Basilica of Junius Bassus

Coordinates: 41°53′51.73″N 12°30′0.50″E / 41.8977028°N 12.5001389°E

Panel with Hylas and the nymphs and the Egyptian-themed decoration known as Alexandrine velum

Opus sectile panel: tiger attacking a calf, Roman artwork from the second quarter of the 4th century CE

The Basilica of Junius Bassus (basilica Iunii Bassi) was a civil basilica on the Esquiline Hill in Rome, on a site now occupied by the Seminario Pontificio di Studi Orientali, in via Napoleone III, 3. It is best known for its examples of opus sectile work.

History

It was built by Junius Annius Bassus in 331 during his consulate. In the second half of the 5th century, under pope Simplicius, it was transformed into the church of Sant'Andrea Catabarbara. Its last remains were rediscovered and demolished in 1930, and these excavations also found an Augustan house (with later rebuilding) containing 3rd century mosaics, one with Dionysian subjects and one with the names of the house's owners (Arippii and Ulpii Vibii). These mosaics are now on show in the seminary.

Sources

• Coarelli, Filippo (1984). Guida archeologica di Roma (in Italian). Verona: Arnoldo Mondadori Editore.
• Bianchi Bandinelli, Ranuccio; Mario Torelli (1976). L'arte dell'antichità classica, Etruria-Roma (in Italian). Turin: Utet.