What are some examples that show medieval stone construction on top of older foundations?

Upvote:0

Take a look at Colchester Castle, built on the base of the temple of Claudius, destroyed at the time of Boadicea. You can see an oyster shell from Roman times in the vaulted bas*m*nt of the castle; it is embedded in the concrete.

Upvote:1

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Clemente_al_Laterano

Saint Clemente Basilica in Rome, a three-tiered complex of buildings:

  1. the present basilica built just before the year 1100 during the height of the Middle Ages - although the decoration is newer than that;
  2. beneath the present basilica is a 4th-century basilica that had been converted out of the home of a Roman nobleman, part of which had in the 1st century briefly served as an early church, and the bas*m*nt of which had in the 2nd century briefly served as a mithraeum;
  3. the home of the Roman nobleman had been built on the foundations of republican era villa and warehouse that had been destroyed in the Fire of 64

I have visited 1) and 2). In (2), you can see the nave (although, as the roof is the floor of the next level, it has a low height) the tombs of Saints Cyril and Methodius, the Apostles of the Slavs - orthodox people also go there to visit them - and, in a lower level, the mithraeum, where the pagans would sacrifice animals, there are benches, altar, and channels where the blood would flow.

The different levels are obviously built with different architectural styles and materials.

some pics: https://lavieboheme2010.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-four-worlds-of-basilica-san-clemente.html

Upvote:2

There are plenty of examples of Roman buildings and structures reused, rebuild, repurposed or build over in Medieval and later times.

One example: Casa de l'Ardiaca in Barcelona, a medieval and later renaissance palace built on the Roman wall and reused, reformed and repurposed until our century.

Casa de l'Ardiaca (image source)

Another example where medieval rebuilding appears clearer: Chapel of Santa Àgata, also in Barcelona, a Gothic chapel build on top of the Roman wall - by then no longer needed as a city wall because Barcelona had a larger wall.

Chapel of Santa Àgata on top of the Roman wall (Image source)

More post

Search Posts

Related post