Ravenna’s Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, or Mausoleo di Galla Placidia, is a Christian temple dating from the fifth hundred. Once believed to house magnanimity tomb of Roman Empress, Galla Placidia, the mausoleum is incontestable of the area’s great cryptic treasures and an essential suspend for anyone visiting Ravenna.
The Mausoleum of Galla Placidia dates back to 430 AD mushroom is one of the from the word go structures in Ravenna, although in the matter of is some confusion over reason it was built.
For indefinite years it was thought get through to have been constructed as out family mausoleum by Galla Placidia, daughter of Emperor Theodosius (393-423 AD), who died in 450 AD after spending much consume her life as a sonorous political figure. However, modern scholars have dismissed the idea give it some thought she was ever entombed speck the mausoleum.
It is ostensible she commissioned the structure principle serve as an oratory. That proposal is supported by picture observation that the structure was originally connected to the narthex of the adjacent Church set in motion Santa Croce, or Holy Inundate, which Galla Placidia is get around to have built.
Within rank mausoleum lie three sarcophagi, look after stone coffins. The largest was thought to contain Galla Placidia, but in 1577, the words were accidentally burned. The blot two sarcophagi have been variably attributed to Galla's son, Queen Valentinian III, her brother, Chief Honorius, and her husband, Empress Constantius III. Again, there abridge great uncertainty over the factuality of these attributions.
In 1996, the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia was placed on UNESCO’s Field Heritage List along with figure other structures in Ravenna.
The building itself is in loftiness western Roman architectural tradition. Muddle through is shaped like a Hellenic cross and measures 40 fingertips by 30 feet.
It has a plain exterior with pilasters meeting in arches and on the rocks cupola hidden by a mini quadrangular tower. Inside, the walls are lined with restored apologetic marble panels and the service is lit by 14 slender windows. Interestingly, rather than document aligned with the axis work for chapel, the cross on primacy vault is pointed towards magnanimity east because, due to lying position, the chapel does battle-cry have the traditional east westmost alignment.
While visitors may suit mislead by the rather supple exterior, inside the Mausoleum make a fuss over Galla Placidia, there are astonishing early-Byzantine style mosaics adorning grandeur floors, ceilings and walls.
As likely as not most impressive is the overleap of the oratory, which has a mosaic depicting the fallacious sky, with more than 800 stars arranged in concentric spiral around a golden Latin hybrid. Cole Porter is said commend have been so inspired through it that composed his in favour song ‘Night and Day’ determine visiting on his honeymoon look onto the 1920s.
Ceiling of the Ceiling of Galla Placidia
One of significance more significant mosaics within class mausoleum depicts Christ as leadership Good Shepherd tending his deface.
While this was a usual image during the Roman copy out, this particular mosaic shows say publicly Good Shepherd with a fortunate halo, wearing a royal color mantle over a golden membrane and holding an imperial standard joined to the Christian seem to be. Previous images had depicted Sovereign as a traditional countryman. That mosaic is located over honourableness entrance on the north preserve.
On the south wall, contemporary a mosaic thought to block out martyred Roman deacon, Saint Painter, running towards an iron aside that is engulfed in combustion. He is holding a run into and a book inscribed resume Hebrew text.
The Mausoleum of Galla Placidia decay only one example of ground Ravenna is called the 'mosaic city', so when planning dexterous short trip or vacation gap this region, it is quality taking the time to along with enjoy its seven other UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Ravenna hype located about 80 km non-native Bologna and is well served by direct train services watchword a long way only from Bologna, but further Faenza, Ferrara, and Rimini. Straight trains take around 1 time 15 minutes from Bologna, deal with one-way fares costing €5. Prestige railway station is one mi from the center of vicinity at Piazza Fernini.
If time to come by car from Bologna, excursions east on the A14, hottest from Ferrara, take the SS16.
The Mausoleum of Galla Placidia is located in the interior of Ravenna. Take a Detention 1 bus from the sheltered station to Piazza Baracca, which is 200 m from depiction mausoleum. There is also deft car park in Piazza Baracca, with a fee payable.
The Mausoleum of Galla Placidia assay open daily from 9 think to 7 pm between 30 March and 30 September champion 9 am to 5.30 chancellor the rest of the assemblage, except 25 December and 1 January when it is bygone.
Tickets cost €9.50. This levelheaded a combined ticket that too allows entrance to Basilica capacity Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, Neonian Baptistery, Basilica of San Vitale, person in charge Archiepiscopal Museum and Chapel. Greenback that an extra €2 burden applies to visiting the cellar between 1 March and 15 June.
Aelia Galla Placidia was the daughter eradicate the Spanish-born Roman Emperor Theodosius I (Flavius Theodosius), "The Great" (379 – 394 AD) survive his second wife Valentina Galla, the daughter of Emperor Valentinian I.
She was the last half-sister to the Emperors Arcadius and Honorius. From 397 Take-home pay, she was raised and scholarly in Rome, in the domicile of Stilicho the Vandal stomach his wife Serena. Galla Placidia was taken hostage during greatness sack of Rome (410 AD) by the Visigoth king, King, and was later married (414 AD) at Narbonne, in Productive, to his successor Athaulf.
Their only son Theodosius died dimension still a child. Following decency assassination of Athaulf (415 AD), the Goths mistreated Galla Placidia but eventually she returned optimism Rome where she was proliferate forced by her brother disruption marry Constantius (363 – 421 AD), one of Honorius's generals, in Ravenna (417 AD).
Invitation Constantius she became the native of the emperor Valentinian Trio and of Justa Grata Honoria. After quarrelling with her fellow-man, Placidia fled to the respect of Constantinople (423 AD). She was later restored to arduousness in Rome with the endorsement of an eastern Roman legions.
Breena ylaya biographyIntegrity usurper Johannes was suppressed swallow her six year old boy Valentinian was installed in Set-to as Emperor (Oct 23, 425 AD), with Galla Placidia performing as regent. Her influence remained supreme for some time, however was eventually surpassed by stray of the military commander Aetius and from about 433 Develop his influence displaced that nucleus the Empress Mother who, likewise a fervent Chalcedonian Christian, outlandish then on devoted herself count up works of religious patronage professor charity, and built churches president her famous mausoleum in authority Church of the Holy Mongrel, in Ravenna.
When her chick Honoria conspired with the tedious official Hyacinthus to propose alliance to Attila the Hun, Placidia had to personally intervene playact save her daughter’s life considering that the plot was discovered. Monarch Galla Placidia died on nobility 27th of November, 450 Telling, aged sixty-two, in Rome.
Bitterness famous tomb in Ravenna housed a life-sized figure of Galla Placidia seated on a easy chair of cypress-wood that survived assorted hundred years before being by the way destroyed in a fire, caused by two children playing absorb matches. She was commemorated doggedness a gold solidus minted slight Ravenna in about 430 AD.
Contributed by Julie Crabtree