Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Abbazia di San Nicolò

San Gemini was probably founded by people having abandoned the Roman settlement of Carsulae, now an archeological area, about 5kms north. The "Regesto di Farfa" from 1036 is the first document that mentions the city as well as the "Abbey of San Nicolò". The abbey was built on older foundations in the 11th century and has undergone numerous alterations and restoration works through the centuries. The Abbey of San Nicolò prospered until the 14th century. After it lost its autonomy, the abbey declined. Around the mid 15th century, it was entrusted to the Chapters of S. Gregory and S. Peter of Spoleto, and was definitively incorporated by the latter in 1531, which marked its demise. So most of the buildings of the convent got lost over the time. Here is a corner of the former cloister. It is privately owned, but fortunately a friendly gentleman unlocked the doors for us. Mille grazie!

San Gemini was probably founded by people having abandoned the Roman settlement of Carsulae, now an archeological area, about 5kms north. The "Regesto di Farfa" from 1036 is the first document that mentions the city as well as the "Abbey of San Nicolò". The abbey was built on older foundations in the 11th century and has undergone numerous alterations and restoration works through the centuries. It is privately owned, but fortunately a friendly gentleman unlocked the doors for us. Mille grazie! The interior is made up of a nave and two aisles. The church is 32 metres lang and 13,50 metres wide. We learned that the church in very bad repair end of the 19th century - and private efforts saved the building. Wihin the 13th century the church got enlarged by a rectangular apse. The foundations of the older semicircular apse are excavated. The "Madonna With Child" on the wall was painted (dated and signed!) by "Ruggero da Todi" in 1295.

San Gemini was probably founded by people having abandoned the Roman settlement of Carsulae, now an archeological area, about 5kms north. The "Regesto di Farfa" from 1036 is the first document that mentions the city as well as the "Abbey of San Nicolò". The abbey was built on older foundations in the 11th century and has undergone numerous alterations and restoration works through the centuries. It is privately owned, but fortunately a friendly gentleman unlocked the doors for us. Mille grazie! The interior is made up of a nave and two aisles. The church is 32 metres lang and 13,50 metres wide. We learned that in the 1960s it was in very bad repair - and private efforts saved the building.

San Gemini was probably founded by people having abandoned the Roman settlement of Carsulae, now an archeological area, about 5kms north. The "Regesto di Farfa" from 1036 is the first document that mentions the city as well as the "Abbey of San Nicolò". The abbey was built on older foundations in the 11th century and has undergone numerous alterations and restoration works through the centuries. It is privately owned, but fortunately a friendly gentleman unlocked the doors for us. Mille grazie! The portal to the abbey´s church is the by far most important carving here. What you see here is actually a (pretty good) copy, as the original was sold in 1939 to some antique dealers - and then was aquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it is on display today. This is detail of the doorway´s left side. Three hunting dogs chase a boar. The dog (on top) wearing the collar is seen in a strange perspective - from above. Here is what the Metropolitan Museum writes about "This doorway is an example of the reuse of materials during the life of a single medieval church. All of the marble used to make the doorway originally came from the ruins of nearby Roman buildings. Displaying an array of styles and techniques, the principal elements were carved at different times in the eleventh century. The lions were possibly made for another location and then inserted in the portal. The whole was assembled for the church one to two centuries later. The animal imagery used in decorating the portal may refer to medieval bestiaries, books that combined descriptions of animal life with legend, thereby investing the animals depicted here with symbolic significance." Here is the website: www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/468207

San Gemini was probably founded by people having abandoned the Roman settlement of Carsulae, now an archeological area, about 5kms north. The "Regesto di Farfa" from 1036 is the first document that mentions the city as well as the "Abbey of San Nicolò". The abbey was built on older foundations in the 11th century and has undergone numerous alterations and restoration works through the centuries. It is privately owned, but fortunately a friendly gentleman unlocked the doors for us. Mille grazie! The portal to the abbey´s church is the by far most important carving here. What you see here is actually a (pretty good) copy, as the original was sold in 1939 to some antique dealers - and then was aquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it is on dislay today. This is detail of the doorway´s let side. A snake approaching a bird's nest from above. The two nestlings have no chance at all. Here is what the Metropolitan Museum writes about "This doorway is an example of the reuse of materials during the life of a single medieval church. All of the marble used to make the doorway originally came from the ruins of nearby Roman buildings. Displaying an array of styles and techniques, the principal elements were carved at different times in the eleventh century. The lions were possibly made for another location and then inserted in the portal. The whole was assembled for the church one to two centuries later. The animal imagery used in decorating the portal may refer to medieval bestiaries, books that combined descriptions of animal life with legend, thereby investing the animals depicted here with symbolic significance." Here is the website: www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/468207

San Gemini was probably founded by people having abandoned the Roman settlement of Carsulae, now an archeological area, about 5kms north. The "Regesto di Farfa" from 1036 is the first document that mentions the city as well as the "Abbey of San Nicolò". The abbey was built on older foundations in the 11th century and has undergone numerous alterations and restoration works through the centuries. It is privately owned, but fortunately a friendly gentleman unlocked the doors for us. Mille grazie! The portal to the abbey´s church is the by far most important carving here. What you see here is actually a (pretty good) copy, as the original was sold in 1939 to some antique dealers - and then was aquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it is on dislay today. This is the left side of the doorway. Here is what the Metropolitan Museum writes about "This doorway is an example of the reuse of materials during the life of a single medieval church. All of the marble used to make the doorway originally came from the ruins of nearby Roman buildings. Displaying an array of styles and techniques, the principal elements were carved at different times in the eleventh century. The lions were possibly made for another location and then inserted in the portal. The whole was assembled for the church one to two centuries later. The animal imagery used in decorating the portal may refer to medieval bestiaries, books that combined descriptions of animal life with legend, thereby investing the animals depicted here with symbolic significance." Here is the website: www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/468207

San Gemini was probably founded by people having abandoned the Roman settlement of Carsulae, now an archeological area, about 5kms north. The "Regesto di Farfa" from 1036 is the first document that mentions the city as well as the "Abbey of San Nicolò". The abbey was built on older foundations in the 11th century and has undergone numerous alterations and restoration works through the centuries. It is privately owned, but fortunately a friendly gentleman unlocked the doors for us. Mille grazie! The portal to the abbey´s church is the by far most important carving here. What you see here is actually a (pretty good) copy, as the original was sold in 1939 to some antique dealers - and then was aquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it is on dislay today. Here is what the Metropolitan Museum writes about "This doorway is an example of the reuse of materials during the life of a single medieval church. All of the marble used to make the doorway originally came from the ruins of nearby Roman buildings. Displaying an array of styles and techniques, the principal elements were carved at different times in the eleventh century. The lions were possibly made for another location and then inserted in the portal. The whole was assembled for the church one to two centuries later. The animal imagery used in decorating the portal may refer to medieval bestiaries, books that combined descriptions of animal life with legend, thereby investing the animals depicted here with symbolic significance." Here is the website: www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/468207

San Gemini was probably founded by people having abandoned the Roman settlement of Carsulae, now an archeological area, about 5kms north. The "Regesto di Farfa" from 1036 is the first document that mentions the city as well as the "Abbey of San Nicolò". The abbey was built on older foundations in the 11th century and has undergone numerous alterations and restoration works through the centuries. It is privately owned, but fortunately a friendly gentleman unlocked the doors for us. Mille grazie!