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The velarium

The frescoes of the church of San Nicola di Trullas did not just cover the walls of the apse, the cross vaults and the controfacade, but also along the side walls, the entire interior wall area of the church. The lower part of the walls still contains visible traces of the painting that reproduced a “velarium”, i.e. an awning (figs. 1-4).

The velarium decoration imitated the real fabrics of the period, with a decorative function (they are also present in Saccargia, SS. Trinità and in San Giovanni di Sinis in Sardinia). Sometimes, this part of the decoration could show allegorical figures or non-sacred “genre”and was the only space permitted for non-sacred representations in a church (for example: Santa Maria Immacolata in Ceri, Lazio).

1
Fig. 1 - The faux velarium in the lower part of the apse (photo by Unicity S.p.A.).
2
Fig. 2 - The faux velarium in the lower part of the apse (photo by Unicity S.p.A.).
3
Fig. 3 - The faux velarium in the lower part of the apse (photo by Unicity S.p.A.).
4
Fig. 4 - The faux velarium in the northern wall (photo by Unicity S.p.A.).





Bibliografia

  • R. CORONEO, R. SERRA, Sardegna preromanica e romanica, Milano 2004, pp. 103-110.
  • R. SERRA, In figura Christi. Storie della salvezza nella pittura e nella scultura romaniche in Sardegna, in Studi in onore di Ottorino Pietro Alberti, Cagliari, 1998, pp. 121-141.
  • R. SERRA, Gli affreschi romanici della chiesa di San Nicola di Trullas a Semestene, in Medioevo: i modelli, atti del convegno internazionale di studi (Parma 27 settembre - 1° ottobre 1999), a cura di A. C. Quintavalle, Milano, 2002.
  • R. SERRA, San Nicola di Trullas, in Sardegna preromanica e romanica, a cura di R. CORONEO E R. SERRA, Milano-Cagliari, 2004.
  • A. VIRDIS, San Nicola di Trullas. Gli affreschi, Roma 2014.

 

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