Italy
Ravenna
The Early Christian Monuments of Ravenna comprise a unique collection of mosaic art and monuments from the 5th and 6th centuries.
Ravenna, the capital of the Late Roman Empire and Byzantine Italy, developed into a major centre of Christian art and culture at the instigation of Galla Placidia, the wife of Western Roman Emperor Constantius III. Its religious and funerary art and architecture blends oriental and western styles and mostly stands out for its mosaics.
Community Perspective: The monuments that contain the mosaics are spread out over several locations in and around Ravenna. “It is really impossible to say which monument and mosaic is the most impressive”, so try and see as many as you can.
Site Info
Official Information
- Full Name
- Early Christian Monuments of Ravenna (ID: 788)
- Country
- Italy
- Status
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Inscribed 1996
Site history
History of Ravenna
- 1996: Revision
- Formerly on T-List as Ravenna e Pomposa
- 1996: Inscribed
- Inscribed
- WHS Type
- Cultural
- Criteria
- i
- ii
- iii
- iv
Links
- UNESCO
- whc.unesco.org
All Links
UNESCO.org
- whc.unesco.org — whc.unesco.org/
Related Resources
- turismo.ravenna.it — Turismo Ravenna
Community Information
- Community Category
- Religious structure: Christian
Travel Information
Emilia-Romagna and Marche Hotspot
Recent Connections
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Perfect Inscriptions
1996 -
Belisarius
Basilica of San Vitale: "At the foot of… -
The Magi
Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo: one…
Connections of Ravenna
- Individual People
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Emperor Justininian
The Church of San Vitale, dating from 548, was built under the sponsorship of Justinian I and his wife Theodora who both are memorialized in mosaics on the North and South walls of the apse. How "personal" this sponsorship was is disputed and indeed a construction of this name had been commenced prior to Ravenna's capture from the Ostrogoths by Justinian's general Belisarius in 540 (after which Ravenna was made the seat of Byzantine government in Italy). The design does appear however to have been completely revamped and it has been suggested that it reflects that "of the Byzantine Imperial Palace Audience Chamber, of which nothing at all survives". -
Frederick II
Captured in 1240 -
Belisarius
Basilica of San Vitale: "At the foot of the apse side walls are two famous mosaic panels, completed in 547. On the right is a mosaic depicting the East Roman Emperor Justinian I, clad in Tyrian purple with a golden halo, standing next to court officials, generals Belisarius and Narses, Bishop Maximian, palatinae guards and deacons."See en.wikipedia.org
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Gustav Klimt
Klimt's use of gold leaf in paintings was inspired by a trip he made to Italy in 1903. When he visited Ravenna he saw the Byzantine mosaics in the Church of San Vitale. For Klimt, the flatness of the mosaics and their lack of perspective and depth only enhanced their golden brilliance, and he started to make unprecedented use of gold and silver leaf in his own work.See en.wikipedia.org
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Charlemagne
Charlemagne's Palatine Chapel both uses San Vitale in Ravenna as a partial model and inspiration and incorporates materials taken on Charlemagne's orders from Ravenna . "Charlemagne visited Ravenna three times, the first in 787. In that year he wrote to Pope Hadrian I and requested "mosaic, marbles, and other materials from floors and walls in Rome and Ravenna, for his palace" ... The Chapel of San Vitale makes use of ancient spolia conceivably from Ravenna (Einhard claimed they were from Rome and Ravenna), as well as newly carved materials." Wiki (Einhard was a servant to and wrote a biography of Charlemagne) -
Galla Placidia
Her mausoleum is here (though it does not contain her remains)
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- Geography
- Trivia
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In Video Games
Age of Empires II: Goths: Mausoleum of Theoderic I; Civilization VII: Mausoleum of Theodoric -
Depicted in Mizielinska Maps
San Vitale, Mosaic of sheepSee i.pinimg.com
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Only portion of building inscribed
Only the Archiepiscopal Chapel, part of the former bishop's palace
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- History
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Byzantine Empire and Civilization
Byzantine capital in Italy through the fifth and sixth centuries....The Basilica of San Vitale, from the time of Justinian, is one of the highest creations of Byzantine architecture in Italy (OUV) -
Located in a Former Capital
Western Roman Empire (402-476) -
Pentapolis
a Pentapolis including: Ravenna, Forlì, Forlimpopoli, Classe, Caesarea -
Eunuchs
Basilica of San Vitale: "Another panel shows Empress Theodora solemn and formal, with a golden halo, crown and jewels, and a group of court women as well as eunuchs."See en.wikipedia.org
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Fusion
"The Early Christian Monuments of Ravenna are without parallel because of the crucial evidence they provide of artistic and religious relationships and contacts at an important period of European cultural history. The mosaics are among the best surviving examples of this form of art in Europe and have an increased significance due to the blending of western and eastern motifs and techniques". (Official description – Criterion ii) Of the Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, the AB Ev mentioned that "both the exterior and the interior of the basilica graphically illustrate the fusion between the western and eastern styles characteristic of the late 5th-early 6th century." (AB Ev) -
Popes
Mausoleum of Theodoric: Pope Victor II "died at Arezzo (...). Victor's retinue wished to bring his remains to the cathedral at Eichstätt for burial. Before they reached the city, however, the remains were seized by some citizens of Ravenna and buried there in the Church of Santa Maria Rotonda [(this is the mausoleum)], the burial place of Theodoric the Great."See en.wikipedia.org
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- Architecture
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Octagons
Basilica of San Vitale, Arian Baptistery, Baptistery of Neon -
Tetraconch
The Mausoleum of Galla Placidia in Ravenna (425–30), world-famous for its mosaics, is almost a tetraconch, although there are short vaulted arms leading from the central space to each apse-end. These end in a flat wall with no semi-dome, and the entrance end is slightly longer (wiki) -
Baroque
The dome of the Church of San Vitale "is decorated with baroque frescoes executed in 1778-82, and in stark contrast to the architectonic purity of the structure." (AB Ev) -
Brick architecture
The mausoleum of Galla Placidia, the Neonian Baptistry, the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, the Arian Baptistry, Sant'Apollinare in Classe (AB Ev) -
Domes
The domes of the mausoleum of Galla Placidia, the Neonian Baptistry, the Arian Baptistry, the Basilica of San Vitale (AB Ev) -
Mosaic art
"The Early Christian Monuments of Ravenna are of outstanding significance by virtue of the supreme artistry of the mosaic art they contain." (Official description – Criterion i) -
Spolia
The Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe: "It was certainly located next to a Christian cemetery, and quite possibly on top of a pre-existing pagan one, as some of the ancient tombstones were re-used in its construction."See en.wikipedia.org
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- Damaged
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Destroyed or damaged by Earthquake
The apse of the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo was destroyed by an earthquake and reconstructed. This explains why it isn't covered in mosaics like the walls of the church.See fr.wikipedia.org
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Damaged in World War I
"The Basilica of Sant' Apollinare Nuovo .....The present apse is a reconstruction after being damaged during WWI" (Wiki)
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- World Heritage Process
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Reduced from broader TWHS
From 'Ravenna and Pomposa' -
Perfect Inscriptions
1996
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- Religion and Belief
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Benedictines
The Church of San Vitale was, at one time, part of a Benedictine monastery. (AB Ev) -
Religious Relics
"The relics of Saint Apollinaris were transferred from the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe" to the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo "because of the threat posed by frequent raids of pirates from the Adriatic Sea."See en.wikipedia.org
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The Magi
Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo: one of the mosaic rows shows "a procession of the 22 Virgins of the Byzantine period, led by the Three Magi, moving from the city of Classe towards the group of the Madonna and Child surrounded by four angels. (The Magi in this mosaic are named Balthasar, Melchior and Gaspar; this is thought to be the earliest example of these three names being assigned to the Magi in Christian art.)"See en.wikipedia.org
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Legends and Folk Myths
Mausoleum of Theodoric: "A large crack is evident on the southern side of the monolith. According to legend, this was caused by a bolt of lightning that hit the mausoleum while the king was inside. It is said that Theodoric actually had the mausoleum built with a monolithic roof so that he could take shelter during storms, because it had been predicted that a bolt of lightning would strike him to death." (Explanatory text outside the mausoleum)
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- Human Activity
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Grand Tour
Mausoleum of Theodoric: "In the Nineteenth-century, the Gothic king's mausoleum also became a favourite destination for travellers on the Grand Tour." (Explanatory text outside the mausoleum) -
Frescoes or murals by famous painters
Basilica of San Vitale: "The Baroque frescoes on the dome were made (...) by S. Barozzi, Ubaldo Gandolfi and Jacopo Guarana."See en.wikipedia.org
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- Constructions
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Baths
Ancient Roman Bath turned into a baptismal font in the Neonian Baptistery -
Cemeteries
The Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe "was built on an earlier (2nd-3rd century) cemetery, where Apollinare, the first bishop, was buried." (AB Ev) "It was certainly located next to a Christian cemetery, and quite possibly on top of a pre-existing pagan one, as some of the ancient tombstones were re-used in its construction."See en.wikipedia.org
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Mausolea
Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Mausoleum of Theodoric -
Prayer Labyrinth
San Vitale basilica -
Monumental Monoliths
Roof Dome of the Mausoleum of Theodoric. 300 tonne , 10 metres in diameter
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- Timeline
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Built in the 5th century
Earliest monuments date from the 5th century, including the "Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, built in the second quarter of the 5th century"
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- WHS Hotspots
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Emilia-Romagna and Marche Hotspot
2h by train
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- Literature & Film
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Poetic Quotations
There is a reference to the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia is Ezra Pound's Canto XXI: "And there was grass on the floor of the temple, / Or where the floor of it might have been; / Gold fades in the gloom, / Under the blue-black roof, Placidia's, / Of the exarchate; and we sit here / By the arena, les gradins ..."
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