Underneath the present church of S. Marcello that was rebuilt in the 16th century, an archaeological excavation (1990-2001) identified the Late Antique basilica and its medieval transformations. S. Marcello is located in an urban area where the street level rose sharply after Antiquity. Around 1100, the floor of the church was raised by about 85 cm and two apsidioles were added at the ends of the aisles. Scanty remains of the new pavement in cosmatesque opus sectile have been preserved. An ancient cippus with opus sectile decoration on the front and an inscription mentioning the relics of St. John, St. Blasto, St. Diogenes and St. Longinus also belong to this same phase. In the second half of the 12th century, the church was extended by c. 7 m towards the west with the addition of a transept and an apse on the central axis, while two smaller apses were erected at the south and north ends of the transept. The floor level of the new transept was about 140-170 cm higher than that of the nave. Other furnishings that one would expect in a 12th-century church, such as a Schola Cantorum or an altar ciborium, are not documented, although their existence is probable. Lastly, a poorly documented construction phase took place at the end of the 15th century, and a great fire in 1519 almost completely destroyed the Late Antique church. The new building, with a single nave and side chapels, received a new façade facing Via Lata and a new apse to the east; it was then rotated 180° from the previous church. This building in its 18th-century form, with a Baroque façade from the 17th century, has been preserved to the present day.

Download

Download

Download

Download

Download

Download

Download

Download

Download

Download

Download

Download