THE CATHOLIC HERALD DECEMBER 22, 2006

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CHURCH ART

In the homeland of Augustine and Cyprian, of Tertullian and Felicity, wonderful works of art are being crafted for Westminster Cathedral. Mgr Mark Langham reports on a unique collaboration between Church and charity that is helping to support destitute families in Tunisia Re-piecing the African Church

The art of mosaic is deeply grounded in the human psyche, as well as in human history. For a child, the act of putting together coloured shapes to form a picture is a basic experience of growth in comprehending the world and articulating a response to it. Perhaps, for that reason, mosaic art is one of the most ancient and enduring art forms; sadly neglected as a contemporary medium, its history is nevertheless a glorious reflection of the mighty cultures that created it. On a journey to Tunisia last October, parishioners and friends of Westminster Cathedral were invited to contemplate one of the highest points in the history of mosaic, and were able to witness a project that aims to bring to life once again this great art form. Roman North Africa, comprising modern Tunisia, Algeria and Libya, was one of the richest provinces of the mighty Empire. With a milder climate in those days, its immense production of corn earned for its citizens vast wealth through feeding the remorselessly hungry cities of the Italian peninsula. The Mediterranean became a highway between Rome and Carthage, as ships bearing the vital provisions sailed unceasingly back and forth. The resultant prosperity of the Romans of North Africa was expressed in mighty cities and lavish villas, decorated with the finest mosaics to be seen in any of the former provinces of the Roman Empire. On pilgrimage to Tunisia, following in the steps of St Augustine, our group from Westminster Cathedral saw something of this extensive heritage. In the vast museums of Tunis, Sousse and El Jem, room after room was carpeted in exquisite mosaics of a size and artistry unsurpassed in the ancient world. You really never need see another mosaic again. In antique cities, houses and basilicas still boasted their original mosaic floors, the very size of them deterring those who might think to transfer them to a museum. Whereas we in

Original Roman mosaics, right and far right, from the Bardo Museum, Tunis

England tend to become panic-stricken at the thought of a few square inches of mosaic turning up in a field in Sussex, the modern inhabitants of North Africa can afford to be nonchalant about their measureless patrimony (although for the most part it is cared for well). From the first century until the end of Byzantine rule in the seventh century, the workshops of North Africa set the standard by which all mosaic craft is measured, and bestowed upon posterity a priceless record of life in antiquity. While loftier themes of Gods and nymphs abound, what the Romans really liked were scenes of daily life: hunting, gladiatorial fights, canoodling teenagers and dirty floors. Yes, dirty floors; there is a whole genre of mosaic decoration which depicts what your floor would look like if it were littered with the leftovers from a banquet. Which presumably

The Romans had a passion for ‘dirty floors’... There is a genre of mosaics which depict what your floor would look like littered with the leftovers from a banquet

made the actual litter of leftovers from your banquet appear less offensive and, indeed, rather artistic. Through images such as these, historians have learned extraordinary details of the daily lives of the citizens of Africa under the Roman Empire, and its Byzantine successor. Our guide in Tunisia was Pier Magliano, a devoutly Catholic and unremittingly energetic Italian who specialises in religious itineraries in this little-known area. He introduced us to the land of Augustine and Cyprian, of Tertullian and of Felicity and Perpetua. You can see the very spot in Carthage where Augustine sat near the public cisterns, homesick for the sound of the running streams of his childhood farm. You can visit the basilica where St Monica waited in vain for her wayward son, as Augustine tricked her and sailed for Rome. You can walk in the dusty amphitheatre where Felicity and Perpetua (familiar names from the First Eucharistic Prayer) were torn to pieces by wild animals. North Africa was once the most Christian province of the Roman Empire, producing three

popes, two Doctors of the Church, and countless martyrs, and it is increasingly seen as a destination for religious groups. The remains of bewilderingly huge cities and monumental basilicas litter the country, and reward the visitor with a glimpse into the vigorous early centuries of the Church. Pier also runs an interesting side-line in introducing auxiliary bishops to their defunct North African Sees, and only recently had engineered the visit of a new auxiliary bishop of Milan to his deserted and fragmentary cathedral city of Lambaesis in Numidia, much to the delight and bemusement of its latterday inhabitants. I made a mental note to get Bishop George Stack, whose titular see of Gemellae in Numidia was well known to Pier, to book a date for his installation. However, it was soon apparent that Pier’s own story was itself one of the most interesting aspects of our tour. In love with the character and potential of the people of Tunisia, Pier has devoted his life to assisting orphaned youths in a society where a father is sole provider for his family, and where fatherless families face an uncertain future. Without a father figure in this highly patriarchal society, a Tunisian family can rapidly fall into destitution. Accordingly, Pier uses all the profits of his tour company to support young Tunisians in this situation. The collection we made for him at the end of our tour will help buy a car for a young man of 18, working to support his mother and younger brothers and sisters. Pier’s greatest project, however, is one that brings alive the ancient Roman traditions of North Africa, and gives hope and a future to youngsters who would otherwise face destitution. The impressively entitled Schola Musivi Carthaginiensis was founded in 2000. It is a mosaic workshop, established with the two-fold purpose of producing works of art according to ancient Roman techniques, and equipping its young Tunisian workers with the skills to create for themselves a secure and positive future. The workshop occupies a small former school, rented expensively from the Diocese of Tunis, and Pier has brought in expertise from the Bardo gallery in Tunis and from Ravenna in Italy to train its young workers. Different coloured stones are harvested and broken into tesserae –the small pieces used for mosaic. The designs are then created by hand, either following ancient designs or interpreting new commissions, and then set into a concrete made of lime, terracotta and fragmented sea shells. This ancient method of production allows the mosaic designs to have a character all of their own, and once the young craftsmen are trained, they are despatched to set up their own mosaic workshops throughout Tunisia –there are now eight throughout the country. In this way, the artistic medium and traditions of a lost civilisation can become owned by a new and different culture, and Roman and Arabic Africa can draw closer together. Yet, the creation of the Schola is primarily a personal act of faith by Pier. A visit to the website of the Schola Musivi Carthaginiensis demonstrates at once the philosophy and faith behind this work; his Christian vision and principles imbue the workshop, to the point that several of his young charges are undergoing catechesis. The Schola’s success, and the ability of its young workers to support their families, relies upon a steady stream of commissions. Although still small and struggling,

Designing a mosaic for a church in Italy. The Schola’s success depends on a steady stream of commissions Photo: M Langham

financial cost of our tour was helping to keep it in existence, and support its young workers. By coincidence, I had earlier in the year received a commission to fill two small blank panels in Westminster Cathedral with images of St Ambrose and St Augustine. The panels flank St Paul’s chapel, which forms an appropriate setting for these two saints, St Ambrose’s own legal career reflecting the theme of the Law already present in the chapel, and St Augustine being the great interpreter of St Paul. What could be more fitting, then, than to have such a mosaic created in the land where Augustine once lived, according to the techniques of his own time, by a workshop dedicated to reviving the art and techniques of his own era? The cost of the two panels together would be about £35,000; they would be designed in England, and then created and shipped over from the Schola Musivi Carthaginiensis in Tunisia. As ever, such a commission must go through an arduous administrative process involving two separate committees, but we would hope that the mosaics might be installed within the next few years.

the Schola Musivi Carthaginiensis is beginning to attract attention. A mosaic of St Augustine (who lived in this part of the Roman province of Africa) created in the workshop now adorns Tunis Cathedral, and the students have received commissions from churches in

Tenerife, Turin and Brescia. Of course, the subject of mosaics is not without interest to us at Westminster Cathedral, where the Byzantine vaults await their decoration. Our group was thrilled to discover this workshop, and to know that the

If you would like to contribute to the mosaic fund please send a cheque made payable to “Westminster Cathedral (Tunisia mosaics)”, to the Administrator, Cathedral Clergy House, 42 Francis Street, London SW1P 1QW. The website of the Schola Musivi Carthaginiensis is www.schola-musivi.com

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