Page 90 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Rome

88  ROME AREA B Y AREA

w Temple of with two rectangular side has a vivid Byzantine apse
Romulus and Santi rooms and a concave porch. mosaic with Christ pictured
Cosma e Damiano The heavy, dull bronze doors against orange clouds.
are original.
See Visitors’ Checklist, p85. Santi Cosma Since the 6th century the
e Damiano: Tel 06-692 0441. Open temple has acted as a vestibule
9am–1pm & 3–7pm daily. Donation to the church of Santi Cosma e
for crib. 5 7 Damiano, which itself occupies
an ancient building – a hall in
No one is sure to whom the Vespasian’s Forum of Peace.
Temple of Romulus was The entrance to the church is
dedicated, but it was probably to on Via dei Fori Imperiali. The
the son of Emperor Maxentius, beautiful carved figures of its
and not to Rome’s founder. 18th-century Neapolitan
The temple is a circular brick presepio (crib or Nativity scene)
building, topped by a cupola, are on view, and the church Roof of the Temple of Romulus
e Basilica of for carrying out business, is 39 ft (12 m) statue of the
Constantine and often referred to simply as the emperor, made partly of wood
Maxentius Basilica of Constantine. and partly of marble. The giant
The area covered by the head, hand, and foot are on
See Visitors’ Checklist, p85. basilica was roughly 330 ft by display in the courtyard of the
215 ft (100 m by 65 m). It was Palazzo dei Conservatori (see
The basilica’s three vast, coffered originally designed to have a pp72–3). The roof of the basilica
barrel vaults are powerful relics long nave and aisles running glittered with gilded tiles until
of what was the largest building from east to west, but the 7th century, when they
in the Forum. Work began in Constantine switched the axis were stripped off to cover the
AD 308 under Emperor around to create three short roof of the old St. Peter’s.
Maxentius. When he was broad aisles with the
deposed by Constantine after main entrance in the
the Battle of the Milvian Bridge center of the long south
in AD 312, work on the massive wall. The height of the
project continued under the building was 115 ft
new regime. The building, (35 m). In the apse at the
which, like other Roman western end, where it
basilicas, was used for the could be seen from all
administration of justice and over the building, stood a
The three barrel-vaulted aisles of the
basilica were used as law courts.
The octagonal
coffers in the
vaulted ceiling
were originally
faced with marble.

The roof was
supported by eight
The main entrance massive Corinthian
was added by columns. One now stands
Constantine in AD 313. in Piazza Santa Maria
Maggiore (see p175).

US_088-089_EW_Rome_US.indd 88 15/03/17 4:19 pm
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v1.9)
Date 20th August 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm