The thematic session aims to focus attention on wall mosaics within the Byzantine sphere, which are lost but attested by written sources, illustrations, and material fragments. The idea springs from the ME.MO.R.I.A. project (“MEdieval mural MOsaics: Rediscovering In Absentia”), supported by Ca’ Foscari University of Venice (through “Supporting Principal INvestigators 2021-2025” funds; PI: Simone Piazza; RF: Giulia Anna Bianca Bordi), a research program that, among its activities, included the development of a database (currently being implemented). This database is designed to catalogue, initially, all the lost examples found on Italian soil (more than two hundred) and, prospectively, those of the entire Euro-Mediterranean area. This is a completely unprecedented investigation, given that until now the subject has only been treated with respect to individual cases, without a comprehensive overview. The vast heritage of lost wall mosaics consists largely of evidence directly or indirectly linked to Byzantine production, which, as is well known, was so appreciated for its qualitative excellence that it was often exported abroad to satisfy the demand of wealthy foreign patrons. Hence the intention to promote the present initiative, aimed at stimulating a moment of discussion, within which young researchers and scholars of long standing, coming from different institutions but united by an interest in Byzantine art, can present and discuss the results of their inquiries. Within the framework of the planned presentations, the organizers will have the opportunity to introduce the theme, focus attention on methodological issues, and illustrate the most significant cases. In the communications that follow, the speakers will present their case studies, which cover various eras (from the 5th to the 14th century) and diverse contexts (from Constantinople to the pilgrimage sites of the Holy Land, from the Umayyad Caliphate to Sardinia, and from Sicily to Macedonia).
This paper explores the complex life cycle of wall mosaic artworks in the Levant during the Byzantine and Umayyad periods, focusing on their production, use, disuse, and eventual recycling. By examining archaeological evidence, art historical sources, and patterns of reuse in both secular and religious contexts, the research highlights how mosaics functioned not only as…
George Wheler’s (1682) description of the rich mosaic decoration of the main church of the Monastery of Hosios Loukas is brief, but worthy of consideration. As expected, Wheler stated that the mosaics also covered the dome of the church. Today, however, only post-Byzantine frescoes can be seen in the dome, presumably reproducing the original iconography….
The paper concerns a case study of remarkable artistic quality, which lends itself to new reflections on various aspects, including methodological ones. It is the lost apse mosaic of the ancient Metropolitan Church of Serres, in Central Macedonia, of which only a very few fragments remain, preserved in the city’s Archaeological Museum. The work was…
This paper aims to shed further light on the lost mosaics that once adorned the walls and ceilings of the Blachernai Palace during the 12th century through an analysis of written sources. The focus will be on the monumental decorations commissioned by members of the Komnenian dynasty, particularly John II (r. 1118–1143) and Manuel I…
The basilica of San Saturnino in Cagliari, one of the most significant medieval monuments in Sardinia, still preserves traces of a complex architectural and decorative history that began in the Byzantine period and led to a progressive decline in the late Middle Ages. Among the lost elements, particular interest lies in the mosaic that originally…
This paper aims to account for the various instances of lost wall mosaics in Sicily between the 6th and 14th centuries. The first example—the only Late Antique one attested on the island—is represented by the hundreds of erratic glass tesserae (some with gold leaf) discovered in 1923 by the archaeologist Paolo Orsi during the excavation…