Novara: MRA-ITA-Nov001
Type Sample Item
Sample ID
- MRA-ITA-Nov001
Sample Material Type
- Mural painting
Sample Sub-type
- fragment
Dimensions (cm)
- Length
- 4.7
- Width
- 2
- Height
- 0.9
Weight
- weight value (g)
- 9.3
Geographic Location
- Country
- Italy
- Place
- Novara
Site/monument
- Italy (ITA)
Novara
Battistero del Duomo
Historical note about the site/monument
- The Novara baptistery was built in the early 5th century CE, although archaeological finds indicate that the site was in use as early as the Roman period. It is one of the oldest examples of Christian architecture in the Piedmont region. It has an octagonal hall with alternating semicircular apses and rectangular aedicules, each bordered by columns of the Corinthian order, radiating from a central baptismal font. The building was renovated in the 11th century, during which time a cycle of frescoes depicting scenes of the Apocalypse was added. The authorship of these works has not yet been conclusively established. Small portions of the opus sectile pavement and mosaics from the 11th century also survive to the present. Complementing its 11th century frescoes, the baptistery also has a large mural painting of the 15th century by Giovanni de Campo.
Further reading:
Perugini, A. (2002). Le pitture murali altomedievali nel Battistero di Novara. Dal restauro" archeologico" degli anni sessanta agli attuali problemi di conservazione. ICOMOS–Hefte des Deutschen Nationalkomitees, 37, 34-38.
Chronological period (sample)
- 5th century
Date of sampling
- Unknown
- Yes
Other related archival documents
- Hand written list with samples description and provenance. Fragments of mural paintings -removed from the restauro by Ann Stoves. April 1967 [ photo 20180803_113409].EB86: folder 07_Italy1967
Related samples
- This sample is related to sample MRA-ITA-Nov003
Other information about the sample
- The samples were removed during restoration for analysis at the Courtauld Institute of Art.