L’eternità ritrovata. Iconografia e iconologia delle immagini dei mesi nei calendari figurati degli edifici di culto cristiani

Abstract

he main feature of the Roman and Byzantine illustrated calendars, documented particularly in Italy, Greece, Africa Proconsularis and Middle East provinces from the Middle Roman Imperial Period to the Age of Justinian, is the representation of the months of the year. These images, especially of the rural type which allude to the Aeternitas (“Eternity”) and Felicitas Temporum (“Prosperity of the Times”), have been used by the members of the pagan aristocracy to adorn their houses as means of self-representation of their social and economic power. In a second stage, the high Christian clergy utilized the mosaics of months as floor decoration of churches in order to reflect the concepts of the cycle of time and the fecundity of nature created by God. The aim of this paper is to analyze the artistic and cultural continuity of the pagan iconography of illustrated calendars in Christian religious buildings.