Detail

Building type

Church/Basilica

Date

begun AD 386; dedicatory inscription AD 390

Location

Rome (Italic Peninsula)

Patrons

Emperor Arcadius

Emperor Honorius

Emperor Theodosius

Emperor Valentinian II

State of preservation

What little archaeological evidence that may be attributed to the basilica’s décor derives from a secondary context; the excavation of a park to the north of the current basilica yielded a number of fragments, belonging to 36 capitals, 16 bases, and several column shafts.

Description

The foundations of the Basilica of San Paolo fuori le Mura date to at least Constantine the Great, yet it is the monumentalisation of the basilica in AD 386, as initiated by a joint imperial decree issued by Theodosius, Valentinian II, and Arcadius, that transformed this space into an epicentre for the worship of Saint Paul. The building took approximately two decades to complete; while a column within the nave exhibits a dedicatory inscription dated to AD 390, an inscription originally placed in the apse of the building marks its completion by Theodosius’ son, Honorius. Apart from a major fire in 1823 that brought the basilica to near total destruction, the building underwent substantial alterations during its lifetime, even during the late antique period. One such example includes the repairs undertaken by Eusebius within the central nave, which saw the insertion of 24 pavonazzetto column shafts and Corinthian capitals of Severan date, derived from the Portico of Octavia, to replace damaged columns (ICUR, n.s. 2, 4794). Transformations such as these have obfuscated the building’s original design.

Bibliography