Name:

Think and Observe!

1. What does the first image represent? How about the second one?
2. Can you tell the differences between the first and the second picture?
3. Which one do you think is more modern? Why?
4. Do you know anything about Christian persecution?
5. What Roman god do you know?

In this lesson we are going to study the burial form of the early Christian era.
First, we are going to find out what catacombs were and then we are going to
study the Catacomb of Saint Sebastian. Secondly, we are going to learn the
characteristics of the Renaissance and the Baroque and analyze a painting.
Then, we are going to learn about the religion of the Romans.
1. What were the catacombs?

1. Listening. Predicting the topic. Now listen to your teacher reading a

text you will analyze later. Circle the words your hear as the teacher
reads them.

2. Now watch a short video about the Catacombs in Rome. Try to find
the answers to these questions.
- What are catacombs? Are all catacombs the same?
- People were buried 65 feet down and in 5 layers. How deep is that in
metres?
- What is the temperature down in the catacombs like?
- What type of art can you see down there? What year do they date back?
- What is the most common symbol? What does it represent?
- What other symbols can you see down there? Mention 3.
- What faith do the symbols shown represent?

3. Vocabulary. Match the words to the expressions.

Bernini a building in which the bodies of dead people are buried

inhumate Italian artist and architect who lived in 17th century
apostles type of volcanic rock used as construction material
tuf martyr that killed at the time of Emperor Diocletian
mausoleum group of early Christians who travelled telling people
about
Saint Sebastian Emperor who persecuted and killed Christians
Diocletian place in a grave or bury
4.1. Note-Taking. Listen to your teacher while she reads about the
Catacombs and take notes.

The Catacombs of Rome are ____________________________. They began in the

________________ AD because of a shortage of land and to
_________________________ to bury their ____________________. The volcanic tuf
________________________________ is suitable for __________________. They are
___________________________________________ in tunnels and storeys. They are
very important for the art history because
__________________________________________________________________ and because
the _______________________________________________. From the 1st century AD
Rome was built upon. The caves and tunnels of the mines were used for
________________________________________________. Around the middle of the 2nd
century AD ______________________________. Along the wall, many graffiti were
painted _____________________________________.

The Catacombs of Saint Sebastian is ____________________________________ and

_________________________________________________________. Of the four original
floors, _______________________________________. A basilica was built on these
catacombs in the 13th century. There one can find
__________________________________ with a table altar and
__________________________________________________________.The first one is
decorated
______________________________________________________________________. The
second one__________________________________________________________________.
TheTriglia was
__________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________.
 Catacomb of San Valentino Catacomb of San Callisto Catacomb of
San Valentino

4.2. Now you can read the text and check your notes.

The Catacombs in Rome

The Catacombs of Rome are ancient burial places. They began in the 2nd
century AD because of a shortage of land and to help persecuted Christians to
bury their dead. The volcanic tuf rock under Rome is suitable for tunnelling.
They are many kilometres deep in tunnels and storeys. They are very important
for the art history because they contain examples of fresco and sculptures and
because the relics of many saints are buried there. From the 1st century AD
Rome was built upon. The caves and tunnels of the mines were used for pagan
and Christian rectangular wall tombs. Around the middle of the 2nd century AD
three mausoleums were built. Along the wall, many graffiti were painted
dedicated to diferent saints.

The Catacombs of Saint Sebastian is one of the smallest Christian cemeteries

and one of the least preserved. Of the four original floors, the first floor is
almost completely gone. A basilica was built on these catacombs in the 13 th
century. There one can find the crypt of Saint Sebastian with a table altar and a
bust of Saint Sebastian attributed to Bernini. From there one can reach a
platform under which are the catacombs or mausoleums. The first on the right
is decorated on the outside with paintings of funeral banquets and inhumation
burials. The second one, called the tomb of the Innocentiores, has refined
stucco ceiling and Latin inscriptions in Greek characters with the initial of the
Greek words for JesusChrist. There is another room called Triglia that was used
for funeral banquets and whose walls have hundreds of graffiti with appeals to
the apostles Peter and Paul.
 Entrance to the catacomb of Saint Sebastian Image of Saint Sebastian

4.3. Watch a short video about the Catacombs of Saint Sebastian. Try
to find more relevant information. Answer these questions:
- How big are the catacombs of Saint Sebastian?
- What was built on the top of them?
- Who is the Basilica dedicated to? And before?
- Where are the remains of Saint Sebastian now? And originally?
- What were the Roman Catholics expected to visit once in their lifetime?
- What art period did Bernini belong to?
4.4. Writing. Now with all the notes and the text given, put things in
your own words or summarize them. The following stages may be
useful:

1. Select the main ideas. You can underline the text. Dont use most details and
unimportant information.
2. Find alternative words/synonyms for these complicated words/phrases, but do
not change specialised vocabulary.
3. Reduce complex sentences to simple sentences. Dont forget to explain the
reasons (because) and to structure the sentences well.
4. Check your work. Make sure your purpose is clear, the meaning is the same,
and the style is your own.

My own summary of the Catacombs in Rome and the Catacomb of St

Sebastian
4.5. Organize the following words into the categories in the boxes and
complete the chart.

Renaissance Style Baroque Style

(14-17th centuries) (17-18th centuries)

Characteristics

4.6. Now youll describe a painting of Saint Sebastian by Giovanni

Bazzi. Use the steps and the key vocabulary below. Each number
corresponds to a paragraph in your text.

Saint Sebastian by Giovanni Bazzi (1576) St Sebastian by Andrea

Mantegna (1506)
in Galleria degli Uffizi (Florence) in Muse du Louvre
(Paris)
1. Data: title, author, dimensions, year and location.
This painting is called

2. Type of painting
It is made of .. (oil/tempera/water colour).
It is made on . (canvas, paper, the ceiling, the wall).

3. Description (describe the painting)

4. Style
Is it realistic? Does the artist paint the people in a realistic way or does he
idealise their features? Do the figures give a sensation of movement or are they
static? Is the posture of the figures rigid or relaxed? Are the figures harmonious
and well-proportioned? Have the clothes been painted realistically? How is the
composition? Is it harmonious? Are there strong contrasts between light and
dark (chiaroscuro) or it is not extreme (sfumato)?

5. Context
Associate the painting with the period in which it was made.

6. Symbolism
What is the meaning or idea behind the painting? What does it represent?

7. Personal Opinion
What do you think of this piece of art? What do you like about the painting?

KEY VOCABULARY
Tied to = lligat a
Post/pillar/tree
Shot = disparar
Arrow= fletxa
Pinned=clavat
Flesh=carn
In the background=al fons
Masterpiece= obra mestra

2.The Religion of the Romans

1. Visit this website http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/romans/religion/ and

find the answers to these questions:

Section: What kind of Gods did the Romans worship?

- Who was the Romans God?
- Mention what were the special powers of these Gods: Saturn, Jupiter, Minerva,
Mars and Venus.
Section: Why did the Romans borrow new Gods?
- Who did they borrow new Gods and why?
Section: What went on a Roman temple?
- What did Romans do in a temple?
- What was inside the temple and who looked after it?
- Why did people go there? What did they ofer them?
 - Were Emperors also gods?
- Were the Gods only in the temple?
Section: Did Romans believe in life after death?
The Romans believed that a persons spirit could go underworld after a person
died. Did the Christians have the same belief?

2. Go to the Wikipedia website about Saint Sebastian and found out

about his relation with Roman Gods and what happened with Mark and
Marcellian in the section Life and Martyrdom.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Sebastian

My summary of the Saint Sebastians Legend

Answers to the Wordle:

Not mentioned: scholar, church

Answers to the video1:

1. they are underground cemeteries
2. Many are basically the same and they are open to the people.
3. 19.5 metres underground
4. Its lowers than outside.
5. You can see frescoes. They date back to 400 AD.
6. The fish and it represents Jesuschrist.
7. The anchor (represents hope in Jesus) and the dove with the olive branch
(represents resurrection or peace and hapinnes of the soul)

Answers to the video of the catacombs of saint Sebastian

- small but they were 11 kms long
- a basilica in 4th AD
- Saint Sebastian but before to the apostles
- Now in the basilica but before in the catacombs
- Describe the image of Saint Sebastian physically.
- the basilica of saint sebastian
- Renaissance

Answers to the Religion of the Romans

 - They didnt have a special God. They believed in many Gods and
Godesses.
- Saturn: once king of the gods, his place was taken by his son (Jupiter). Saturn was the
god of seed-sowing. A merry Roman holiday or festival, the Saturnalia, was named after
him.
Jupiter: god of the sky, he was the most important god.
Juno: Jupiter's wife, she looked after women.
Neptune: Jupiter's brother, he was the god of the sea.
Minerva: goddess of wisdom and women's work, such as weaving cloth.
Mars: god of war, though originally god of farming.
Venus: goddess of love, she was the lover of Mars.
- They borrowed from the people they conquered and they wanted to
become stronger.
- They worshipped Gods.
- There was a statue of a god. Priests looked after temples.
- People went there to make sacrifices or oferings of food, flowers or
money.
- Yes, they were also gods and sacrifices had to be made for them.
- There were also gods at home to protect the house and the family.
- There were also gods at home to protect the house and the family.
- No. Some of these old beliefs changed when Christianity was made the official religion
of the Roman Empire by the Emperor Constantine in the 4th century AD. Before then,
Christians got into trouble because they refused to worship the emperor as a god. Some
Christians were arrested and put to death.

Renaissance Style Baroque Style

(14-17th centuries)
Realistic, light, beauty of
nature, naturalism,
Characteristics ancient classics, admired
past, sober rationality
(17-18th centuries)
Excessive
ornamentation,
exhuberance, grandeur,
impress, opulence,
exaggeration, intense
emotions, movement

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