The sacellum of San Paolo
Borgo del Parmigianino, 2 - 43121 - Parma (PR)
Phone: +39 0521508184
Opening times
the sacellum is located in the Stuard gallery. Open on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday from 10am to 5pm; Saturday, Sunday and festivities from 10.30am to 6.30pm. Closed on December 25, January 1.
Prices
free entrance
Set inside the ancient Monastery of San Paolo, the sacellum is the oldest part of this monastic centre established in Medieval times.
The square form of the room and the ceiling about 8 metres high give it a cubicle shape.
At the corners, four circular brick pillars carry full centre arches while above them shell-shaped pendentives decorate the hemispherical dome.
The outer walls are made of layers of regular stones, almost certainly recovered from Roman buildings.
Several studies show how the original monastery or church was built on this spot at the time of Godescalco, the son in law of Agilulfo who converted to christianity taking the name Paolo.
The building, a tribute to his young wife who had died giving birth on the way back from Ravenna to Parma between 599 and 602, later hosted a community of Benedectine nuns as recorded in documents dating back to the end of 9th century.
