Page 31 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Rome

THE HIST OR Y OF ROME  29

Where to See Early
Christian Rome
There are traces of early
Christianity all over Rome. Many
Epigraph of Peter ancient churches were built over
and Paul early Christian meeting places
This is one of and sites of martyrdoms: among
hundreds of early them San Clemente (see pp188–
Christian graffiti 9), Santa Pudenziana (p173), and
housed in the Santa Cecilia (p213). Outside the
Lapidary Gallery walls of the old city are miles of
of the Vatican underground catacombs (pp267–
(see p238). 8), many decorated with Christian
frescoes, while the Vatican’s
Pio-Christian Museum (p238)
has the best collection of
early Christian art.
Crucifixion, Santa Sabina
This 5th-century panel on the
door of Santa Sabina (see p206)
is one of the earliest known
representations of the
Crucifixion. Interestingly, This statuette,
Christ’s cross is not carved out of bone, is
actually shown. embedded in the rock
of the Catacombs of
San Panfilo, just off the
Via Salaria (map 2 F4).

St. Peter receiving peace
from the Saviour

Lambs symbolizing the
Christian flock

Constantine’s Cross
Constantine’s vision of
the True Cross during the The Cross of Justin, in the
Battle of the Milvian Treasury of St. Peter’s (p230), was
Bridge made him convert given to Rome by the Emperor
to Christianity. Justin II in AD 578.

Illustration of
Anastasius II
609 Pantheon is
consecrated as a
A Byzantine image
of St. Paul Christian church
450 500 550 600
496 Anastasius II is first pope to 590–604 Pope Gregory 630 Sant’Agnese
assume title Pontifex Maximus the Great strengthens fuori le Mura is
the papacy built in Roman
475 Fall of Western Roman Empire; Byzantine style
Byzantium becomes seat of Empire

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