Novara: MRA-ITA-Nov003

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Geographic Location

Historical note about the site/monument: The Novara baptistery was built in the early 5^th 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 11^th 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 11^th century also survive to the present. Complementing its 11^thcentury frescoes, the baptistery also has a large mural painting of the 15^th 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.

Date of sampling

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

Other information about the sample: The samples were removed during restoration for analysis at the Courtauld Institute of Art.

Inventory