LATE ANTIQUE AND EARLY MEDIEVAL ART HISTORY

The course is included among the related or integrative training activities of the "Master's Degree in History of Arts and Conservation of Artistic Heritage" ("Medieval and Byzantine" track). The course aims to deepen the knowledge of the various expressive art forms of the Late Antique and Early Medieval periods (architecture, sculpture, mosaics, luxury arts).

- Knowledge and understanding: Assimilation of the concepts, reflections, and notions covered during lectures.
- Applying knowledge and understanding: Ability to contextualize the artworks and artistic phenomena discussed in class within their respective socio-cultural, spatial, and chronological frameworks.
- Making judgements: Ability to identify the most significant aspects of each artwork, whether related to its formal, iconographic, iconological, symbolic, socio-cultural, or aesthetic dimensions.
- Communication skills: Ability to describe the artworks and artistic phenomena covered during lectures using subject-specific terminology; ability to express acquired knowledge, reflections, and concepts clearly and grammatically correctly.
- Learning skills: By the end of the course, students should be able to provide both an analytical and critical reading of the artworks and artistic phenomena discussed, integrating lecture material with the assigned readings.

No prerequisites are required.

The course aims to deepen students’ understanding of Early Christian art through an analysis of the material heritage of Late Antique and Early Medieval Rome, which is of paramount importance for the study of artistic production in the Early Christian era. The study of the material evidence that still survives will be consistently complemented by an analysis of the sources that preserve the memory of important lost works.
The lectures will chronologically trace the artistic periods that succeeded one another in Rome between the 4th and 7th centuries. Comparisons will also be made with the artistic output of major cities of the Early Christian period, such as Aquileia, Milan and Ravenna.
The focus will be primarily on monumental examples in the fields of architecture (ecclesiastical buildings with central and basilica-style plans, baptisteries, mausoleums), sculpture (sarcophagi and liturgical furnishings) and decorative elements (floor and wall mosaics, paintings, opus sectile). The in-depth study of these works will examine their technical and executive methods, material components, iconographic themes, formal aspects, patronage, and function. The goal is to provide students with the necessary tools to understand the artistic languages that shaped Christian art during its formative stage.

° Introduction to Early Christian art
An essay of your choice from among
- Bisconti F., La pittura delle catacombe, 2006, pp. 206-214
- Bisconti F., I sarcofagi cristiani antichi, 2020, pp. 259-307
- Bisconti F., Pittura cristiana della Tarda Antichità, 2020, pp. 309-343

° The Lateran complex
- Brandenburg H., L’età di Costantino, 2004, pp. 16-54
An essay of your choice from among:
- Leardi G., Il volto di Cristo della perduta abside di San Giovanni in Laterano, 2006, pp. 358-361
- Bisconti F., L’abside piena, l’abside vuota, 2014, pp. 229-236
- Guidobaldi F., Architettura paleocristiana, 2014, pp. 361-443
- De Blaauw S., A classic question. The origins of the church basilica and liturgy, 2016, pp. 553-562

° S. Pietro in Vaticano
- Brandenburg H., San Pietro in Vaticano, 2004, pp. 92-103
- Moretti F.R., Liverani P., I mosaici perduti di San Pietro in Vaticano di età costantiniana, 2006, pp. 87-91

° The ambulatory basilicas and the mausoleum of S. Costanza
- Brandenburg H., Le basiliche a deambulatorio costantiniane di Roma, 2004, pp. 89-92
An essay of your choice from among:
- Piazza S., I mosaici esistenti e perduti di Santa Costanza, 2006, pp. 54-86
- Piazza S., La memoria dell’oculus romano nelle cupole di Santa Costanza, della Rotonda di San Giorgio e del Battistero degli Ortodossi, 2014, pp. 243-248

° S. Pudenziana
An essay of your choice from among:
- Angelelli C., Titulus Pudentis: nuove acquisizioni, 2012, pp. 63-76
- Andaloro M., Il mosaico absidale di Santa Pudenziana, 2006, pp. 114-124

° S. Sabina
An essay of your choice from among:
- Brandenburg H., Titulus Sabinae (S. Sabina), 2004, pp. 167-177
- Leardi G., I mosaici e la decorazione ad opus sectile di Santa Sabina, 2006, pp. 292-304

° S. Maria Maggiore
- Brandenburg H., Ecclesiae Sanctae Dei Genitricis (S. Maria Maggiore), 2004, pp. 178-189

° S. Paolo fuori le mura, San Pietro in Vaticano and the chapels of the Lateran Baptistery
Two essays of your choice from among:
- Viscontini M., I cicli vetero e neo testamentari della navata di San Pietro in Vaticano, 2006, pp. 411-415
- Viscontini M., I mosaici e i dipinti murali esistenti e perduti di San Paolo fuori le mura, 2006, pp. 366-378
- Bordi G., Il mosaico dell’arco trionfale, 2006, pp. 395-402
- Bisconti F., Ferri G., I monumenti cristiani sulla via Ostiense dal III al VII secolo d.C., 2018, pp. 101-190
- Moretti F.R., Alfano G., I mosaici e la decorazione ad opus sectile dell’atrio del Battistero Lateranense, 2006, pp. 348-357
- Brandt O., The Lateran Baptistery in the fourth and fifth centuries: new certainties and unresolved questions, 2020, pp. 221-238
- Pennesi S., I mosaici delle cappelle del Battistero Lateranense, 2006, pp. 425-436

° S. Maria Antiqua
- Santa Maria Antiqua tra Roma e Bisanzio, exhibition catalogue (Roma 2016), essays pp. 11-69

° SS. Cosma e Damiano
- Brandenburg H., SS. Cosma e Damiano, 2004, pp. 222-231

° S. Lorenzo fuori le mura
- Brandenburg H., La basilica a deambulatorio di S. Lorenzo fuori le mura, 2004, pp. 87-89
- Mondini D., San Lorenzo fuori le mura. Storia del complesso monumentale nel Medioevo, 2016, pp. 9-19

° Icons
- Andaloro M., Dal ritratto all’icona, 2000, pp. 31-67

° Sant'Agnese fuori le mura
- Croci C., Gianandrea M., L'abside di Sant'Agnese fuori le mura: uno sguardo tra passato e futuro, 2022, pp. 129-153

° S. Stefano Rotondo
- Taddei A., La committenza di papa Teodoro (642-649) : Primo e Feliciano nella chiesa di Santo Stefano Rotondo, 2022, pp. 173-211

The oral examination will focus on the content of the lectures and the specified texts (see above, ‘Reference texts’).

oral

The instructor is responsible for ensuring the authenticity and originality of all examinations and coursework. In cases of suspected academic misconduct, an additional on-site assessment may be required during the exams, which may differ from the standard format.

The exam mark will be expressed out of 30.
The exam is considered passed with a minimum mark of 18/30.

Lectures with PowerPoint presentations containing text and illustrative material, specifically prepared by the professor.
Use of the Moodle multimedia platform to make text and illustrative material available in PDF format.

Attendance at the course is strongly recommended.

A study trip to Rome is planned, provided there is a sufficient number of participants.