SEP. MARIAE
the tomb of Maria, daughter of Stilicho and wife of Honorius,
and probably also of Honorius himself (Paul. Diac. hist. Langob. 13. 7:
iuxta S. Petri apostoli atrium in mausoleo sepultus est), of Theodosius II
and Valentinian III, built on the east end of the spina of the
CIRCUS
GAI ET NERONIS (q.v.), together with another circular mausoleum
1 of
similar size. This was later known as S. Maria della Febbre, and was
only demolished by Pius VI (DuP 38). The tomb of Maria contained
eight niches on the inside, one of which served as an entrance. In the
eighth century the body of S. Petronilla was transferred hither, and the
tomb became known as the chapel of the Frankish kings. It was
destroyed about 1520 during the building of the present church of
S. Peter's, but the sarcophagus containing the remains of Maria with
much treasure in gold and silver was found in 1544 (ILS 800; for the
history of this mausoleum and of the discoveries made in it, see Cancellieri, de Secretariis basilicae Vaticanae 995-1002, 1032-1039; De Rossi,
BCr 1863, 53 sq.;
1878, 140 sq.; Lanciani, Pagan and Christian Rome
201-205;
LS iii. 240; Arm. 754-758;
Mel. 1902, 388-394;
BC 1914, 395;
HCh 422-423; Tiberii Alpharani de basilicae Vaticanae structura,
published by M. Cerrati, Studi eTesti, fasc. 26
(1914) 132-145;
LPD i. 192,
for large plan of S. Peter's and these mausolea; cf. also Rivoira, Lombardic Architecture, i. 82-84; Rohault de Fleury,
BCr 1895, 41 sqq.
