Church of Santa Reparata - Essay Example

Church of Santa Reparata Part I: Architecture (Exterior) The shape of the building is an octagon as it has eight equal sidesand a rectangular addition on the western side of the building. The sides have been clad with geometrically patterned colour marble. The exterior has a Carrara marble with green Prato that was reworked in Romanesque style (Lansing, 13). The building has doors which are located on three sides of the building. The doors are located in the eastern, northern and southern side of the building. Although the building is an octagon, it is possible to identify the rare side of the building. The location of the doors can be used for the purposes of identifying the front and rear side of the building. The exterior of the building is well decorated and it has significant statues on the southern gate. Part II: Interior decorations The initial reaction to the space and decoration of the interiors is that it has not been well decorated. This is because the interior appears to be dark as light only enters the building through the windows. Since the building appears to be dark, it is not easily to see the decorations immediately and hence giving the impression that the building is not well decorated. On the other hand, the interior of the building is large which makes it more difficult to see all the decorations immediately. However, when entering the building, one can notice that the floor has some form of decorations although it is not clear immediately. The baptismal font may have been located near inside the building close to the altar. The baptismal font could have posed some risks to the children and the congregation. This is because it could cause drowning and hence leading to the death of the members insider the church. Such an event could have impacted negatively on the image of the church (King, 14). The reason for its removal could also be the construction of the monumental tomb of Antipope John XXIII. The statue and the deathbed supported by the two lions could have been constructed after the removal of the baptismal font. Space had to be created for the construction of the monumental tomb and the statue. This may have promoted the removal of the baptismal font. It is also important to note that the Antipope John XIII was significant to the church and a monument had to be constructed in his honour. The dome has a mosaic ceiling and it is divided into seven stories. Each of the stories has its own significance. The first story is about the last judgment which will take place at the last day. A huge image of Christ is also visible in the first story. The second story is composed of the lanterns which are responsible for providing light to the building. The third story in the doom is composed choirs of angles. The choirs of angles are linked to heaven where they are responsible for singing praise songs to God. The story of genesis is on the fourth story in the dome. The story of Genesis is mainly about creation (Leader, 6). The fifth story is that of Joseph who was sold to slavery in Egypt by his brothers. The story of Marty and Christ is found in the sixth story. This is considering that Marty and Christ are quite significant in the foundation of the Christian faith. The sixth story is that of St John the Baptist who was responsible for baptizing Jesus Christ. The different levels of stories in the dome have been well laid out due to the relevance that it has on the church and the Christian faith. The audience is able to read the story through studying the pictures that have been presented in each of the levels. The clear presentation of the pictures enables one to understand the story. This is also considering that the dome is of a large size. In the building the light sources are lanterns and the small windows. They allow entry of natural light in the building. The light is more intense at the altar as compared to the other parts of the building. The use of natural light in the building provides a peaceful environment considering that it is a church. However, the low intensity of light may affect the ability of the congregation to read the spiritual books. The use of the natural light is important considering that at the time of the construction there was no electricity (de Torrens, 9). The space could have been lit originally through the roof. Materials that allow the entry of light in the building could have been used for roofing the church. This would have impacted positively on the entry of light in the building during the day. Lighting the candles at night could play an important role in terms of providing natural light to the building. The windows of the building are also small in size and have been located at the top. This may contribute to the low illumination of the building. The sizes of the windows should have been a little large and should not have been put in place at a much lower level. It is also important to note that the availability of adequate light is important in enabling the congregation to read spiritual books. The interior decorations can be seen clearly in the presence of enough light. There are mosaics which are located over the altar and have different meanings. The mosaics cover three sections over the top of the altar. The mosaic has an image of Christ surrounded by the angles of judgment. This is an indication of the last judgment that will take place and the sinners will be condemned to eternal suffering. The evil doers will be burnt and roasted on the splits by huge fires. They will then be crushed with stones, bitten by snakes and chewed by beasts. This is a message to the Christians and the congregation to avoid evil as it will lead to eternal suffering. The mosaic therefore indicates the horrors from hell and it indicates that all the evil doers will not be spared and will be condemned to eternal suffering in hell (Lansing, 17). On the other hand, the mosaics also indicate that during the last judgment, the righteous will be rewarded. The righteous will be on the right hand of Christ and they will leave their tombs in joy. This also indicates that they will enter the Kingdom of God where they will experience eternal happiness. The location of the mosaic at the altar is thus strategic as the altar is considered a holy. The mosaic acts a reminder for the Christians about the events that await them depending on how they live their lives here on earth. Important spiritual figures are also represented by the mosaics. Inside the building, there is a large figure of Christ inside the dome. The large figure of Christ is not only symbolic but it also spiritual. On seeing the figure, it creates a feeling of being close to Jesus Christ. It beings about a sense of peace and cannot help staring at it for a long period of time. A spiritual feeling and a feeling of being close to heaven is created by the figure. One also feels a sense of being in a holy place by viewing the figure of Christ. It also makes one develop a deep sense of humanity and the relevance of religion to the humans. The figure of Christ at the dome brings about the feeling of inner peace and appreciation of the works that was carried out by Jesus Christ. This is an indication that the figure is powerful and can provide an opportunity for the Christians to reflect on their lives. The figure is also for reminding the Christians in the importance of following the teaching of Jesus Christ. It provides the Christians with hope that their prayers will be answered. The figure of Christ inspires the Christians to always do good in the hope of gaining eternal life in heaven after being united with Christ himself. Looking Assignment The mosaics lie on the middle nave in the Early Christian Basilica of Santa Reparata. It is located at 30 meters above the Roman pavement. Given the nature of their contents, the position of the mosaics could be symbolic as different mosaics are found in different areas. Different mosaics depict different eras and meanings are dependent on the uses of the different symbols. The names of fourteen sponsors have been inscribed on one of the mosaics (Lansing, 18). This is symbolic in terms of enabling the people to know who sponsored the processes. On the other hand, the symbol of a peacock is a sign of vanity or pride. It could also indicate that the people who carried out the construction process together with their sponsors were proud of their work. The region was dedicated to Christianity and the center served as the religious center. This made it important for the decorations to have the aspects of Christianity. Mosaic pavement The size of the stone pillars that are found at the building seems to have some similarities and differences as those that are found at Basilica of San Apollinaire Nuovo and Basilica of San Apollinaire of Classe. In terms of size, they are almost similar although that found in at Basilica of Santa Reparata are slightly big. In the case of San Apollinaire of Classe the Greek marbles have been used extensively. The shape and materials that have been used appears to be similar. However, the similarities indicates that the design that was being used at the time for the purposes of constructing the churches were similar. It appears that there had been a crypt underneath the building. The crypt could have been used for the purposes of burying the martyrs and saints. This is considering that the martyrs and saints were highly valued by the church. Burying them in the crypt could have played an important role in ensuring that they remembered for their achievements. The crypt may have also been used for the purposes of storing the religious materials and artifacts. This may also have included the religious relics that were being used at the time. The bones of other saints may also have been transported to the crypt after Santa Reparata became the new seat of the Bishop. This is therefore an indication that the crypt was of great importance to the Christians at the time. Fresco decorations from the 12th and 13th century are visible on the right hand side of the crypt. There is an indication that fresh lime plaster has been used to develop the painting. On the other hand, the painting is part of the wall and this can only mean that the technique of mural painting had been used. At the corner from the crypt at the right side of the chapel, there is a fragment of fresh decoration. The sculpture can be that of the Virgin Mary holding the Body of the Jesus Christ after his death. This type of sculpture is usually referred to as a Pieta by the church (Leader, 9). It is significant to the church as it displays the lamentation of Christ and the passion of Christ. This conclusion has been arrived at after a careful consideration of the possible nature of the sculpture and its positioning at the Fresco. It was common for the Fresco in during the time to have such paintings or sculptures of Virgin Mary holding the dead body of Jesus Christ. On the other hand, the torso of man could be that of Santa Reparata. This is because the people at the time continued to honour Santa Reparata through the use of paintings and sculptures. On the other hand, there are other smaller objects around the images. The smaller objects could be decorations in honour of the influential people at the time who were also inspirational to the Christians. The Arnolfo di Cambio façade was put up in 1296 but it was later demolished in the 16th century. The decorative pattern that had been created formed a homogeneous pattern with the other aspects of the building. The use of white, green and red marbles is evident on the fragments. On the other hand, some of the Christian symbols are found on the fragments which is an indication that the design considered most of the aspects of Christianity. At the front of the Duomo, there are six blocks of stone that have been set distinctively on the pavement. These blocks could be representing the boundaries of the facade of Santa Reparata. This is considering that the excavations revealed that the boundaries extended up to 8 meters beyond the entrance of the Duomo. The blocks of stone therefore play an important role in trying to maintain the originality of the site for it to be visible to the visitors at the museum. References Lansing, Carol. The Florentine magnates: lineage and faction in a medieval commune. Princeton University Press, 2014. King, Ross. Brunelleschis dome: how a renaissance genius reinvented architecture. Bloomsbury Publishing USA, 2013. Leader, Anne. The Badia of Florence: Art and Observance in a Renaissance Monastery. Indiana University Press, 2012. de Torrens, Harriet M. Sonne, and Miguel A. Torrens, eds. The Visual Culture of Baptism in the Middle Ages: Essays on Medieval Fonts, Settings and Beliefs. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., 2013. Read More