Academic literature on the topic 'Sacello'

The essay discusses the early history of the San Salvario chapel in Turin, commissioned by Christine of France – Duchess of Savoy and widow of Victor Amadeus I – as a votive offering for obtaining the right to govern the State until the full age of her heir. Guided by the inscription on the façade, the essay reconstructs the primitive design of the church (later heavily transformed), clarifies its reasons, meanings and functions, questions the critical interpretations to date and proposes a new stylistic assessment.

The monastery of Saint Catherine of Sasso was built overhanging the eastern shore of Lake Maggiore in the municipality of Leggiuno (VA). In particular, our paper concerns the relics housed in the Sacellum of the church of St. Caterina. According to the tradition, the first Sacellum dedicated to the saint was built before the 16th century over a medieval hermit’s refuge. The chronicle, the Historieta, remembers that, in the 12th century, a merchant of Arolo, Alberto Besozzi, survived the lake crossing shipwreck and made a vow to St. Catherine of Alexandria. He decided to retreat in prayer in a cave on that part of the coast. The Sacellum, now incorporated in the monastery complex (at the bottom of the central nave of the church), preserved human remains of Blessed Alberto in the past. We present the important role that the Sacellum and the relics have played not only for the faith, but also for the devotion of pilgrims and local people. In this context, this monument is related to the sense of religiosity and spirituality that pervaded medieval life, where every form of prayer is to be materialized in the physicality of a tangible creation.

Abstract: The article discusses the use of religious elements (the contrast between the concepts of pietas vs. impietas) in the characterisation of Roman politicians and citizens during the declining years of the Republic. Pietas symbolised people possessing virtues of divine character, which, consequently, ensured their exceptional position. Accusations of impietas covered a number of cases of violation of religious regulations: inter alia, negligence of rites or sacrifices (neglegentia), profanation of worship or a sacred place, encroaching on or destruction of temples (templa, aedes, fana, sacella), places (e.g. groves – luci) or objects (e.g. altars – arae, statues – simulacra) recognised as holy, as well as tombs (violatio), sacrilegium (sacrilege), violation of the principles of divinatio (contra auspicia), as well as waging a war contrary to religious principles (bellum impium).Abstrakt: Artykuł poświęcony jest wykorzystaniu elementów religijnych (zestawienia pojęć: „pietas” - „impietas”) w charakterystyce rzymskich polityków i obywateli epoki schyłku Republiki. Pietas symbolizowała ludzi, którzy skupiali w sobie te cnoty, które miały boski charakter i w związku z tym zapewniały im wyjątkową pozycję. Oskarżenia o impietas obejmowały szereg przypadków naruszenia przepisów religijnych: m.in. zaniedbanie rytuałów bądź ofiar (neglegentia), znieważenie kultu bądź miejsca świętego, naruszenie, bądź zniszczenie: świątyń (templa, aedes, fana, sacella), miejsc (np.gajów – luci) lub rzeczy (np. ołtarze – arae, posągi – simulacra) uznanych za święte, a także grobów (violatio), „sacrilegium” (świętokradztwo), naruszenie zasad „divinatio” ( contra auspicia), a także prowadzenia niezgodnej z zasadami religijnymi wojny (bellum impium).

El presente trabajo aborda el estudio arquitectónico e histórico del sacellum in antis descubierto en los años noventa del siglo XX en el solar del Círculo Católico de Huesca (España), la antigua Osca, en el contexto de la arquitectura romana desarrollada por los romanos en las provincias hispanas, especialmente en la Citerior, y en la península Itálica en los dos siglos anteriores a la Era.

A Gram-stain-positive bacterial strain, designated as NR2T, isolated from noni (Morinda citrifolia L.) branch was investigated using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. The cells were small coccoid to ovoid, non-spore-forming and motile. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the strain was a representative of a member of the genus Brachybacterium, to which the most closely related neighbours were Brachybacterium squillarum M-6-3T (97.90 % similarity), Brachybacterium faecium DSM 4810T (97.50 %), Brachybacterium sacelli LMG 20345T (97.41 %), Brachybacterium phenoliresistens phenol-AT (97.36 %), Brachybacterium nesterenkovii DSM 9573T (97.36 %) and Brachybacterium rhamnosum LMG 19848T (97.32 %). The polar lipid profile of strain NR2T consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, unknown phospholipids and unknown glycolipids. The predominant respiratory quinone was MK-8, with MK-9 and MK-7 as minor components. The major fatty acids were anteiso-C15 : 0 and iso-C15 : 0. Strain NR2T was clearly distinguishable from the type strains of related species on the basis of phylogenetic analysis, DNA–DNA hybridization, fatty acid composition data analysis and a range of physiological and comparison of biochemical characteristics. It is evident from the genotypic and phenotypic data that strain NR2T represents a novel species of the genus Brachybacterium, for which the name Brachybacterium hainanense sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is NR2T ( = DSM 29535T = CICC 10874T).

This study has the aim of carrying out a chemical-physical and mineralogical research on vitreous mosaic tesserae from the early Christian sacella of San Prosdocimo (Padua) and of Santa Maria Mater Domini (Vicenza), in order to characterize the materials and, if possible, to get information about production technologies and raw materials. The mosaic of the sacellum of San Prosdocimo, which was flattened in the XVI century, now only consists of mosaic bits and single tesserae, on which the Sovrintendenza per il patrimonio storico artistico ed etnoantropologico of the provinces of Belluno, Padua, Rovigo and Treviso allowed the development of this study. The mosaic of the sacellum of Santa Maria Mater Domini, instead, is still located in situ, even though it is quite fragmentary: the Sovrintendenza per il patrimonio storico artistico ed etnoantropologico of the provinces of Verona, Vicenza and Rovigo made the study on this second mosaic possible. This study focused on the colorimetric investigation of over 3000 single tesserae from the Paduan sampling, which were subdivided into 23 chromatic categories after a preliminary visual observation. This classification was then verified through spectrometric researches that had the aim of recognize CIELAB coordinates of every sample. Various samples were chosen for every category according to objective features (weave, chromatic shade). The archaeometric researches focused on a total of 226 tesserae. As from the chromatic categories of the Paduan cycle, 25 tesserae of the sacellum in Vicenza were sampled, with the objective to identify a certain analogy between the two mosaic cycles, which represent the unique examples of the early Christian mosaic art in the Veneto region. All samples were put through scanning electron microscope observations (SEM) and electron microprobe analyses (EMPA) in order to identify their weave and glass composition. Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) was also used to analyze transparent colourless samples both to recognize the composition of the vitreous matrix and to compare this sampling with the equivalent glass contained in the bibliography. Researches through X-Ray powder diffraction (XRPD) and X-Ray Single Crystal Diffraction (XRSCD) were carried out with the aim of identifying the crystalline opacifier phases of opaque samples. Thanks to the definition of the opacifiers it was also possible to obtain an evaluation of the oxide reductive conditions of the thermal regime of the kilns during glass production. In addition to researches EMPA, SEM and XRPD, X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy measurements were took to identify the chromophoric agent that is responsible for the colour of the tesserae, in order to analyze copper oxidation together with coloration of opaque tesserae. Transparent colourless tesserae were analyzed through EPR with the aim to quantify ions Fe(III) and Mn(III) in the glass of the samples. Final results suggested that the two mosaic cycles are significantly connected. In particular, close similarities both in production technologies and in the materials were noticed, while some peculiarities are less relevant and referable to the different quantity of finds of the two samplings. In addition, a database has been arranged with the aim to collect and check the numerous results that were obtained. This kind of technical support represents a useful instrument to study early Christian mosaic glass.
La ricerca qui condotta ha come obiettivo l'indagine chimico-fisica e mineralogica delle tessere musive vitree provenienti dai sacelli paleocristiani di San Prosdocimo (Padova) e di Santa Maria Mater Domini (Vicenza), mirata a caratterizzarne i materiali e, qualora possibile, trarre informazioni sulle tecnologie di produzione e sulle materie prime. Il mosaico del Sacello di San Prosdocimo, abbattuto nel XVI secolo, è oggi totalmente scomposto in lacerti musivi e tessere sciolte sulle quali la Sovrintendenza per il patrimonio storico artistico ed etnoantropologico delle province di Belluno, Padova, Rovigo e Treviso ha concesso l’autorizzazione all’esecuzione di questo studio. Il mosaico del Sacello di Santa Maria Mater Domini è, seppure frammentario, ancora collocato in situ e il suo studio è stato permesso dalla Sovrintendenza per il patrimonio storico artistico ed etnoantropologico per le provincie di Verona, Vicenza e Rovigo. Le oltre 3000 tessere sciolte della campionatura padovana, dopo una preliminare osservazione visiva, sono state suddivise in 23 categorie cromatiche, classificazione successivamente confermata anche da indagini spettrometriche volte ad individuare le coordinate CIELAB di ciascun campione. Per ogni categoria cromatica sono stati scelti più campioni sulla base di caratteri oggettivi (tessitura, tonalità cromatica, eccetera), per un totale di 226 tessere sulle quali si sono concentrate le indagini archeometriche. Alla luce delle categorie cromatiche riconosciute nel ciclo padovano sono state campionate in situ 25 tessere del sacello vicentino, con lo scopo di identificare possibili analogie tra i due cicli musivi, unici esempi dell’arte musiva paleocristiana noti in Veneto. Per individuare la tessitura e la composizione del vetro delle tessere sono state condotte indagini al microscopio elettronico a scansione (SEM) e in microsonda elettronica (EMPA) su tutti i campioni, e su quelli trasparenti incolori sono state eseguite anche analisi in spettrometria di massa ad ablazione laser (LA-ICP-MS), in modo da valutare la composizione della matrice vetrosa e confrontare la campionatura in analisi con i corrispettivi vetri noti in letteratura. Le indagini in diffrattometria a raggi X delle polveri (XRPD) e a cristallo singolo (XRSCD) sono state realizzate sui campioni opachi con l’obiettivo identificare le fasi cristalline opacizzanti e/o pigmentanti. La determinazione degli opacizzanti ha inoltre permesso di ottenere una stima delle condizioni ossido riduttive e dei regimi termici delle fornaci durante la produzione del vetro. L’agente cromoforo responsabile delle tessere è stato caratterizzato mediante analisi SEM, EMPA, e XRPD coniugate ad analisi colorimetriche condotte sulle tessere opache. Sulle tessere trasparenti incolori sono state realizzate analisi EPR finalizzate alla quantificazione degli ioni Fe2+ e Mn3+ presenti nel vetro dei campioni. In aggiunta per indagini sugli stati di ossidazione del rame che si è rivelato essere il principale cromoforo, in numerose categorie cromatiche, sono state effettuate misure spettrometriche in assorbimento di raggi X (XAS). Alla luce dei risultati ottenuti si sono individuate significative relazioni tra i due cicli musivi. In particolare i dati disponibili suffragano forti analogie nelle tecnologie di produzione e nei materiali impiegati; minore rilevanza assumono alcune specificità, anche riconducibili alla diversa numerosità dei reperti delle due campionature. È stata inoltre predisposta una base di dati volta a raccogliere e gestire la grande numerosità di risultati ottenuti.. Il database è stato strutturato in modo da permettere l’accesso in modo veloce e puntuale a tutte le informazioni riguardanti la caratterizzazione della tessera musiva e tutti i dati digitalizzati relativi alle analisi chimiche-fisiche e mineralogiche di cui è indicata la procedura analitica, la precisione e l’accuratezza relativa, sono acquisibili dall’utente. Tale supporto informatico viene quindi proposto come un utile mezzo per lo studio del vetro musivo paleocristiano.

La dissertazione in oggetto si pone come obbiettivo la definizione di un quadro critico essenziale propedeutico alla revisione sistematica delle evidenze archeologiche afferenti gli ambienti V, VI, VII, VIII e le loro immediate pertinenze spaziali, costituenti il settore più settentrionale del fronte monumentale ad ortostati della prima fabbrica palaziale festia, al fine di consentirne una interpretazione la più olistica possibile e scevra da vetusti pregiudizi disciplinari. La trattazione si occuperà di riorganizzare le vicende secolari di scavo archeologico e vagliare la scarna documentazione prodotta sul campo all’epoca del primo sterro; sulla scorta di un’esame autoptico parziale delle evidenze oggetto d’indagine verranno di seguito analizzate le strutture murarie superstiti ed il record di cultura materiale in nostro possesso. Infine si vorrà produrre un confronto critico tra letture offerte dagli studiosi nel corso dei decenni in merito alla collocazione funzionale e simbolica degli ambienti suddetti, vagliandone lo spettro interpretativo.

This thesis discusses the archaeological remains in the Etruscan bridge complex, found during the excavations at San Giovenale in 1959–1963, and 1999. The aim has been to reach a holistic perspective of the bridge complex with the bridge seen as a link between topography, economy, social relationships, politics, symbols and ritual, reflecting its importance for the whole community at San Giovenale and its surroundings. Situated at the border between the two largest city-states Tarquinia and Caere, the site seems to have been an important middle range transit town for foreign ideas, goods and people.

The character of the remains and the various levels of contextual analyses made it possible to distinguish five distinctive functions for the structures at the bridge over the Pietrisco. From a more generalised point of view these suggested that specialized functions may be divided into practical, social and symbolic functions and these aspects have been of help in identifying an object or a structure. Besides practical functions of everyday use, economic and strategic functions have also been considered.

These functions were more or less in use contemporaneously, at least during several hundred years, from about the middle of the 6th down to the first century B.C. Pottery and small finds show that some activity has taken place at the site from the 9th century. Features of continuity, such as in the choice of crossing, the direction of the bridge construction after its destruction, the architectural ground-plans, the use of basins and a well, pottery fabrics of local and Greek imports and shapes, as well as changes in ground-plans, slight changes in the environment due to water erosion, earth-quakes and slides, have been observed. The physical as well as the liminal boundary between land and water as well as between man and spirits was accentuated by the tufa building, the water installations, and the road at the northern abutment. The thesis raises the hypothesis that the Etruscans believed that a crossing of a river via a bridge could violate the spirits of nature on land and in the water and therefore special rites were needed to restore the balance between nature and man before entering the bridge in order to reach safely at the other side of the ravine. The bridge itself can be seen as sacred, a liminal area where time and space do not exist and a place where it is easy to gain contact with the supernatural world.

Il presente studio ha come oggetto l’analisi storico-architettonica dell’antica città di Compsa (Conza della Campania, AV), e in particolar riguardo il complesso del Foro. L’intero contesto preso in esame è stato sottoposto nei secoli ad azioni di distruzione come i terremoti, tra questi si ricorda quello del 1980 che ha completamente raso al suolo l’abitato moderno mettendo in luce le strutture di età romana. L’assenza di uno studio organico ha suggerito una nuova analisi comparata delle fonti storico-letterarie con le evidenze archeologiche utili alla comprensione dell’evoluzione storica, delle fasi architettoniche e delle relazioni spaziali che intercorrono tra i vari complessi monumentali con l’urbanistica della città. La nuova rilettura delle fonti, che coprono un arco cronologico che va dal III secolo a.C. alla metà del IV secolo d.C., ha permesso di ricostruire i principali avvenimenti storici, di comprendere il significato sociale e politico della costruzione di opere pubbliche ma anche di individuare le linee di continuità e di frattura tra le varie età. Allo stato attuale delle conoscenze appariva opportuno eseguire una nuova lettura stratigrafica, per riconoscere le diverse azioni compiute dall’uomo, e un riesame generale e approfondito delle tecniche di costruzione, utili per determinare l’evoluzione diacronica e il riconoscimento degli edifici. La ricerca storica e l’analisi stratigrafica hanno permesso di individuare cinque periodi di vita dell’abitato di Compsa, ulteriormente divisi in Fasi, Gruppi di Attività e Attività. Nel Periodo I (VII-V sec. a.C.) l’insediamento è organizzato da piccoli nuclei familiari che vivevano in capanne. Nel Periodo II (IV-III sec. a.C.) si passerà gradatamente a un insediamento stabile a opera, probabilmente, dei Sanniti\Irpini. Nel periodo III (II-seconda metà I sec. a.C.) si registra un consistente sviluppo architettonico della collina avvenuto in seguito al processo di romanizzazione e urbanizzazione dell’Italia meridionale che modificò l’organizzazione del territorio ma ancor più la vita politica e lo sviluppo sociale di Compsa. Con la nascita del municipio la città verrà dotata di nuovi edifici pubblici e di rappresentanza. Sarà, quindi, costruito il complesso del Foro caratterizzato dalla presenza del Capitolium, della Basilica, di un piccolo sacello e da un portico che delineava la vera e propria piazza alla quale si accedeva da un ingresso monumentale. Nel periodo IV (fine I sec. a.C.-II sec. d.C.) si attesta un nuovo progetto urbanistico e architettonico caratterizzato dalla monumentalizzazione di alcuni edifici del Foro, dalla nuova pavimentazione in lastre della piazza, ad opera di due magistrati locali, e presumibilmente da un nuovo tempio dedicato al culto imperiale. Il resto della città sarà munito di altri edifici pubblici: l’anfiteatro e le terme, probabilmente promossi da importanti personaggi locali. Nel Periodo V (III-IV sec. d.C.) si attestano solo dei piccoli restauri che, seppur minimi, dimostrano che il Foro continuò a rivestire un ruolo importante nella vita sociale della città almeno fino alla metà del IV secolo d.C. epoca in cui la città iniziò a cambiare il suo aspetto. Ciò nonostante Compsa continuò a rivestire un’importanza territoriale e a dimostrarlo sono le successive occupazioni di età Tardo Antica e Medievale. La descrizione dei Periodi e delle relative Fasi di vita del Foro è accompagnata dagli elaborati grafici: piante di fase, piante interpretative, piante ricostruttive, prospetti ricostruiti del Foro e piante ricostruttive dell’impianto urbano.
The present study has as object the historical-architectural analysis of the old city of Compsa (AV), and in particular on buildings belonging to the Forum. The examined context has been victim of agents of destruction like earthquakes, we remember the one of the 1980’s that has completely destroyed the modern town bringing to light the Roman structures. The absence of an organic study, suggested a new comparative analysis of historical and literary sources with the archaeological evidence useful for the comprehension of the historical evolution, of the architectonical phases and of the spatial relationships that exist between the different monumental buildings with the plan urban's city. The new reading of the sources, which cover a chronological space between the 3rd century b.C. up to the middle of the 4th century a.D., allows us to rebuild the most important historical events, to understand the social and political meaning of the building of public buildings but also to highlight the continuity lines and fracture between the different ages. At the current knowledge it was necessary to make a new stratigraphic reading, to recognize the different actions made by humans and a new exam, more detailed, of the building technics, useful to determinate the diachronic evolution and the recognizing of buildings. The historic research and the stratigraphic analysis allow to identify 5 different periods of Compsa, divided in phases, activity groups and activity. In the 1st period (VII-V century b.C.) the settlement is organized in little families who lived in huts. In the 2nd period (IV-III century b.C.), the settlement gradually becomes a permanent habitation thanks probably to the Samnites / Irpini. In the 3rd period (II – second half I century b.C.) there had been a significant architectural development of the hill after the Romanization and urbanization process of south of Italy which modified the territory organization and, even more, the politic life and the social development of Compsa. With the birth of municipium, the city was provided with new public buildings and representation. Later also the whole of the Forum complex was built, characterized by the presence of the Capitolium, of the Basilica, of a little Sacellum and porticus which delineated the royal square to which was accessed through a monumental entrance. In the 4th period (end I century b.C. – II century a.D.) is certified a new urbanistic and architectural project featured by the monumentalization of some buildings of the Forum, by the square’s flooring with plates, thanks to two local magistrates, and probably a new Temple dedicated to the imperial cult. The rest of the town was equipped with other public building like the Amphitheatre and therms, probably built by important local persons. In the 5th period (III-IV century a.D.) were done just little restorations that, though few, showed that the Forum continued to be an important place in the social life of the city until the middle of the 4th century a.D., time when the town started changing its appearance. Nevertheless Compsa continued to cover a territorial relevance and it was proved by the several occupation of Late Antique age and Medieval. The periods description and of the life phases of the Forum was followed from graphical documentation: phase plants, interpretative plants, plants reconstructed, elevations reconstructed of the Forum and plants reconstructed of the city.

This chapter looks at the many types of shrines for lares in public places in Rome, from the largest to the smallest. It starts with two temples (aedes) and moves on through various local shrines to named lares (notably the praestites and grundiles) and ultimately to the shrines at the crossroads (compita). Pliny tells us that the census of Vespasian and Titus officially recorded 265 compita larum (crossroads shrines for lares) in AD 73–74. These crossroads shrines are considered in relation to other local shrines, particularly open-air ones (sacella) that did not have cult buildings. The chapter also offers an overview of street shrines in Pompeii, and concludes with a broader consideration of the nature of lares and of the many places they inhabited and protected.

This chapter describes and critically reviews all the phases of an enquiry supported by the Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid on an almost unknown project of a monument for Felipe IV of Spain in the portico of the Basilica of S. Maria Maggiore in Rome designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The process consists of analysis and re-drawing after the existing documents, of modeling of the solid-perspective sacellum and the bronze statue actually made by Girolamo Lucenti, and of presentation and dissemination of the results, in form of video in the exhibition in Madrid and in other visual product to illustrate scientific publications. This process has been didactically divided between digital heritage, the translation of tangible historical-testimonial documents into digital formats, and virtual heritage, the production of original digital contents aimed at visually recreating the unbuilt monument and its perspective deceptive effects.