Santa Costanza

What it is

Santa Costanza is a well-preserved circular building in Rome, built in the 4th century as the mausoleum of Constantina, daughter of Constantine I. It stood beside an earlier funerary basilica Constantine had built and was later converted into a church. Its original mosaics largely survive in the ambulatory vaults.

Why it matters

The building and its mosaics, showing both pagan-style decoration and Christian themes, illustrate the mixed artistic language of the early Christian imperial court. Constantina's large porphyry sarcophagus, now in the Vatican Museums, is considered an important object for understanding Late Antique art. The site shows how Constantine's family invested in grand funerary architecture tied to Christian martyr cults, since it was built near the tomb of Saint Agnes.

Look closer

• Why would a Christian family build near the tomb of a martyr?
• What might the mixture of classical and Christian imagery in the mosaics tell us about how new the Christian art tradition still was?
• What is lost when a building changes use, as this one did from mausoleum to church?