Marble Architectural Elements and Liturgical Furniture of the Santa Giustina Basilica in Padova: New Archaeometric Data on the Importation of Proconnesian Marble in the Late Antique Adriatic

This paper examines eight marble samples from the architectural elements and liturgical furniture of the ecclesiastical complex of Santa Giustina in Padova (Italy), founded by the Rufus Venantius Opilio before AD 524. The provenance determination of the marbles was carried out by means of a multi-analytical approach combining mineralogical-petrographic investigations, performed by microscopic observations of thin sections, and the measurement of the ratios of stable carbon and oxygen isotopes. The results obtained were compared with up-to-date petrographic and isotopic databases (Antonelli and Lazzarini 2015), and they showed that the analyzed marbles come from the quarries of the island of Proconnesus in Asia Minor, modern Marmara Adasi (Turkey). Archaeometric evidence, together with the stylistic and functional analysis of the pieces, suggests the direct importation of a complete set of sculptures, shipped at different stages of workmanship from the workshops of Constantinople and expressly ordered by a single patron, who can be identified as Opilio, founder of the basilica of Santa Giustina and praetorian prefect at the court of King Theodoric.

Automated summary

This paper uses a multi-analytical approach to study eight marble samples from the ecclesiastical complex of Santa Giustina in Padova, Italy. Through mineralogical-petrographic investigations and stable carbon and oxygen isotope measurements, it is determined that the marbles originate from the quarries of Proconnesus in Asia Minor. Archaeometric evidence, as well as stylistic and functional analysis, suggest that these sculptures were imported from Constantinople and ordered by Rufus Venantius Opilio, the founder of Santa Giustina basilica and praetorian prefect at King Theodoric's court.