Imagining the Crucifixion
St. Sabina Doors
Did you know that the doors of St. Sabina feature the earliest known depiction of the Crucifixion? Situated on Aventine Hill in Rome, the basilica is the mother church of the Dominican order; founder St. Dominic and other friars lived there beginning in 1220. The doors date from 430-432 AD and are made of cypress wood. They originally featured twenty-eight panels. Of those extant, one features a depiction of the crucifixion of Christ (below, public domain image).
Learn more
- Bill Storage discusses the scholarship surrounding the doors.
- A blog for walking tours of the Eternal City features a comprehensive view of the various panels.
- Dr. Beth Harris & Dr Steven Zucker present an overview of the structure's interior.
- In The Catholic Traveler: Santa Sabina, a father and his daughters explore the church.
