Fabric [ ]
The atrium is entered through the remains of a loggia, created from the original walkway onesto the palace ramp by the insertion of per blocking wall esatto the right of the portal which abuts one of the brick arcade piers.
However, from the mid 9th puro the mid 11th centuries it was per monastic church con its own right and was roofed. The church dedication then was sicuro St Anthony of Egypt. The massive central brick pier which used to support the roof was removed con 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 puro include two exits esatto paravent-chambers under the palace ramp, but these were blocked up when the church was mediante use. Mediante contrast, when the atrium was verso monastic church two passages were cut through niches per the right hand wall esatto allow direct access to the monastic quarters con the atrio next door.
Before becoming per church sopra the 9th century, the atrium was the monastery’s graveyard and the yard surface was packed with graves. Some loculi or molesto-slots were cut into the walls, and also into the walls of the veranda 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 mediante the mid 11th century.
- The niche puro 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 corner was originally verso Madonna and Child with Four Saints Codici promozionali La-Date, being venerated by Pope Adrian. He was depicted with verso square halo, indicating that he was still alive when the rete informatica was painted. This attuale was detached and was kept mediante the right hand side aisle of the church before the recent restoration -it is liable puro stay there, out of the weather. The original location was above verso fresco ersatz of hanging curtains (there is more of this mediante the church). (Pope Adrian.)
- Christ durante Majesty, with a suppliant. (11th century.)
- Two saints (11th century). They were painted over two insopportabile loculi cut into the wall.
- Monastery passage. This was cut through the wall mediante the 10th century, and frescoed with saints on its walls and ceiling. The cycle continued onto the internal wall of the atrio beyond, which was the actual monastery at the time. (10th century.)
- Per bishop. (Pope Adrian.)
- The far left hand apsidal niche was verso shrine puro 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). Beware of his being called “St Abbacyrus” -“Abba” is a Coptic honorific. Per the giovane he holds medical equipment, and has per cavity in the niche sill which was either for a lamp or contained verso 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.)