Milan No. 1 / Mediolanum / Milano
Image copyright © Holly Hayes, 2009
Standing permission
Results: 2 records
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Copyright Statement: Image copyright © Holly Hayes, 2009
Image Source: digital photograph taken 12 May 2008 by Holly Hayes [www.scrae-destinations.com]
Copyright Instructions: Standing permission
view of font in context
Copyright Statement: Image copyright © Holly Hayes, 2009
Image Source: digital photograph taken 12 May 2008 by Holly Hayes [www.scrae-destinations.com]
Copyright Instructions: Standing permission
INFORMATION
Font ID: 02288TEC
Object Type: Baptismal Font3
Font Century and Period/Style: 4th century (?), Early Christian
Church / Chapel Name: Basilica di Santa Tecla / Duomo
Font Location in Church: In its own baptistery
Church Patron Saint(s): St. Thecla [aka Tecla, Thekla, Thékla]
Church Address: P.za del Duomo, 16, 20122 Milano MI, Italy -- Tel.: +39 02 877048
Site Location: Milano, Lombardia, Italy, Europe
Directions to Site: Located in the old city centre
Font Notes:
Click to view
Octagonal font inside the baptistry at the basilica of Santa Tecla in Milan, within the context of the text of an inscription thereof, a text attributed to Saint Ambrose. The Latin text of the inscription is reproduced in Gough (1792), after Gruter and Ciampini. Noted in Elorriaga (1998). Annabel J. Wharton's contribution in Bowersock (1999): "Excavations of the late 4th century baptistery of the Cathedral of St. Thecla in Milan revealed a large, octagonal font enclosed in an octagonal enclosure elaborated internally with alternating square and semicircular niches"; Wharton also addresses the issue of Ambrose's verse wich suggests that "the octagonal form of the structure carried considerable meaning for at least some members of its late antique audience." Wharton cites F. van der Meer's Atlas of the Early Christian World as the source for the text of the verse (Bowersock, 1999). Hayes (Sacred Destinations [www.sacred-destinations.com]) writes: "The 4th-century octagonal baptistery [...] the baptismal font, fed by canals seen directly opposite. Around the font are radiating apses. Traces of the marble pavement survive in both areas."
Credit and Acknowledgements: We are grateful to Holly Hayes, of Sacred Destiantions [www.sacred-destinations.com] for her photograph of this font
COORDINATES
Latitude & Longitude (DMS): 45° 27′ 51″ N, 9° 11′ 29″ E
MEDIUM AND MEASUREMENTS
Material: stone, type unknown
Font Shape: sunken font, octagonal
Basin Exterior Shape: octagonal
INSCRIPTION
Inscription Location: Unknown
Inscription Text: "Octachorum sanctos templum surrexit in usus. / Octagonus fons est, munere dignus eo. / Hoc numero decuit sacri baptismatis aulam / Surgere, quo populis vera salus rediit / Luce refurgentis Christi, qui claustra resolvit / Mortis, & a tumulis suscitet examines."
"Eight-niched soars this church destined for sacred rites, eight corners has its font, the which befits its gift. Meet it was thus to build this fair baptismal hall about this sacred eight: here is our race reborn."
Inscription Notes: The inscription is attributed to St. Ambrose
Inscription Source: Latin text: Gough (1792: 199, after Gruter (p. 1166) and Ciampini (P. II. p. 22.) -- English text: F. van der Meer, Atlas of the Early Christian World, p. 129, cited in Bowersock (1999, p. 333.
REFERENCES
- Bowersock, G. W., Late Antiquity: a Guide to the Postclassical World, Cambridge, Massachusetts: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1999, p. 333
- Elorriaga, Carlos, Bautismo y catecumenado en la tradición patrística y litúrgica: una selección de textos, Baracaldo: Grafite Ediciones, 1998, p. 520-521
- Gough, Richard, "Description of the old font in the Church of East Meon, Hampshire, 1789: with some observations on fonts", X, Archaeologia, 1792, pp. 183-209; p. 199