Pre-Christian Basilica Fornàs de Torelló, Mahón, Spain

Pre-Christian basilica with a regular layout, the central nave paved with a magnificent mosaic which can still be seen. It dates from the 6th century A.D., when the Byzantine army of Justinian (the Eastern Roman Emperor who aspired to rebuild the Western Roman Empire) had conquered the Balearic Islands.

It faces from east to west, and on the northern side retains a small hemispherical baptismal font built in stone and mortar, with a waterproof lining.

There are three separate sections: The rectangular apse with the base of an altar, surrounded by bunches of grapes, the central motif being a classical wine bowl and two peacocks. The grapes represent life, while the peacocks facing one another represent the resurrection. Between the nave and the head, two lions face a palm tree. They have been interpreted as a reference to Jewish tradition, which was particularly important at that time in Maó. The lions represent the power of death, while the palm is the tree of life. The nave for the congregation reveals geometric figures and depictions of birds, in a clearreference to Paradise.

References:

menorca.es

Religious sites in Spain

User Reviews

F BB (3 years ago)
Remains of a beautiful early Christian basilica, you can perfectly see the plan, the apse, a stone basin and the mosaic on the floor with drawings of organic and animal motifs stands out, it is a pity that it is so dirty, you cannot appreciate the colors. It definitely needs cleaning, in general the entire facility is somewhat neglected and even forgotten, I would say.

Mari Carmen Rodriguez (3 years ago)
The remains of this basilica are very well protected, some of the floor mosaics are very well preserved.

Marco Morganti (3 years ago)
Very interesting place of our memory

Maite Colom Boladeras (4 years ago)
Wonderful!

Tania Poderosa (4 years ago)
It is curious to imagine what it would be like to go to mass before, to imagine how the community would get to this place, how they would organize themselves, who had the temple built, for what purpose apart from the religious that is supposed to be ...

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Following the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the town of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland was made into its own Diocese, and the church designated its cathedral.

There is not much left of the original interior. The font is made of local red marble in the 13th century. The pulpit was made in Lübeck in 1684. There are 400 graves under the church floor.

Pre-Christian Basilica Fornàs de Torelló

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