Giovanni in Laterano
| Name of structure: | Giovanni in Laterano |
| Extended name of structure: | |
| Type of structure: | Church |
| Country or main area: | Italy |
| Region within country or main area: | Lazio |
| City or area within region: | Rome |
| Date of structure: | 4C, 10C, 14C, 17C, 19C |
| Century of structure 1: | 4 AD |
| Century of structure 2: | 19 AD |
| Specific place of mosaic: | Apse |
| Brief descriptive contents of mosaic: | Cross, Virgin, Christ, Saints, Pope, angels, seraphim, fauna. |
| Date of mosaic: | Original apse demolished in 1878. There was an inscription dating the medieval mosaic to 1291 (donor Nicholas IV). Mosaic reset in 1875-85, possibly with some parts from original Late Antique mosaic. |
| Century of mosaic 1: | 13 AD |
| Century of mosaic 2: | 19 AD |
| Silver tessera at site: | Unknown |
| Gold tessera at site: | Yes |
| Colour tessera at site: | Yes |
| Were other materials found at site (i.e., glass cakes)? | Unknown |
| Has analysis been done? | No |
| Samples taken from where? | n/a |
| Excavation and restoration campaigns: | 1934-38: team led by Josi |
| Bibliography of mainly technical resources: | Andaloro, M. et al. (eds.), Fragmenta picta: affreschi e mosaici staccati del Medioevo romano (Roma, Castel Sant'Angelo, 15 dicembre 1989-18 febbraio 1990), (Rome: Àrgos, 1989): Ladner, G. B., Images and Ideas in the Middle Ages (Roma, 1983), 347-66. Hoogewerf, G. J., 'Il mosaico absidale di San Giovanni in Laterano, e altri mosaici', Atti della Pontificia Accademia romana di Archaeologia. Rendeconti 27 (1952-54), 297-326. Krautheimer, R., Corbett, S., Frankl, S. & Frazer, A. K., Corpus Basilicarum Christianarum Romae (Monumenti di antichità cristiana pubblicati dal Pontificio Instituto di Archeologia Cristiana). 6 Vols. (Vatican City, New York, 1937-80), Vol. 5. |
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| Comments: | There was probably aniconic decoration of gold foil in apse in Constantinian basilical: Buddensieg, ' Le coffret en ivoire de Pola...', Cahier archaeologique 10 (1959), 172. See Krautheimer, vol 5, 86. The figural decoration may have been added by Fl. Felix and his wife between 428 and 430 (dedicatory inscription formerly in apse quoted in Krautheimer, vol. 5, 10). See also Buddesieg for speculation of what contents: en etimaris flanked by 6 apostles (as in the Pola casket).
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