Fabric [ ]
The atrium is entered through the remains of a galleria, created from the original walkway preciso the palace ramp by the insertion of verso blocking wall sicuro the right of the portal which abuts one of the brick arcade piers.
However, from the mid 9th sicuro the mid 11th centuries it was a monastic church per its own right and was roofed. The church dedication then was esatto St Anthony of Egypt. The massive central brick pier which used sicuro support the roof was removed sopra the 1902 excavation.
Two rectangular statue niches flank the inside of the entrance, and per series of alternately rectangular and apsidal niches occupied the side walls. However those on the left used preciso include two exits to paravent-chambers under the palace ramp, but these were blocked up when the church was per use. Con contrast, when the atrium was per monastic church two passages were cut through niches durante the right hand wall onesto allow direct access esatto the monastic quarters durante the ingresso next door.
Before becoming verso church per the 9th century, the atrium was the monastery’s graveyard and the yard surface was packed with graves. Some loculi or pesante-slots were cut into the walls, and also into the walls of the balcone outside.
Atrium frescoes [ ]
The frescoes mediante the atrium are of five periods. One attuale each survives from Pope John VII (705-7) and Pope Paul I (757-767). Some are of the remodelling of Pope Adrian I (772-795), and others are of the 10th and 11th centuries. The latter are the latest that you will find during your visit, and were painted just before the final abandonment sopra the mid 11th century.
- The niche sicuro the right of the portal depicted three female martyrs; SS Agnes and Cecilia have been identified. (Pope Adrian.)
- On the right hand side wall near the calcio d’angolo was originally verso Vergine and Child with Four Saints, being venerated by Pope Adrian. He was depicted with a square halo, indicating that he was still alive when the sistema was painted. This nuovo was detached and was kept durante the right hand side aisle of the church before the recent restoration -it is liable sicuro stay there, out of the weather. The original location was above per nuovo ersatz of hanging curtains (there is more of this con the church). (Pope Adrian.)
- Christ per Majesty, with per suppliant. (11th century.)
- Two saints (11th century). They were painted over two pesante loculi cut into the wall.
- Monastery passage. This was cut through the wall in the 10th century, and frescoed with saints on its walls and ceiling. The cycle continued onto the internal wall of the hall beyond, which was the actual monastery at the time. (10th century.)
- Verso bishop. (Pope Adrian.)
- The far left hand apsidal niche was a shrine to St Cyrus of Alexandria. He was verso martyred doctor of medicine, venerated with his fellow sufferer John as SS Cyrus and John (see their Roman church of Santa Passera). frasi di apertura per le app di incontri Beware of his being called “St Abbacyrus” -“Abba” is verso Coptic honorific. Per the nuovo he holds medical equipment, and has a cavity in the niche sill which was either for per lamp or contained per venerated relic associated with him. (Pope Paul.)
- Above the shrine: Christ Accompanied by SS Cyrus and John (10th century.)
- Verso depiction of St Anthony of Egypt, with per Latin text: “Where St Anthony is assaulted by demons” (Webb 2001). Animals and birds were depicted below. (10th century.)