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Paolo Verzone (1902-1982) A Journey in Time and Space | Archeology-3: Ephesos

"I could see for myself... and I could instead recognize..." (P. Verzone)

At the end of the 19th century, and for the first time in the modern era, the site where the Basilica of St. Jean had been erected was found, in the vicinity of the modern city of Selcuk Turkey; the results of the first archeological studies, directed by G. M. Sotirou, were published between 1922-24. From 1922-33, an Austrian mission carried out excavations, published by J. Keil surveys. The official report of the Austrian mission’s excavations was published in 1951: excavation of the building has not yet been completed and the reconstruction put forward by H. Hermann remains hypothetical.

1954-56 In the context of his "research on the late-Roman and Byzantine churches in Anatolia" on behalf of the Istanbul Technical University, Paolo Verzone carries out studies and surveys of St. John’s.

1956-58 Resumption of the Austrian excavations and restoration works get under way, directed by F. Miltner. A technical committee is established, comprising two museum directors and an architect in charge of clearing the monument and restoring the baptistery.

1960 The result of his studies carried out from 1954-56, Paolo Verzone publishes The great vaulted churches of the 6th century in Constantinople, Ephesos and Hierapolis, lessons from the culture Courses on Byzantine and Ravennate art.

1962 The results of the last five expeditions are published. Restorations proceed, co-ordinated by E. Akurgal; the committee members are now an architect, an archeologist and experts from the Archeology Institute of Ankara University.

1975 Akurgal invites Verzone to act as consultant for the restorations in progress. The scholar goes to Selcuk at the start of winter to make surveys and photographs; with the aid of the restorer A. Fabbri, he reassembles fragments of late medieval reliefs and by finding and interpreting the fallen parts, he interprets the roofing system of the hall with three naves. In the summer of ’76, he completes the designs of the internal and external configuration of the naves, and identifies the exact position of a huge piece of the internal vault, essential for the interpretive hypothesis of the internal vault. The consultation ends in 1977 when the reconstruction designs of the church’s interior are officially handed over.

1978-80 Verzone publishes the results of the research in The building phases of the basilica of St. Jean in Ephesus in the Annals of the Pontificial Roman Academy of Archeology (vol. LI-LII).