SANTA COSTANZA

In the vault of the ambulatory of Santa Costanza survived the mosaics of the fourth century, while those covering the dome were lost.

These mosaics are the eldest in Rome, at least among those who have held the ravages of time, they show the way by which took place the transition from pagan and Christian iconography, in fact pagan motifs such as peacocks, doves, branches with fruits, are used between the representations of the Christian Tradition, Traditio Pacem (=peace) and Traditio Clavium (=keys), the first depicts the beardless Christ who gives to St. Peter the paper with the word “Dominus pacem dat” (=Constantine gives peace) , while in the second Christ, this time bearded, gives the keys to St. Peter.

This last representation, in which Christ is seated on the globe, means the supremacy of the papacy.

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