Mausoleum of Galla Placidia: description, history. Ravenna Attractions

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

This provincial city in Italy took over the imperial court in the 5th century and was the capital of the Western Roman Empire for several centuries. Located near the Adriatic Sea, Ravenna is incredibly rich in architectural monuments of the early Christian and Byzantine eras. It is especially famous for its mosaic art. Fascinating paintings made of pieces of sm alt, which adorn the famous buildings of the city, amaze with their special beauty.

Main Cathedral of the Mosaic Capital

The UNESCO-protected Cathedral of San Vitale in Ravenna is considered the main temple of a small village. They wrote about him that a more beautiful and majestic religious monument in Europe can no longer be found. Founded in 525 BC, the basilica is famous for its Byzantine mosaics, which are not destroyed by time. It is curious that on one of them Christ, seated on a blue ball, symbolizing our planet, is depicted as a young man without a beard. On the rest of the mosaics, you can see the emperor and his family.

When the city passed to the Byzantines, they did notdestroy the temple of San Vitale in Ravenna, and supplemented with drawings in which the masters laid out the new ruler and his wife. It is believed that mosaics at that time were analogues of photographs, and talented authors recreated all the features of a person to the smallest detail and displayed the nuances of costume and jewelry.

Mausoleum dedicated to the daughter of the Emperor of the Roman Empire

Genuine masterpieces of the treasure city, considered unsurpassed throughout the world, surpass many attractions in terms of artistic value. The city is home to a mausoleum protected by UNESCO, striking in contrast between its ascetic appearance and charming interior decoration.

The red brick structure is named after the daughter of the last emperor of the Roman Empire. Theodosius the Great, who received his nickname from Christian writers, banned pagan cults. An ardent champion of Orthodoxy did everything to determine the direction of religious development in Europe. Under his rule, Christian postulates were approved by decrees. Theodosius the Great, canonized as a saint, put an end to the Roman-Gothic war.

Not a mausoleum, but a chapel?

His daughter was raised in Constantinople, from where she brought Byzantine craftsmen. The famous mausoleum, located near San Vitale, was erected by her order. However, she found her last refuge not in the majestic building that is dedicated to her, but in the family crypt, located in Rome, in 450. Scientists believe that the mausoleum of Galla Placidia waschapel of St. Lawrence, who patronized the imperial family, and, most likely, the Visigoth queen only prayed here.

Contrast between exterior and interior decoration

Historians have studied the architecture of the building and the theme of the mosaics and found out that the mausoleum is very similar to martyria - religious buildings erected over the graves. Located near the Basilica of Ravenna, the monument looks very modest in appearance and is an example of the architecture of early Christian churches. It is a Latin cross with a tower resembling a cube, into which a dome invisible from the outside was inscribed by ingenious architects. The ascetic appearance of the building contrasts sharply with the luxury of the interior.

The fortified mausoleum of Galla Placidia in Ravenna is intentionally fenced off from the outside world with thick walls and narrow embrasure-like windows through which weak light penetrates.

For Christians of that time, external beauty meant nothing compared to spiritual beauty, and art critics even compared such works to unremarkable shells that store precious pearls inside.

Mosaic Decoration

The lower part of the walls is lined with transparent marble, creating a feeling of lightness and airiness. The dome of the mausoleum is decorated with mosaics with wonderful patterns in blue and gold hues, and in its center shines a bright cross oriented to the east - a symbol not only of the torment of Jesus, but also of his victory over death. This is how the illusory effect of the starry sky is achieved, against which the figures of saints soar in the air. The magic drawing is applied tosilk scarves sold in every souvenir shop, and tourists take home a piece of the famous monument of Ravenna.

The scene with the Good Shepherd surrounded by a flock of sheep, where the seated Christ is depicted as a heavenly king leaning on a cross, many researchers attribute not to a shepherd's idyll, but to a funeral cult, and here you can feel the spirit of solemnity. The mosaics, which clearly show the influence of Constantinople, were made a hundred years after the Byzantine Empire adopted Christianity.

The uniqueness of mosaic paintings

The famous mausoleum of Galla Placidia stands out among the other monuments of Ravenna with a mosaic ensemble, the canvases of which are completed paintings. Researchers pay attention to the amazing talent of the master who created amazing works. It can be noted that the saints have classically regular facial features, their poses are lively and not frozen, the author draws attention to the effects of lighting and interprets the air environment in his own way.

The uniqueness of the gift lies in the special technique of laying the mosaic. The mausoleum of Galla Placidia stands out among other architectural ensembles with stunning masterpieces made by a nameless master. They are superior to other works preserved in Ravenna. Sm alt of various shapes was laid at a special angle with small gaps, which enhanced visual perception: due to the optical refraction of light, the color palette expanded.

When the image is poorly litflickered, and it seemed that the walls of the structure were lined with precious stones, iridescent in different colors. In a small space, the colors of the mosaics sparkle with an unearthly brilliance that expresses the inner awe of all visitors who admire the bright artistic images.

One of the researchers of Byzantine art, admired by the greatness of the miracle of Ravenna, said that everyone who enters the dimly lit mausoleum of Galla Placidia is transported to another world, where everywhere and on everything lies the stamp of the unusual.