Survey of Church Complex

San Giovanni Battista (12th Century)

San Gemini, Italy

 

Project Director: Max Cardillo

 

 

The Church of San Giovanni, one of the oldest structures in San Gemini. It is located at the northeast

corner of the town.  The church has a very attractive Romanesque façade on its west side built in 1199.

Its history is as sketchy as the development of its very irregular plan.

 

The work started in 1999 focusing on the survey and documentation of the Romanesque façade of the church. Over time the scope expanded to cover the whole church the adjacent Augustinian monastery and various other structures that surround the church and the Piazzetta  of San Giovanni Battista.

 

The goal of this project is to produce a comprehensive survey and documentation of the church,

 the reconstruction of its evolution over time, produce a diagnostic study of the present condition of the church that will be used in the future restoration of the church. 

 

The survey includes:

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Project

 

 

Archaeological Excavation

of the Public Baths

Carsulae , Italy

 

Project Director:      Jane Whitehead

Project Architect      Max Cardillo

 

 

 

 

 

Carsulae was a medium size city, built along the via Flaminia in the 2nd Century B.C. as part of  the Roman colonization of Umbria. It was abandoned in the 2nd Century A.D. after  earthquakes and sink holes destroyed the city. Carsulae is one of the principal archaeological sites in Umbria.

 

The site has been explored at various times since the 18th Century.  The most important excavation  was done  from the 1950s to the 1970 by Umberto Ciotti. After a hiatus of thirty years, a new campaign is starting with the excavation of the Public Bath Area. It will be directed by Prof. Jane Whitehead ,Valdosta State University. UWM will collaborate on all phases of the work. 

 

In 2004 work began by clearing  the vegetation  and  doing a surface survey of the site. The excavation campaign will start 2005 and will involve the complete excavation, documentation and conservation of the site and structures. Work is expected to last several years.

 

We do not know much about the Public Baths. They were partially excavated in the 1970s however  little documentation remains. A theory  claims that Carsulae was home to an ancient curative waters cult, if this is correct the baths probably had an important function in such institution.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Project

 

Survey  and Restoration 

of the church of Santo Geminie,

 

San Gemini, Italy

 

 

Project Director: Max Cardillo

Restorer: Nikos Vakalis

  

 

The church of Santo Gemine, the main church of San Gemini, is called the Duomo (cathedral), although it is not the seat of bishops. The adjacent parish house is the residence of the town priests and holds the parish offices. The church holds the remains of the town’s patron Saint Santo Gemine a Syrian monk that lived and preached in the area sometime between the 7th to 9th Century (sources vary on the dates attributed to his life).

It may be the oldest church on San Gemini. The history is not very clear until the 18th Century. Some sources say it was first built in the 6th Century. In the 8th Century it became the seat of the Bishop Carsulae and San Gemini; therefore the name Duomo. It was rebuilt several times in the Middle Ages, probably once before the 13th Century, two times in the gothic period (13th-14th Century) and, most recently, the interior was reconstructed and a new bell tower built in 1817-1847 by the Engineer Livoni, perhaps with some advise by the neoclassical sculptor Antonio Canova.

  The façade is an interesting collage of different constructions spanning at least a period of 1000 years. The present configuration of the façade was established by at the end of the 15th Century after the renaissance style entrance door was built. On the lower right is a projecting masonry base that preceded the 12th Century façade (it is under it). The finely cut large stone blocks suggest ancient Roman material: it could be part of a very old classical structure or a medieval wall built with recycled stones. On the lower left is a different rough masonry made with large Roman blocks, very likely build in the early medieval period between the 9th and the 13th Century. It seems to have been part of a bell tower functioning until the 19th Century when it was replaced by the present one. The stones are clearly Roman, recycled building material from a substantial public structure. We think they were erected in the Middle Ages because they are set on their side revealing the clamp notches, something more probable in the Middle Ages than in Roman times. This bell tower was probably part of an early church that had an orientation perpendicular to the present outer façade. The central section has traces of a gothic entrance door that was later closed. This element hints at an early gothic phase probably in the 13th Century. It followed the original orientation of the church and was built up against the preexisting tower.  Above the door, cutting into the gothic arch of the older entrance, is a gothic window.  This clearly reveals it was part of the second gothic phase of construction, to which the apse and main body of the church also belong.  At this point the church central axis changes orientation and is slightly angled in relation to the façade.  The present entrance door was rebuilt in the late 15th Century and probably replaces a gothic style door.

 

Field work started the church in 2005:

1)       Architectural Survey and Documentation

2)       Archaeological Survey of the church grounds

3)       Restoration of the church façade

 

Architectural Survey of the church grounds:

  The façade and exterior perimeter of the church were surveyed. The façade was drawn showing all the blocks.  This was accomplished through orthophotography and taking measurements using a total station. The exterior perimeter plan of the church was also measured and drawn.

 

Archaeological Survey:

The archaeological survey was began escalating two test pits: pit A in the vegetable garden on the southwest side of the church and pit B behind the rear apse. Pit A yielded substantial information, revealing two walls and some floor of structures, perhaps part of a medieval abbey adjacent to the church. Pit B yielded only some rough stone structures whose function is not clear.

 

Restoration:

The restoration of the façade commenced by working on the lower left section: removing a layer of plaster that covered the bell tower masonry and revealing the large Roman blocks. The stone was consolidated, cleaned and pointed. Exposing this medieval masonry was very exciting. At this point few persons were aware of the existence of these large blocks under the plaster. The plaster was recent, probably done in the early 20th Century. An older local resident remembered the wall before it was covered. This revelation has added one more interesting historical layer to be deciphered in this building.

 

Field Work for 2006:

The program for 2006 consists in the continuation of all these activities. The survey will continue to the internal plan of the church. The restoration of the façade will move to a higher portion of the wall and a new archaeological test pit will be dug the garden.

 

 

 

 

Participants and Credits

 

 

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