Shrine of Three Naves in Ostia Antica
Graduation Project by Marianna Tedeschini
The project is about the restoration of an ancient shrine in the archeological park of Ostia Antica near Rome.
It has been called “Shrine of Three Naves" since its discovery in 1938. This generic name is because of the issues that arose in defining the practiced worship.
The project is located in the Regio III of the archeological park, next to the Caseggiato degli Aurighi.
According to several scholars the Shrine is the result of a late addiction to an Hadrianic aedicula.
We have several hypothesis about the aim of this building: the plan and the development of the space may recall a mythraeum, on the other hand many different elements against this hypothesis have been found
Nowdays the dilemma is still unsolved. Nevertheless there is a large number of clues which suggest that the shrine of three naves was dedicated to oriental or dyonisiac worships. The hypothesis that it was a secular building, used for corporative feasts, is considered too, but it seems less likely due to the sacred attitude of that specific area.
The main gap concerns the missing semicalotta of the apse, indeed it affects the perception of the light system. As of today the roof is split in two parts, both in wood and plastic for the nave area, and one other for the apse and the are overlooking the aedicula, which has a transverse evolution compared to the other.
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The mosaic floor is the most valuable decorative element inside the shrine.
The whole nave is covered with 1,5cm pieces of a monochromatic mosaic.
There are two portions with figurative motives: near the apse we can see the remains of a square neo attic geometric mosaic, while at the end of the aisle another one represents a pig, a pot, a knife and a burning altar.
Beyond the issues regarding the definition of a worship in this shrine, it is clear how this building owes a lot the traditional mithraeums, and how they share the inspiring force. At the beginning the mithraeums were taking place in naturals or artificial caves, using the light peculiar to underground constructions: zenith, indirect and rarefied.
It can be experienced in the Mitreo delle Terme del Mitra and in others non-underground mithraeums in Ostia, and in the Shrine of three Naves as well.
The sunlight enters indirectly a totally dark space through the half dome of the niche that raises from the roof of the shrine. In this way the light source is totally hidden, while a cascade of light gives accent to the statue (now lost), that shines in a totally dark space.
Such experiments would became in the future the distinctive trait of the Christian Iconic places: as we see them in the baroques masterpieces like Cappella Corner, G.L. Bernini (B) 1650, in the Oratorio dei Filippini, F. Borromoni 1637 (C), or into the Cappella Avila in S. Maria in Trastevere d A. Gherardi (D) (1670.
Its mystics characteristic can be considered the focus of the project, and it is all about these peculiar lighting, betrayed by the recent roof. This is the reason why it has been decided to reconstruct the apse's semicalotta.In this way the project aims to recreate the original atmosphere, consecrated to secret and mysterious whorships, highlighting the Stimmung value, namely the atmosphere, which ancient buildings seems often to lose, and that neither accurate restorations can recover.
The regain of the Stimmung, namely the "emotional shade", is reached through the proposition of a path which, as in the origins, present a pattern of light and darkness.
The path is starting from this point: a mild runway made of corten eases walking on the ruined floor. In addition it hosts the lighting system and provides understanding of the mythrea and the other mystery worships diffused in the Roman Empire, through an exhibition of drawings, pictures and digital reconstructions. Moreover the panels are sliding and realized in perforated corten to avoid covering the ancient walls of the cryptoportico.
