Sal church of Santa Costanza! in Rome {1-2}, that is BUBB sc couhereste ute ote ary Chron cermeter w the original mausoleum of Constantina, the scholars oe agree that when Constantina died in Bithynia, Asia taster boy as earned to Rome for buval at Pagnese ana specifically in this mausoleum that was first Bi atiscrarchofSanta Costanza inthe seventh cen However, a critical re-evaluation ofthe historical sources, us archaeological investigations at Santa Costa Sant’Agnese, combined with my own archacological and lfiediscoveries atthe site and a careful analysis of the have led me to @ reinterpretation of the function and fof the church of Santa Costanza. I propose here a recon jon of the function of Santa Costanza as an Imperial pleum for Constantina and her sister Helena and also as a yfium for Saints Agnes and her half-sister Emerentiana santa Costanza has always been dated to the mid tury, usually no later than ca, 350,” Likewise, all wia COSTANZA: History, ARCHAEOLOGY, FUNCTION, PATRONAGE AND DATING David J. Stantey and a dating of the structure to the ry under the probable patronage of and Emperor Theodosius Il first half of the fith centu: Pope Innocent | (401-417) Tue HisronicaL Source There are three historical sources that pertain to the founda tion of the cemetery church of Sant’Agnese and its association with Constantina and Imperial burials. The first isthe Liber Pontificalis which recounts thatthe cemetery church of Sant Ag. nese and its baptistery were constructed by Constantine at the request of Constantina during the reign of Pope Sylvester | (314-335), that Constantina and her aunt Constantia were bap- lized there by Pope Sylvester I, and that Constantine donated a xgolden lamp that hung above the bapustery font.” Krautheimer originally believed that it was more probable that the church was constructed during the reign of Constantius Il between 337 and 349 when Constantina was still residing in Rome.” In addi tion, Tolott analyzed the stylistic evolution of the plans of the Early Christian cemetery basilcas in fourth century Rome and. suggested that Sant’Agnese was the lat in the series to be built,Davo J. STANLEY and that it probably dates from ca, 340 to 350.’ However mir recently, Kadutheimer has suggested thatthe cemetery eae at SantAgnese may have been constructed earlier than He Pete Gusly believed and he has posited a date for Sanvgnes Beneeen 326, Constantine’ last visit to Rome, and 339, death of Constantines sister Constantia who, according 10 the 2. Rome, Santa Costanza plan (from Deicnuann, Die Lage der Constan tinischen Basilka) pape Tif Lier Ponifials, was baptized a Sant Agnes, reemaPainen Constantina 82s no more than 15 gy eS Mas ea it was, as Krautheimer hypothesized, van 22d ‘onge princes the eng maya? 0 oe nage Digested re-dating of the Sant Agnes cy nee eee 330 under the patronage of Connor pe om seem to be confirmed by the second historical ae Would see soe | (366-384), who took a special interest ge Pl ayotion to Saint Agnes, added an acrosue neg se in ote he source is ambiguous ~ elther foam eng eat ar Mhearch of the apse of the cemetery church ofacga see and which celebrated the foundation of the chant Constantina in honor of Saint Agnes.’ wurch by i third historical source is found in the lat four ce ty historian Ammianus Marcellas! Rerum gestarim iby Pye that Constantina died in 354 in Bithynia, Aa Min SI ee rnd6l/ eel ee and Vater was sent to Rome (0 be buried near th ety ont nas Fle Nomentum where Constantina was also buried" Te oat to Nomentum is today the Via Nomentana on which te PerAgnece complex is located about two mils outside the QuMetion walls It is to Ammianus that most scholars ler thon citing the burial place of Constantina and Helena Hoe. ae is significant that Ammianus doesnot say exactly whee shite SantAgnese complex tha the sisters were buried. “These historical sources have provided the basis on which recent scholars have concluded that Constantin founded the Cemetery church of Sant Agnese between 326 and 30 whle She was cll residing in Rome, and with which I cont How- ther these scholars also agree that when Constantia died in Nd thas A Ponvveand specif mragrese Mejedicated as th Alexa 254-1261 re Ae o pen, 08 epdation of the cemetery complex power, HO ES . Mpocological relationship b a pore of Const yd at San Ag 1992!* and 1994" I conducted stra n the narthex of Santa Costanza a he western apse of the narthex. logical history of the site, pa i eaitaieetcan co mine, if possible, the ori intified structure indic was possible to docum nd numero xi tombs, some of which se of asin the eastern and wester ols sstanza and in the eastern anc fthe narthex. It was also possible to clanty the ship between the church of Santa Cost ‘church of Sant Agnese. walls of the southern side aisle of Sant Agne dof opus vittatum (B) with a modulus of rwo brick from three to five intermediate courses of tuls . posed of swith » course of tegole, of lange tiles, all set in es.” The exterior wall of the Costanza is not bonded © iside aisle of Sant’ Agnese [4 periods, as th from the fires may also have be concrete. if this were the case a in the concrete could be carbs Costanza concrete was ar fof the Balcones Research ( a 9 ‘Austin and found to contain 2 8 a wood # fhe wes subjected to carboe-1¢ analy.” APPS Berea extn the stncand 1950 reference Yost. = Sm Yiekded a radiocarbon date of #12 ive for the construction of Sania Costanca FADES os. Thus. the radiocarbon date of the wood ab rete at Santa Costanza sugges 2 atc ra frst half of the filth century da Finally, during the 1992 and