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Remains of funerary mausoleum

The archaeological site of San Saturnino is located in the eastern part of the city of Cagliari, an area which in ancient times stood outside the city limits and was part of the necropolis extending east of the town, from today's Viale Regina Margherita up to the Bonaria hill. Here you can still see the surviving evidence of the necropolis and the Basilica dedicated to the martyr Saturnino.

The term "mausoleum" refers to a monumental tomb, usually reserved for the mortal remains of persons belonging to a high social class. These funerary buildings consisted of an internal room in which the sarcophagi or funeral urns were preserved.

Seventeenth-century chronicles describe numerous funeral buildings in the San Saturnino area belonging to this type of burial, built with various plans and techniques, of which, unfortunately, only a few traces remain (figs. 1-3). They were made mostly of bricks, with foundations of limestone blocks; the walls were often plastered, while the floor could be enriched with mosaic panels. The various burials were arranged inside, mostly formae (i.e. pits) covered with bricks and/or small stones, with either flat-placed tiles or slabs or mosaic inscriptions, but sarcophagi were also present. As there is no accurate data available, they are dated between the IV and VII centuries and are indicative of great expenditure.

1
Fig. 1 - Mausoleum: general view (photo by Unicity S.p.A.).
2
Fig. 2 - Mausoleum: detail of the brick masonry technique (photo by Unicity S.p.A.).
3
Fig. 3 - Mausoleum: detail of the sarcophagus with a gable roofed lid with lateral acroteria (photo by Unicity S.p.A.).




Bibliografia

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