Salvadori, SharonYawn, LilaAlvarez Largaespada, Analaura2024-10-182024-10-182022Alvarez Largaespada, Analaura. "Sant’Agnese fuori le mura: Image, Text, and Gender in the 7th Century Apse Mosaic". Master's Thesis, John Cabot University, Rome, Italy. 2022.https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14490/541Master of Arts in Art History -- John Cabot University, Spring 2022.On the Via Nomentana, outside the city walls, stands the 7th basilica of S. Agnese fuori le mura. Described as being “decorated to perfection” by the Liber Pontificalis, the church was built sometime during the papacy of Honorius I (625-638) and boasts the only extant medieval apse mosaic in Rome with a female martyr at the center. The image and life of Agnes in the city has a long and interesting history. Visual representations spanning from Late Antiquity to the Late Middle Ages shed a light on the development of medieval martyrological iconography in Rome and thereby also on the cult of saints. The late antique literary tradition on Agnes is equally rich, with authors such Ambrose and Prudentius providing the basis for her saintly profile throughout the Middle Ages and beyond. Both texts and images also present us with insights regarding late antique and medieval ideas regarding the female body, gender, and sexuality. The 7th century apse itself, created at a period of reinvention and transition, underscores the presence and perceived importance of a distinctly female saint in the sacred topography of Rome. This thesis will explore the architectural, visual, textual, and social context of this unique representation of Agnes in the apse mosaic. The earlier visual and written tradition of Agnes in the city, along with a consideration of the cult of martyrs, will shape the understanding of her representation as gendered construct and, thereby hopefully, also allow for a more nuanced understanding of the apse mosaic in its 7th century context.vii, 80 pagesenAttribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 Internationalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/Sant'Agnese fuori le MuraEarly Christian architectureChristian art and symbolismChurch architectureChurch decoration and ornamentThesis