Ранохришћанске крстионице јустинијанске епохе (527-565)
Early Christian Baptisteries of the Justinian Epoch (527-565)

Summary/Abstract: Despite the fact that the early Christian baptisteries of the Justinian epoch are typologically very diverse, they exhibit a number of common aesthetic and structural characteristics. Sometimes they are architectural masterpieces, but often they are quite simple, functional buildings. Christianity first spread in the cities in the littoral areas of the Balkan peninsula, penetrating inland only very slowly, so that some parts were christened only in the 4th and 5th centuries. Baptisteries were usually components of larger architectural complexes, and only seldom were they self-standing structures next to basilicas, such as is the case in Caričin grad, Gamzigrad, Taliata, Trebinje and Peter’s Church near Novi Pazar. Quatrefoil baptisteries typologically hail from the East. In the territory of today’s Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, quadrangular baptisteries are the most frequent. This type of baptistery is among the oldest, and the first examples are from Aquillea and Truyere. If baptisteries are within the framework of basilicas, as a rule they are located in the northern section. Some baptisteries had an apsidal niche with an altar, as the eucharistic rite would be performed after the baptism. Several baptisteries in the narthex have been noted, namely in Remesiana, Gradac, Lepenica and Majdan. Octogonal baptisteries are characteristic of the western parts of the Empire, but in Nerezi a baptistery was registered that was rectangular on the outside and octogonal on the inside. The piscinas are as a rule cruciform, and this type belongs to the Salonitian circle of monuments. Apart from that, there exist oval, circular and octagonal piscinas. Quatrefoil piscinas originate in the Orient. The first baptisteries were built next to episcopal basilicas characterised by monumentality and rich decoration. In the beginning only episcopes could baptize, but later this right was vested in lower-ranking clergy as well. That is when baptisteries appeared also in basilicas distant from urban centres. The baptismal rite was performed by immersion and very rarely by infusion, as for instance, in Vrba. Initially, mainly adults were baptized, and as of the 6th century, children started to be baptized as well. With the introduction of children’s baptisms, the dimensions of the piscina became smaller. Once Christianization had gained foothold, children started to be baptized. The dimensions of the baptisteries were reduced and traces of such adaptations are observable on some of them.

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