Fabric [ ]
The atrium is entered through the remains of verso loggia, created from the original walkway sicuro the palace ramp by the insertion of verso blocking wall puro the right of the portal which abuts one of the brick arcade piers.
However, from the mid 9th onesto the mid 11th centuries it was verso monastic church con 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 durante the 1902 excavation.
Two rectangular statue niches flank the inside sono spose per corrispondenza una truffa of the entrance, and a series of alternately rectangular and apsidal niches occupied the side walls. However those on the left used puro include two exits onesto paravent-chambers under the palace ramp, but these were blocked up when the church was con use. In contrast, when the atrium was a monastic church two passages were cut through niches mediante the right hand wall puro allow direct access onesto the monastic quarters con the vestibolo 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 portico outside.
Atrium frescoes [ ]
The frescoes mediante the atrium are of five periods. One giovane 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 preciso 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 spigolo was originally verso Vergine and Child with Four Saints, being venerated by Pope Adrian. He was depicted with per square halo, indicating that he was still alive when the rete di emittenti was painted. This fresco was detached and was kept in the right hand side aisle of the church before the recent restoration -it is liable esatto stay there, out of the weather. The original location was above per attuale imitation of hanging curtains (there is more of this durante the church). (Pope Adrian.)
- Christ mediante Majesty, with verso 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 con the 10th century, and frescoed with saints on its walls and ceiling. The cycle continued onto the internal wall of the ingresso beyond, which was the actual monastery at the time. (10th century.)
- Per bishop. (Pope Adrian.)
- The far left hand apsidal niche was per shrine onesto 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 per Coptic honorific. Mediante the fresco he holds medical equipment, and has per cavity mediante 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.)
- A depiction of St Anthony of Egypt, with verso Latin text: “Where St Anthony is assaulted by demons” (Webb 2001). Animals and birds were depicted below. (10th century.)