Saturday, September 14, 2013

Quattro Coronati

Quattro Coronati does not look very exciting from the outside. The architecture is quite plain and it would be hard to find the church if there weren't any signs. 

Thankfully, there are signs that lead you in to some of the best preserved frescoes in Rome from the 13th century. 

Frescoes this old usually peel or wear off over time because the paint is very hard to preserve. These are in great condition. 

The story depicted on most of the wall is of Constantine and the Pope.




The outside of the church

I'm pretty sure the story goes like this: Legend has it that Constantine had leprosy. He was told that the only cure was to bathe in his children's blood. The first slide shows him asking the mothers for their children. Okay, we've made it over the gruesome.



The next fresco is his dream of Peter and Paul who tell him that he must be baptized in holy waters to get rid of his leprosy. 


This picture didn't come out very well, but you can see how small Constantine looks in the tub. 
The Pope baptizes Constantine and in thanks, Constantine gives a crown to the Pope (below).



He then leads the Pope into Rome. Everyone lives! Happy ending! 

The floors are really beautiful. 
 This place is really a hole-in-the-wall, but it's worth looking for. The basilica is also really interesting because there are early frescos next to later paintings. You can really see the way art changed over the centuries.


2 comments:

  1. Gorgeous pictures! Makes me want to learn more about Constantine. There's a (really big) book somewhere in my house called Constantine's Sword that I may have to look for now. By the way, how's the gelato these days?��

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    1. Thank you!
      The gelato is great! My favorites are still hazelnut, pistachio, and chocolate chip. I need to branch out into the fruit flavors like mango and lemon though.

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