- The third register depicted four popes. The two on the right are: John VII (with verso square halo) and Leo the Great; onesto the right, unknown (Gregory the Great is per good guess) and Martin I.
- Adoration of the Crucified. Above the apse is verso monumental recente, the left half now destroyed but fairly intact when it was discovered mediante 1702. Christ crucified is in the centre, and above him are the choirs of angels. Per Greek epigraph is to the right of the cross, quoting Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah. The nations on earth are represented at the bottom.
The Palimpsest [ ]
The palimpsest nuovo onesto the right of the apse is the most important and famous sistema of art con the church. Puro view it, binoculars are useful. There are three discernible figurative layers, con order of age (the restorers found trace evidence of verso fourth giovane scheme, which is undateable):
- Our Lady, Queen. This was painted very shortly after 554, when the Riempire returned onesto Rome, and displays an accomplished late Classical style (compagno the apse mosaic at Santa Pudenziana). Our Lady, holding the Christ-child, is actually depicted as an enthroned Roman empress. She is dressed con purple, with a stole encrusted with enormous pearls and gems and with verso matching crown. The throne is also thus encrusted, with per scarlet cushion. She is attended by two women durante white robes fringed mediante gold; the one on the left is destroyed, and the right hand one is offering something con a bowl. Compagno this recente with the mosaic depiction of Empress Theodora at San Averi, Ravenna and with a similar recente durante the clandestino basilica of San Indulgente.
- Annunciation. It is thought that this was painted after the church was fitted out. You can see much of the angel above the attendant just mentioned, and the lucky survival of verso fragment of Our Lady’s face floats esatto the culmine right of the Queen’s halo.
- St Gregory Nazianzen. The final layer depicts one of the eight Doctors of the Church originally depicted mediante this register (only bits of three survive). They are on per blue preparazione, and the mid-8th century style is now Byzantine. St Gregory’s face is just onesto the right of the Queen’s, and he has a Greek label “St Gregory the Theologian” which is is name per the East. (The restorers concluded that only St Gregory was part of the Pope John scheme, and that the other Dominicans donne calde two doctors below are earlier -perhaps Pope Martin. If so, then the fresco seems puro have been overpainted with the same theme.)
Chapel of Theodotus [ ]
At the end of the left aisle is the Chapel of Theodotus, actually per shrine puro the martyrs SS Quricus and Julitta.
This rectangular room has two entrances, the main one from the end of the aisle being embellished with a pair of rather crude attuale date palms on its jambs. The right hand wall has per near side entrance from the bema, and the archaeologists have pecked at the fabric esatto demonstrate that the doorway was narrowed before the recente cycle was painted. Con the same wall at the far end is verso rectangular niche -this might have been just per broom-cupboard or something similar.
The original decoration was decorative polychrome stone opus sextile revetting per geometric patterns, and the backing tiles for this are visible. The date is thought sicuro be 2nd century, per little later than the actual construction of the chamber. When the nuovo cycle was commissioned, the lower registers of this revetting was removed sicuro make room but the upper ones were left. When the church was abandoned, the rest of the revetting was carefully scavenged -this is evidence against the old intenzione that the church was buried sopra rubble during the 847 earthquake.