Pope Leo III (795-816) built two monumental representative rooms for banquets, court hearings and ceremonies in the Lateran. These, called triclinia, were inspired by ancient and byzantine models, rich in imperial symbolism. The interiors of these buildings were decorated with marbles, paintings and, above all, mosaics in the main apses. The first celebrated the role of the pope as successor of Peter, vicar of Christ and medium for the transmission of the secular power from Constantine to Charlemagne. In the latter, the pope was usually represented taking part in a banquet with eleven diners in the central apse, where Christ, Peter and Paul were depicted, so that the pope become part of the group of the apostles, whose stories were represented on the walls. These magnificent buildings are unfortunately destroyed, so this paper offers a reinterpretation of these monuments by reviewing the literary and figurative evidences and taking new elements into account. It reveals that the choice of architectural models and iconographic programs was designed to build an iconic image of the papacy which emphasized the legacy of the ancient word, the pope’s role as an intermediary with Christ and his leadership over the temporal power.

The two triclinia of Pope Leo III as “icons of power”

CURZI, GAETANO
2016-01-01

Abstract

Pope Leo III (795-816) built two monumental representative rooms for banquets, court hearings and ceremonies in the Lateran. These, called triclinia, were inspired by ancient and byzantine models, rich in imperial symbolism. The interiors of these buildings were decorated with marbles, paintings and, above all, mosaics in the main apses. The first celebrated the role of the pope as successor of Peter, vicar of Christ and medium for the transmission of the secular power from Constantine to Charlemagne. In the latter, the pope was usually represented taking part in a banquet with eleven diners in the central apse, where Christ, Peter and Paul were depicted, so that the pope become part of the group of the apostles, whose stories were represented on the walls. These magnificent buildings are unfortunately destroyed, so this paper offers a reinterpretation of these monuments by reviewing the literary and figurative evidences and taking new elements into account. It reveals that the choice of architectural models and iconographic programs was designed to build an iconic image of the papacy which emphasized the legacy of the ancient word, the pope’s role as an intermediary with Christ and his leadership over the temporal power.
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
CURZI triclinia.pdf

accesso aperto

Descrizione: articolo principale
Tipologia: Documento in Post-print
Dimensione 364 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
364 kB Adobe PDF Visualizza/Apri

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11564/650304
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 4
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 5
social impact