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Santa Prassade |
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written
by kayanna / 10.24.2005 |
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Assignment |
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The Santa Prassede church is unassuming and intended to make the visitor feel both at home as well as impressed by Christianity's triumph over Paganism. The columns forming the aisles do not match; they were compiled from columns that were essentially lying around from pre-Christian times. There is a simple mosaic high overhead that includes some of the more important saints along with the figures involved in the foundation of this specific church. This early example of mosaic work and the incorporation of pre-Christian elements emphasize and celebrate the recent triumph of Christianity over Paganism in early Christian Rome.
St. Peter's Basilica was intended to make the visitor feel welcome as well in the layout of its two arms encircling the piazza that extend in a hug-like formation from the Basilica. This is done in a less intimate way, however, than the early, more modest churches like the Santa Prassade. The piazza is vast - the scale tries to hide this fact, but it is indisputable. A monument to the triumph over Paganism is again evident in the papal symbol atop the Egyptian obelisk in the center of the basilica. This space is lofty and white, however, and boasts the power and wealth of the papacy. Papal symbols are evident wherever there is free space. Inside the Basilica, the space is filled with light, filled with white, and is, in a word, big. It is big in a way that boasts not only airy heights, but also makes the building and spirituality feel lofty and distant. In Santa Prassade, however, the symbol of the founder of this church is evident, but it is not overflowing with grand and wealthy papal influence, and instead feels close, tangible, and more comfortable than the Basilica.
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