Mithras in Ostia

De mysteriecultus van Mithras moet erg populair geweest zijn in Ostia. Er waren in de stad minstens 17 mithraea of plaatsen van samenkomst.[1] Nu waren deze mithraea niet erg groot: ze boden plaats aan misschien twintig tot dertig mensen. Twintig tot dertig mannen moet ik eigenlijk zeggen, want de cultus…

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De 10 hoogtepunten van… het Museo Nazionale Romano (Baden van Diocletianus)

Het Museo Nazionale Romano opende al in 1890 zijn deuren. De omvangrijke collectie van het museum is thans verdeeld over vier locaties: de eerder besproken stadspaleizen Palazzo Massimo en Palazzo Altemps, de Crypta Balbi en de Baden van Diocletianus. De baden kunnen als de oorspronkelijke locatie van het museum worden…

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Padova: Santa Giustina

Big, bigger, Santa Giustina. This enormous basilica on the southern edge of Padova’s historical centre will make a lasting impression on just about every visitor. The church adjoins the Prato della Valle, a large piazza in the shape of an ellipse where in Antiquity the theatre of Roman Patavium must…

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Padova: Scuola del Santo

The Scuola del Santo (also known as the Scoletta, ‘little school’) is the seat of the Archconfraternity of Saint Antonius of Padova. Saint Antonius (or Anthony) died in 1231, and according to tradition the confraternity was founded a couple of years after he was canonised in 1232. The first written…

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Padova: The Duomo

The formal name of Padova’s Duomo is the cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta. In an older post I called the Duomo “a bit of a disappointment”. Having revisited the building in July of 2022, I still stand by that judgment. Fact is, the Duomo is just a bit boring. The…

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Ravenna: TAMO

The TAMO museum in Ravenna opened its doors in 2012. TAMO is an acronym for Tutta l’Avventura del Mosaico, or ‘the complete adventure of the mosaic’. Everyone know that the city of Ravenna is famous for her mosaics, most of which date from the fifth and sixth century. TAMO focusses…

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