Giacobbe Giusti, Ravenna Art
Church of San Vitale
Giacobbe Giusti, Ravenna Art
Abside della cappella arcivescovile di Sant’Andrea
Giacobbe Giusti, Ravenna Art
Mosaic in the Archbishop’s Chapel, Ravenna, 6th century
Giacobbe Giusti, Ravenna Art
Christ treading the beasts – Chapel of Saint Andrew
Archbishop’s Chapel (or Archiepiscopal Chapel) is a chapel on the first floor of the bishops’ palace in Ravenna, Italy, the smallest of the famous mosaic sites of the city. It is a private oratory of Trinitarian bishops dating from the turn of the 6th century. Although commonly attributed to St. Peter Chrysologus, Archbishop of Ravennafrom 433–450, the chapel was actually built by Peter II shortly after he became archbishop in 495. The mosaics date from the original construction, or soon after.
The tiny cruciform chapel is currently dedicated to Saint Andrew, although the original dedication was to the Saviour, as evidenced by a lunetteover the vestibule door representing Christ treading on the beasts, dressed as a general or victorious Emperor. The lower parts of the walls are lined with marble slabs, while the rest of the interior used to be covered with rich, tapestry-like mosaics, as the vault still is. Some parts of these survive, while others were substituted with tempera paintings by Luca Longhi in the 16th century.
Giacobbe Giusti, Ravenna Art
Mausoleum of Galla Placidia
Giacobbe Giusti, Ravenna Art
Ceiling mosaic Garden of Eden.
Giacobbe Giusti, Ravenna Art
Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence. Mosaic from the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Ravenna, Italy.
Mausoleum of Galla Placidia is a Romanbuilding in Ravenna, Italy. It was listed with seven other structures in Ravenna in the World Heritage List in 1996.[1] The UNESCO experts describe it as « the earliest and best preserved of all mosaicmonuments, and at the same time one of the most artistically perfect ».
Giacobbe Giusti, Ravenna Art
Palace of Theodoric – Ravenna
Giacobbe Giusti, Ravenna Art
Fragment eines Fußbodenmosaiks, das bei Ausgrabungen auf dem ehemaligen Gelände des Palasts Theoderichs freigelegt wurde
Giacobbe Giusti, Ravenna Art
Ceiling mosaic of Arian Baptistry. Built in 5-6 century A.D. by Ostrogothic King Theodoric the Great in Ravenna, Italy. Mosaics are depicting the baptism of Jesus by Saint John the Baptist with procession of the Apostles around. UNESCO World heritage site.
Arian Baptistry in Ravenna, Italy is a Christian baptismal building that was erected by the Ostrogothic King Theodoric the Great between the end of the 5th century and the beginning of the 6th century A.D., at the same time as the Basilica of Sant’ Apollinare Nuovo.
Giacobbe Giusti, Ravenna Art
The ceiling mosaic in the Baptistry of Neon. Ravenna, Italy. Built around 6th century A.D. UNESCO World heritage site.
Baptistery of Neon (Italian: Battistero Neoniano) is a religious building in Ravenna, central Italy. The most ancient monument remaining in the city, it was partly erected on the site of a Roman bath. It is also called the Orthodox Baptistery to distinguish it from the Arian Baptistery constructed on behest of Ostrogothic King Theodoric some 50 years later.
The octagonal brick structure was erected by Bishop Ursus at the end of the 4th or beginning of the 5th century, as part of his great Basilica(destroyed in 1734). The baptistery was finished by Bishop Neon at the end of the 5th century, at which time the mosaic decorations were added. The original floor is now some 3 meters underground, so the proper structure and extent of the building can no longer be seen. The octagonal design of the building, employed in virtually all Early Christian baptisteries, symbolizes the seven days of the week plus the Day of the Resurrection and Eternal Life.
The ceiling mosaic depicts John the Baptistbaptizing Jesus (depicted with beard) standing waist high in the Jordan River. To one side stands the personification of the Jordan river, with a reed in one hand and a garment in the other. A procession of the twelve apostles proceeds around the center mosaic in two directions, ending with Saint Peter meeting Saint Paul.
Basilica of Sant’ Apollinare Nuovo is a basilicachurch in Ravenna, Italy. It was erected by Ostrogoth King Theodoric the Great as his palace chapel during the first quarter of the 6th century (as attested to in the Liber Pontificalis). This Arianchurch was originally dedicated in 504 AD to « Christ the Redeemer ».[1]
Giacobbe Giusti, Ravenna Art
It was reconsecrated in 561 AD, under the rule of the Byzantine emperor Justinian I, under the new name « Sanctus Martinus in Coelo Aureo » (« Saint Martin in Golden Heaven »). Suppressing the Arian cult, the church was dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours, a foe of Arianism. According to legend, Pope Gregory the Great ordered that the mosaicsin the church be blackened, as their golden glory distracted worshipers from their prayers. The basilica was renamed again in 856 AD when relics of Saint Apollinaris were transferred from the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare in Classe because of the threat posed by frequent raids of pirates from the Adriatic Sea.
Its apse and atrium underwent modernization at various times, beginning in the 6th century with the destruction of mosaics whose themes were too overtly Arian or which expressed the king’s glory, but the mosaics of the lateral walls, twenty-four columns with simplified Corinthian capitals, and an Ambo are preserved. On some columns, images of arms and hands can be seen, which are parts of figures once representing praying Goths and Theodoric’s court, deleted in Byzantine times.[2] Renovations (and alterations) were done to the mosaics in the mid-19th century by Felice Kibel. The present apse is a reconstruction after being damaged during World War I.
Architecture and decoration
Giacobbe Giusti, Ravenna Art
On the upper band of the left lateral wall are 13 small mosaics, depicting Jesus’ miracles and parables; and on the right wall are 13 mosaics depicting the Passion and Resurrection. However, the flagellation and crucifixion are lacking. They describe the parts of the Bible that were read aloud in the church during Lent under the rule of Theodoric the Great. On the left, Jesus is always depicted as young, beardless man, dressed as a Roman Emperor. On the right, Jesus is depicted with a beard. For the Arians, this emphasized that Jesus grew older and became a « man of sorrows », as spoken of by the prophet Isaiah. These mosaics are separated by decorative mosaic panels depicting a shell-shaped niche with a tapestry, cross, and two doves. These mosaics were executed by at least two artists.
Giacobbe Giusti, Ravenna Art
The next row of mosaics are a scheme of haloed saints, prophets and evangelists, sixteen on each side. The figures are executed in a Hellenistic-Roman tradition and show a certain individuality of expression as compared to the other figures in the basilica. Each individual depicted holds a book, in either scroll or codex format, and, like many of the other figures throughout the basilica, each of their robes has a mark or symbol in it. These mosaics alternate with windows. They were executed in the time of Theodoric.
The row below contains large mosaics in Byzantine style, lacking any individuality, having all identical expressions. These were executed about 50 years after the time of bishop Agnellus, when the church had already become an Orthodox church. To the left is 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.) To the right is a similar procession of 26 Martyrs, led by Saint Martin and including Saint Apollinaris, moving from the Palace of Theodoric towards a group representing Christ enthroned amid four angels. This lower band, containing a schematic representation of the Palace of Theoderic on the right wall and the port of Classe with three ships on the left wall, gives us a certain idea of the architecture in Ravenna during the time of Theodoric. In another part of the church there is a rough mosaic containing the portrait of the Emperor Justinian.
Giacobbe Giusti, Ravenna Art
The entrance of the church is preceded by a marble portico built in the 16th century. Next to the church, on the right side of the portico, stands a round bell tower dating from the 9th or 10th century.
When the UNESCO inscribed the church on the World Heritage List, its experts pointed out that « both the exterior and interior of the basilica graphically illustrate the fusion between the western and eastern styles characteristic of the late 5th to early 6th century. This is one of the most important buildings from the period of crucial cultural significance in European religious art ».[3]
Some art historians claim that one of the mosaics contains the first depiction of Satan in western art. In the mosaic, a blue angel appears to the left hand side of Jesus behind three goats (mentioned in St Matthew’s account of Judgement Day).[4]
Gallery
Giacobbe Giusti, Ravenna Art
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Three Wise Men or Magi wearing trousers and Phrygian caps as a sign of their Oriental origin.
Giacobbe Giusti, Ravenna Art
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Mosaic of Palace of Theoderic.
UNESCO World Heritage Site
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Location | Ravenna, Italy |
Mausoleum of Theoderic (Italian: Mausoleo di Teodorico) is an ancient monument just outside Ravenna, Italy. It was built in 520 AD by Theoderic the Great as his future tomb.
Description
The current structure of the mausoleum is divided into two decagonal orders, one above the other; both are made of Istria stone. Its roof is a single 300–ton Istrian stone, 10 meters in diameter. A niche leads down to a room that was probably a chapel for funeral liturgies; a stair leads to the upper floor. Located in the centre of the floor is a circular porphyry stone grave, in which Theoderic was buried. His remains were removed during Byzantine rule, when the mausoleum was turned into a Christian oratory. In the late 19th century, silting from a nearby rivulet that had partly submerged the mausoleum was drained and excavated.
It was inscribed with seven other « Early Christian Monuments and Mosaics of Ravenna » buildings as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1996. According to the ICOMOS evaluation, « the significance of the mausoleum lies in its Gothic style and decoration, which owe nothing to Roman or Byzantine art, although it makes use of the Roman stone construction technique of opus quadratum, which had been abandoned four centuries before » and in the fact that « it is the only surviving example of a tomb of a king of this period. »[1]
An approximate replica of this tomb was constructed in the US in 1925 when the Taplin Gorge Dam was constructed north of Fergus Falls, Minnesota. The designer (Vernon Wright, who was also the president of the dam’s owner, the Otter Tail Power Company) based the design of the powerhouse on this mausoleum.
Giacobbe Giusti, Ravenna Art
Church of San Vitale
Giacobbe Giusti, Ravenna Art |
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The Church of San Vitale
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Basic information | |
Location | Ravenna, Italy |
Geographic coordinates | 44.42°N 12.196°ECoordinates: 44.42°N 12.196°E |
Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
Province | Archdiocese of Ravenna-Cervia |
Region | Emilia-Romagna |
Country | Italy |
Year consecrated | 547 |
Website | http://www.ravennamosaici.it/ |
Architectural description | |
Architectural style | Byzantine |
Groundbreaking | 527 |
Completed | 548 |
Construction cost | 26,000 solidi |
UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
Criteria | Cultural: (i), (ii), (iii), (iv) |
Reference | 788-002 |
Inscription | 1996 (20th Session) |
The « Basilica of San Vitale » is a church in Ravenna, Italy, and one of the most important examples of early Christian Byzantine art and architecture in Europe. The Roman Catholic Church has designated the building a « basilica », the honorific title bestowed on church buildings of exceptional historic and ecclesial importance, although it is not of architectural basilica form. It is one of eight Ravenna structures inscribed on the UNESCOWorld Heritage List.
History
The church was begun by Bishop Ecclesius in 526, when Ravenna was under the rule of the Ostrogoths and completed by the 27th Bishop of Ravenna, Maximian, in 547 preceding the Byzantine Exarchate of Ravenna.
The construction of the church was sponsored by Julius Argentarius, a banker and architect, of whom very little is known, except that he also sponsored the construction of the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare in Classe at around the same time.[1] (A donor portrait of Julius Argentarius may appear among the courtiers on the Justinian mosaic.) The final cost amounted to 26,000 solidi(gold pieces).[2] It has been suggested that Julian originated in the eastern part of the Byzantine Empire, where there was a long-standing tradition of public benefactions.
The central vault used a western technique of hollow tubes inserted into each other, rather than bricks. This method was the first recorded structural use of terra-cotta forms, which later evolved into modern structural clay tile. The ambulatory and gallery were vaulted only later in the Middle Ages.[3]
The Baroque fresco on the dome was made between 1778 and 1782 by S. Barozzi, U. Gandolfi and E. Guarana.[4]
Architecture
Giacobbe Giusti, Ravenna Art
The church has an octagonal plan. The building combines Roman elements: the dome, shape of doorways, and stepped towers; with Byzantine elements: polygonal apse, capitals, narrow bricks, and an early example of flying buttresses. The church is most famous for its wealth of Byzantine mosaics, the largest and best preserved outside of Constantinople. The church is of extreme importance in Byzantine art, as it is the only major church from the period of the Emperor Justinian Ito survive virtually intact to the present day. Furthermore, it is thought to reflect the design of the Byzantine Imperial Palace Audience Chamber, of which nothing at all survives. The belltower has four bells, the tenor one dates to the 16th century. According to legends, the church was erected on the site of the martyrdom of Saint Vitalis.[5] However, there is some confusion as to whether this is the Saint Vitalis of Milan, or the Saint Vitale whose body was discovered together with that of Saint Agricola, by Saint Ambrose in Bologna in 393.
Basilica of Sant’Apollinare in Classe
Basilica of Saint Apollinaris in Classe Basilica di Sant’Apollinare in Classe |
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The Basilica of Sant’Apollinare in Classe
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Basic information | |
Location | Ravenna, Italy |
Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
Province | Archdiocese of Ravenna-Cervia |
Region | Emilia-Romagna |
Country | Italy |
Year consecrated | 549 |
Architectural description | |
Architectural style | Byzantine architecture |
Groundbreaking | 6th century |
The Basilica of Sant’ Apollinare in Classe is an important monument of Byzantine art near Ravenna, Italy. When the UNESCO inscribed eight Ravenna sites on the World Heritage List, it cited this basilica as « an outstanding example of the early Christian basilica in its purity and simplicity of its design and use of space and in the sumptuous nature of its decoration ».
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arte_ravennate#Il_rinnovo_di_Sant’Apollinare_Nuovo