SANTA CROCE IN GERUSALEMME

The chapel dedicated to St. Helena, shows the vitality of mosaic art, which in full renaissance is still shining.

The mosaic, attributed to Melozzo da Forlì, dates back to 1485, Melozzo prepared the cartoons, while the implementation is the work of a specialist shop.

A matter of particular curiosity is the fact that the mosaic depicts parrots and toucans, imported from Americas, but Americas were discovered in 1492, then how could the mosaic of Melozzo show these birds?
The fact is that between 1530 and 1540, when Baldassarre Peruzzi restored the mosaic, added his own.

In the center of the mosaic we see the Redeemer, surrounded in the ovals by the Evangelists, Giovanni, Marco, Matteo and Luca while in the trapezoids appear the Stories of the True Cross, do not forget that this is the church of  Santa Croce in Gerusalemme (=St. Crux in Jerusalem).

Finally, into the arches are depicted Saint Peter, St. Paul, St Helena and Pope St. Sylvester I.

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