Personalia
Lex Bosman, born in The Hague, the Netherlands, in 1956. Ph.D. from Utrecht University. Professor of the History of Architecture at the University of Amsterdam.
Theme Group Fellow (1 February 2015 – 30 June 2015)
Biographies of Buildings: Transformations of the Basilica Constantiniana in Rome (Basilica Salvatoris, St. John in the Lateran)
Research Question
How did the architecture of this large church define the interior space? Reconstructions in 3D urge us to rethink the validity of existing reconstructions of this first bishop’s church of Rome. Newly discovered material will enable me to deliver a new reconstruction of the ground plan, and the elevation of the church won’t change on the outside, but the interior needs to be reconsidered.
Project Description
The construction phase of the early Christian basilica I the first quarter of the fourth century is fascinating, since the cathedral of Rome was built on top of an older roman castra. The connections between the earlier, destroyed building and the new basilica are important for the reconstruction, as are the later, medieval alterations that were gradually taking place. The use of 3D reconstructions will enable us to better analyze the decisions and choices that were made, and the changes that were realized in the interior space of the church. The medieval transformations of the building are both exciting and highly relevant for a proper understanding of the position and role of this highly important church building.
Selected Publications
1) Spolia in the fourth-century basilica. In: Rosamond McKitterick a.o. (ed.). Old Saint Peter’s, Rome. Cambridge 2013, 65-80.
2) The Power of Tradition. Spolia in the Architecture of St. Peter’s in the Vatican. Hilversum 2004.
3) Bedeutung der Tradition. Über die Spolien im Chorbereich des Magdeburger Domes. In: Wolfgang Schenkluhn & Andreas Waschbüsch (Hrsg.). Der Magdeburger Dom im europäischen Kontext. Regensburg 2011, 187-195.