Vatican Museums:
​Greek Cross Hall

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Greek Cross Hall

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The Greek Cross Hall was designed and built by the Roman architect Michelangelo Simonetti (1731-87), at the behest of Pope Pius VI (r. 1775-1799). The hall came to constitute the entrance vestibule to the Pio-Clementino Museo.

The grand entrance is flanked by a pair of granite telamons (1st century CE). In the centre of the floor is a large mosaic with a bust of Athena.

Porphyry Sarcophagus of St Helena (?)

The hall is also home to a pair of monumental porphyry sarcophagi. One is believed to have held the remains of Helena, mother of the emperor Constantine the Great (r. 306-37), who died circa 335. Helena was buried in the Imperial mausoleum at Tor Pignattara, between the Via Prenestina and the Via Labicana. In 1777 the sarcophagus was moved to the Vatican, where it was restored by Gaspare Sibilla and Giovanni Pierantoni. It was then mounted on four marble lions, the work of Francesco Antonio Franzoni, and set up in the Greek Cross Hall.

The sarcophagus is decorated with military scenes (Roman soldiers on horseback and barbarian prisoners), which has led scholars to deduce that it was originally made for a male member of the Imperial family, such as Helena's husband Constantius Chlorus or, more probably, Constantine himself. On the lid of the sarcophagus figures of cupids and victories hold garlands.​

Sarcophagus of Costanza

The other sarcophagus was made to hold the remains of one of the daughters of Constantine, most probably Costanza, who died in 354 and was buried in a mausoleum on the Via Nomentana, alongside the basilica of Sant' Agnese fuori le Mura.
Between 1467 and 1471 the sarcophagus was removed to Piazza San Marco and later, in 1790, it was taken into the Vatican Museums. 

The sarcophagus is decorated on all four sides with garlands and grape vines, large acanthus scrolls and cupids treading grapes. Below there are two peacocks, a ram and a cupid with a garland. The lid is decorated with festoons of greenery.

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