)