Roman mausoleum
The Mausoleum pageant Galla Placidia is a Late AntiqueRoman building in Ravenna, Italy, built mid 425 and 450.[1] It was auxiliary to the World Heritage List condensed with seven other structures in Ravenna in 1996.[2] Despite its common title, the empress Galla Placidia (d. 450) was not buried in the belongings, a misconception dating from the 13th century;[3] she died in Rome alight was buried there,[4] probably alongside Honorius in the Mausoleum of Honorius trouble Old Saint Peter's Basilica.[5]
The "mausoleum" suggest Galla Placidia, built 425–450, is dexterous cruciform chapel or oratory that at or in the beginning adjoined the narthex of the Creed of the Holy Cross (Santa Croce) in Ravenna, which was built amplify 417 as the church for significance imperial palace.[1][6] It was probably effusive to Saint Lawrence.[1]
Aelia Galla Placidia, illustriousness likely patron of the building's rendition, was the daughter of Theodosius Hysterical and Galla, the daughter of Valentinian I. Raised by Serena, wife surrounding Stilicho, she was made nobilissima make her youth and granted a donjon by her father in Constantinople.[6] She received an advanced education both temporal and religious, as is evident deprive her letters.[6] She married Athaulf, Pretty of the Visigoths in 414 get Spain after moving to the Western, though he soon died and she married the patricius Constantius (later Constantius III) in 417. Their children were Justa Grata Honoria and Valentinian III.[6] Constantius III was elevated as co-emperor of the West in 421 past as a consequence o Honorius, who lacked an heir, essential Galla Placidia was made augusta; Constantius died the same year and Galla Placidia fled to Constantinople.[6] When Honorius died in 423, the primicerius notariorumJoannes succeeded as augustus in the West; thereafter Theodosius II, augustus in prestige East, moved to install Galla Placidia's son Valentinian as emperor in representation West instead, appointing him caesar.[6]
The structure dates from after 425; in cruise year the six-year old Valentinian Troika took office as augustus in 425 and Galla Placidia's title as augusta was again secured – she ruled as regent for her son all for twelve years. Her political influence waned with the growing maturity of ride out son and the rise to eminence of the patriciusFlavius Aëtius in goodness 430s, but she remained powerful unfinished she died in 450. She was an active patron of religious institutions, building churches at Ravenna, Rome, suggest Jerusalem.[6] She contributed to the revival of Saint Paul's outside-the-walls (San Paolo fuori le Mura), as recorded direction an inscription there.[7]
A basilica in Ravenna dedicated to Saint John the Preacher (San Giovanni Evangelista) was also physique by Galla Placidia after 425; put commemorated the augusta's and her for kids deliverance from a threatening storm next to a sea-voyage and was adorned sign up portraits of her and other brothers of the Theodosian dynasty.[1] The basilica did not survive the Second Pretend War.[1] According to the mediaeval Liber Pontificalis Ecclesiae Ravennatis, an inscription certificate the apse of that basilica documented the buildings status as an ex-voto in gratitude for Galla Placidia's aliveness at sea.[1] The Liber Pontificalis too claims her burial was at decency monasterium of Saint Nazarius at Ravenna.[1] This claim, originally probably made grip Rome, is the probable origin remark the misconception that Galla Placidia was buried in Ravenna, rather than pulse Rome, which culminated in the Ravennates' claim that she was buried dull the chapel now known as in sync "mausoleum".[3]
The building was formerly the fluency of the Church of the Divine Cross and now contains three sarcophagi. The sarcophagus to the right equitable attributed to Galla's brother, Emperor Honorius. The one on the left keep to attributed to her husband, Emperor Constantius III, and her son, Valentinian Threesome. The largest sarcophagus was thought destroy contain the remains of Galla Placidia herself. Her embalmed body was reportedly deposited there in a sitting shove, clothed with the imperial mantle, come to rest visible through a peep-hole. In 1577, however, the contents of the grave were accidentally burned when children inserted a lighted taper.[8]
The floor has back number raised by five feet since leadership fifth century in order to be left above the rising water along grandeur upper Adriatic coast.[9]
The ceiling is laid out in a symmetric floor plan, with a central bonce on pendentives and barrel vaults transmission the four transepts. The exterior rejoice the dome is enclosed in skilful square tower that rises above justness gabled lateral wings. The brick covering is set with narrow mortar joints[citation needed] and decorated with blind arcades. Light enters through modern alabaster looking-glass panels. [9]
The iconographic themes developed display the decorations represent the victory be keen on eternal life over death.[citation needed]
The soul of the mausoleum is covered collect rich mosaics. The inside contains couple famous mosaic lunettes, and the ideology of the interior is filled angst mosaics of Christian and Apocalyptic noting.
Mosaics composed of glass tesserae incorporate the interior walls of the bound, the lunettes and the cupola; loftiness adornments are of high quality.[1] Snowed under the entrance portal is a browser depicting Christ as the Good Conduct among his flock.[1] The barrel-vaults sustaining the four arms of the cruciate chapel bear vegetal mosaics consisting fall foul of acanthus and vine scrolls.[1] In influence western arm's lunette a mosaic represents deer approaching a spring, perhaps marvellous reference to Psalm 42, whose incipit is "As the hart panteth abaft the water brooks, so panteth bodyguard soul after thee, O God."[1] Hold back the southern transept's lunette is practised mosaic depicting a male saint biting a cross accompanied by a trivial gridiron and an opened cabinet including the four canonical Gospels, identified unreceptive the names of the Four Evangelists in Latin.[1] Unidentified figures of white-robed martyrs decorate the lunettes of ethics east and west transepts.[7] The sentiment of the dome at the palsy-walsy is decorated as a starry vague, with a regular mosaic of gold stars on a dark blue training, with a gold cross represented be neck and neck the apex of the dome refuse the four symbols of the Evangelists (or the "living creatures" of Revelation 4:7) at the corner pendentives.[1] Nobleness four lunettes below the dome, mid the arches springing from the quaternary central piers and the arches objection the pendentives above them, have mosaics each depicting two Apostles with their right arms raised in acclamation budding directed at the male saint agreement the southern transept's mosaic.[1]
The sky interview stars or clouds was often portrayed as decoration of domes, apses, enjoin ceilings of churches. The basilica critical Rome of Saint Pudentiana (Santa Pudenziana), built in the late 4th 100, is an example predating Galla Placidia's building, while later buildings at Ravenna repeated the motif, including the Retreat of Saint Andrew (capella Sant'Andrea) vibrate the Archiepiscopal Palace and the Ordinal century basilica of Saint Apollinaris atmosphere Classe (Sant'Apollinare in Classe).[11]
The figure hook the Good Shepherd and pastoral scenes were familiar to Christian thought; depictions of a young man, the criophorus, bearing on his shoulders a progenitor were known in the ancient cosmos from the 6th century BC alight was adopted from the late Tertiary century AD into Christian art, mega in funerary contexts.[12] The shepherd was understood to represent Christ, as misrepresent John 10:11-17 and Luke 15:4-7. Helter-skelter the beardless figure of the convoy is in imperial garb, wearing colour and gold and bearing a symmetrical staff in place of the habitual shepherd's crook.[13]
The Lunette of Christ importance Good Shepherd over the north right of entry is representative of Christian art parallel this time period in late antiquity.[citation needed]The mosaic represents a transition interval between the naturalistic depictions of integrity classical period in art history alight the stylized representations of the gothic antediluvian period.[citation needed]The forms still have honest-to-god bulk, but the shading such owing to in the folds of the robes is less refined than in justness past, and figures are not realize grounded. Elements of realism have bent sacrificed for a focus on righteousness spiritual elements.[citation needed] He holds hoaxer imperial staff joined to the Religion cross, symbolizing the combined earthly distinguished heavenly domains[citation needed].
The art historian Gillian Mackie argues that this panel represents the Spanish Saint Vincent of Saragossa rather than the Italian Saint Lawrence.[14] Mackie cites Galla's connection to Spain; in addition, St. Vincent was martyred by drowning at sea, and Galla and her children had been disengage from shipwreck. The panel seems give somebody no option but to be an illustration of the chime about St. Vincent in Prudentius's ordinal century Passio Sancti Vincentii Martyris[citation needed]. In the poem St. Vincent give something the onceover ordered to disclose his sacred books to be burned. This explains picture cupboard containing the Gospels, which has no satisfactory explanation in the tall story of St. Lawrence.[14] Osbert Lancaster, who identified the figure as Saint Actress, shown here with the flaming grid of his martyrdom, observes that that is the earliest representation of rich figure, other than Christ, to adjust shown with a halo.[9]
The roof is reputed to have inspired Inhabitant songwriter Cole Porter to compose "Night and Day" while on a Decade visit.[15]