Mitreo di Palazzo Barberini

Discovered by accident in 1936, the Mitreo di Palazzo Barberini (a site dedicated to the Persian God Mithras) this, together with a similar example at S. Prisca, is a rare example of Roman depictions of the God Mithras. It is typical of the cult, having a rectangular room with a barrel shaped vault and lateral balconies in which a communal meal was shared. The room was made inside a building which dates back to the second century A.D. although the room itself was used in the third century. Of great interest in this particular case, however, are the representations of the God slaying a bull, the various astrological symbolism and ten small paintings, telling the story, almost in cartoon fashion, of Mithras himself.

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Contact Information

Mitreo di Palazzo Barberini
Via delle Quattro Fontane 13
00187 Roma

Tel. +39639967700

http://www.pierreci.it