Cosmatesque decoration of Rome's churches
Walking around Rome and visiting churches, your gaze may fall
occasionally to the ground beneath you. Characteristic sampietrini, or
cobblestones, line many of the streets adding to the picturesque quality of the
scene. Inside many of the ancient churches, you will see the distinctive floors
created by a group of Roman artists from the later Middle Ages called the
Cosmati. These multi-colored geometric designs ornamented not only floors, but choirs,
columns and exterior elements.
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| A section of the floor showing multiple designs |
The term Cosmati refers to several families of artists, of which one, the Cosma, has given its name to the group. They worked mainly in the central part of Italy, especially in Rome and nearby regions, in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. At that time, the popes were promoting a rebuilding of Rome’s churches to restore the grandeur of ancient times.
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| A patchwork of stars |
Being surrounded by classical ruins and Byzantine
influences, the Cosmati were able to create geometric designs with an amazing variety
and precision. They placed small
triangles and rectangles of colored stones and glass in defined areas, usually
bordered by white marble. The most used colors were green and red, although the
natural colors of yellow and other earth toned stones increase the diversity in
the designs. The small sizes of some of the pieces is due to the fact that they
were reusing fragments of ancient materials.
A section with a porphyry disk
Some of the reddish elements are porphyry, a rare hard, purple-red stone, imported from Egypt, that was highly prized in antiquity for its distinct color. The medieval artists were able to repurpose it by cutting it into small pieces. The round disks were sliced from huge ancient columns.
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| San Clemente has some of the most varied floor designs |
On vertical surfaces, mosaic bands may curl around columns or border an arch. Inside the church strips of geometric designs, usually stars, form borders around choirs or pulpits. Frequently the floor of the central nave is decorated with large red porphyry circles surrounded by curved bands of geometric patterns. The surrounding spaces are filled in with sections of varying designs, again separated by strips of white marble.
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| A column decorated by the Cosmati |
Visiting the churches on the walks described in the book Walk Rome, you will see many of these examples. The condition of the floors in the churches varies, as some have seen significant restoration
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| A circular pattern, probably restored to its initial beauty |
Examples of “cosmatesque” floors from Walk Two are those in San Crisogono, San Saba, Santa Maria in Trastevere and Santa Maria in Cosmedin. Additional examples are, San Clemente in Walk Three, Santa Maria in Aracoeli in Walk Seven. The floor of the Sistine chapel in the Vatican also has cosmatesque decoration.
