Triclinium Leoninum at Piazza di S. Giovanni in Laterano, in Rome, Italy. December 1, 2024
The Triclinium Leoninum consists of a brick aedicule with an apse and a colourful apse mosaic. The mosaic dates from the 18th century. The whole edifice is a replica of the apse of the large dining hall built by Pope Leo III (795-816), hence the name Triclinium Leoninum, Leo’s dining hall. In 1731, when plans were in the making for a new façade for the cathedral of San Giovanni, Pope Clemens XII (1730-1740) decided that the remains of the [previous] Triclinium Leoninum were in the way and ordered it to be demolished. The mosaic was damaged beyond repair. In 1743, the architect Ferdinando Fuga (1699-1782) was hired by Pope Benedictus XIV (1740-1758) to build a new edifice, a project that led to the current Triclinium Leoninum being set up. The painter Pier Leone Ghezzi (1674-1755) received a commission to replicate the mosaic. Whether this is a faithful reproduction of the previous mosaic is hard to tell. Ghezzi may have used his imagination while laying some parts.
Triclinium Leoninum at Piazza di S. Giovanni in Laterano, in Rome, Italy. December 1, 2024
The Triclinium Leoninum consists of a brick aedicule with an apse and a colourful apse mosaic. The mosaic dates from the 18th century. The whole edifice is a replica of the apse of the large dining hall built by Pope Leo III (795-816), hence the name Triclinium Leoninum, Leo’s dining hall. In 1731, when plans were in the making for a new façade for the cathedral of San Giovanni, Pope Clemens XII (1730-1740) decided that the remains of the [previous] Triclinium Leoninum were in the way and ordered it to be demolished. The mosaic was damaged beyond repair. In 1743, the architect Ferdinando Fuga (1699-1782) was hired by Pope Benedictus XIV (1740-1758) to build a new edifice, a project that led to the current Triclinium Leoninum being set up. The painter Pier Leone Ghezzi (1674-1755) received a commission to replicate the mosaic. Whether this is a faithful reproduction of the previous mosaic is hard to tell. Ghezzi may have used his imagination while laying some parts.