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Two Vastly Different Christian Basilicas |
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written
by leahs2 / 10.24.2005 |
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Assignment |
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The apse mosaic in Santa Prassede shows St. Peter’s converts being presented to Jesus by Peter and Paul. The mosaic speaks to the function of this church: to present an easy-going warmth and humanity within the church and to encourage conversion. This basilica is full of “spoilia,” reused architecture. Materials from baths, temples, and other buildings were removed, reused and Christianized to symbolically mark the triumph of Christianity over paganism. There is a gentle amalgamation of matching yet different features; the columns each have their own superficial decoration, yet the proportions remain constant.
St. Peter’s basilica awes the viewer. It is the largest and grandest open yet enclosed space I have ever been in. The vast empty space in the middle is unnerving, and the people walking appear miniature. When looking down the apse the gold pulls me into the central stained glass dome: dizzying and overwhelming. Statues are everywhere to guide and watch my actions. Elaborate coverings, sculptures, gilt, and frescoes fill every niche of the building. Every piece appears to be newly created for this church; nothing has been recycled like in Santa Prassede. This basilica glorifies St. Peter and the papacy and shows everyone who enters how magnificent, strong, and amazing the church is. I feel tiny and unimportant in this elite seat of Christianity; here Christianity rules the world and its autonomy is unquestioned.
In both churches, a divine vertical line is established between the relic (sign of past saint), the priest (living saint) standing above, and an image of divinity in the apse. Similarly, a horizontal line is drawn from the congregant through the forward motion of the nave culminating at the vertical group of divinity. The architecture of the church and the location of significant figures in key locations are carefully designed to create a forward pull and an all-consuming experience for the viewer.
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