Rome, Santa Prassede, apse mosaic, St. Peter presenting St. Praxedis or Pudentiana to Christ
On the right side of the apse mosaic of Santa Prassede (817-824), St. Peter presents one of the two patron saints of the church (St. Praxedis or her sister Pudentiana) to Christ, and the priest and martyr, St. Zeno, stands to the right, holding a book with a golden, jewelled cover. The patron saint carried a jewelled wreath-crown in honor of her martyrdom. According to legends preserved in a fifth-century life of St. Praxedis, the two sisters were daughters of Pudens, a Roman senator, who had hosted St. Paul. St. Praxedis was believed to have founded the original place of Christian worship – a church documented by 489 – on the site where Paschal I rebuilt a splendid church. Stories of their lives were painted in the “north” transept of the church. St. Praxedis was believed to have gathered and buried the bodies of martyrs during a period of persecution and this provided a venerable precedent for Pope Paschal I’s own commitment to the translation of relics to key churches in Rome.
D'Emilio photo archive no. s19774227_1464uGalleries:Apse, Apse mosaics with Christ and saints, Churches of Rome, Italy 800s, Mosaic, Santa Prassede, St. Peter, apostle, St. Praxedis, martyr, St. Pudentiana, martyr, St. Zeno, priest and martyrKeywords:halo, martyr, tonsure, wreath-crownPhoto Location: Rome, ItalyPhotographer: Dr. James D’EmilioDate of Photo:Device Make: NikonDevice Model: Nikon SUPER COOLSCAN 5000 EDOriginal Dimensions: 5350×3642Picture Orientation: LandscapeGPS Coordinates:Picture Number: 22096
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