Our Rome Tour - Mosaics in Rome

Mosaics in Rome

	Palazzo Massimo Museum - S.ta Pudenziana - S.ta Prassede - S.ta Maria Maggiore - St. Peter Basilica
	The History of Mosaics from Ancient Times to the 18th Century

Since the earliest times, Rome has been a city of mosaics.

Roman mosaics feature geometrical patterns and designs which are copied to this day by fashion and technical designers, quilters and so on. The marble, glass and enamel strips used in Roman mosaics to depict animals and landscapes are so fine that it is hard to believe that they have not been painted.
We begin our visit with a large collection of Ancient Roman tile-work (which dates back to the 2nd century BC) in the National Roman Museum of Palazzo Massimo.
Next, we move through the centuries and find ourselves at the start of the 5th century with the four evangelists in the church of S.ta Pudenziana.
Not far from here, we discover another jewel of mosaic art: S.ta Prassede. In this church, we admire works of Roman origin in "Opus Sectile". We then look at works from the Byzantine period before coming to 13th century mosaics.
We continue our tour in the church of S.ta Maria Maggiore, where a glorious 13th century mosaic can be found next to some early Christian ones which date back to the 5th century. The latter feature scenes from the Old and New Testaments.
Our visit ends in the Vatican. Here, inspired by St. Peter's Basilica, modern artists continue to use millennia-old techniques to preserve old mosaics and create new ones for modern churches or private homes.