Medieval Studies

摘要

The layered history of the basilica of San Clemente attracts scholarly attention because it speaks to the complex political and religious forces at work in Medieval Rome. A recurring debate centers on how to read the twelfth-century rebuilding and decoration, specifically the stunning apse mosaic. Scholars have primarily interpreted the basilica as evidence of a papal reform movement and view references to Early Christian monuments as allusions to the "good old days" of papal authority. However, in addition to projecting an authoritarian program or a reclamation of lost power, I propose that the vision of order and control seen in the apse mosaic could also communicate unity, provision, and stability. This paper attempts to question the dominant reductive narrative by examining the iconographical and stylistic elements of the apse mosaic within the spatial and historical context of the monument. Three elements support this reading: a presentation of the architectonic and visual evidence of the basilica, an examination of previous interpretations of the mosaic, and an analysis of the mosaic in light of its patronage and audience. The resulting multivalent interpretation complicates current scholarship by considering urban population growth, the influence of Monte Cassino, and the role of the medieval viewer.