Naples Life,Death & Miracle

Mosaics in the baptistery of San Giovanni in Fonte, Naples Cathedral
The Phoenix with nimbus (Photo by Vincenzo Alberti)

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The phoenix was a mythical creature who burst into flames at death but rose again from its own ashes. It was adopted by the early Christians as a symbol of the resurrection, especially the resurrection of Christ. The nimbus is also called the "halo." In art, it is a radiant circle or disk surrounding the head of a holy person--or, in this case, a symbol of a holy person; it represents the spiritual character through the symbolism of light. Early Christian art avoided the nimbus because of its origins in pagan art (Roman emperors were often depicted with a crown of rays), but by the middle of the 4th century, Christ was also shown with this attribute.

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