RAVENNA
663
RAVENNA
ista, which in the transformations that it underwent
in the fourteenth century and in 1747 lost all the
mosaics with which it was adorned, preserving only
its columns anil its atrium: the Gothic portico dates
from 1311). Of the Church of Santa Croce only one
half remains. In the Church of San Giovanni Battista
only the columns are ancient. Most important is the
chapel of the archiepiscopal palace of San Pietro Criso-
logo, square in shape, and possessing mosaics, of which
the beardless Christ in the centre is notable. The mau-
soleum of Galla Placidia, which is the Church dei Santi
Nazario e Celso (440), contains the best mosaics of
Ravenna. It is built in the shape of a Latin cross,
and has a cupola that is entirely in mosaics, represent-
ing eight Ajjostles and symbolical figures of doves
drinking from a vessel; the other four apostles are
represented on the vaults of the transverse arm; over
the door is a representation of Christ as the Good
Shepherd, young, beardless, with flowing hair, and
surrounded by sheep; opposite, there is a subject that
is interpreted as representing St. Lawrence. There
are three sarcophagi, but it is not known whose they
were; the largest is said to have been that of Galla
Placidia, and that her body was deposited there in a
sitting position, clothed with the imperial mantle;
in 1577, however, the contents of the sarcophagus
were accidentally burned.
Of the same period is San Giovanni in Fonte, which was the baptistery of the Catholics, dedicated by Archbishop Neon "(449-52). It is believed that this church was built over the caledarium of a bath on the same site. It is of octagonal shape, with the interior walls and vault adorned with mosaics. In the centre of the cupola is the baptism of Christ, on a golden field, with a personification of the River Jordan; around are grouped the twelve Apostles on a blue field ; and below are other figures, possibly of the prophets; there are also arabesques, etc. The marbles of the socle seem to have been taken from secular buildings. The art of this period has the merits of ancient art applied to Christian subjects, although its technic already begins to show decadence; for the rest it is still Roman, showing no traces of Oriental influence. The same is true of the artistic period inaugurated by Theodoric, King of the Goths. After the battle of Verona, Odoacer withdrew to Ravenna, where he withstood a siege of three years by Theodoric. The taking of Rimini, however, deprived Ravenna of supplies, and thereby compelled the latter city to capitulate. Archbishop Joannes served as the peace mediator (493). Theodoric employed Roman archi- tects for the building of profane as well as sacred structures. It has been suggested that in his build- ings a Germanic influence may be perceived; but this is without foundation, for even in the Gothic period Ravenna preserved its western Roman char- acter. Nothing remains of the palace that Theodoric built near San Apollinare Nuovo; what is called Palazzo di Teodorico to-day was an annex of the former, probably a barrack, and received its present form in the eighth century. Excavations are being made there at the present time.
The palace itself was sacked by the Byzantines in 539, and thereafter it became the seat of the exarchs, and of the King of the Lombards. Charles the Great took away the columns of this palace to embellish with them his own palace at Aachen. The last tower that remained of the palace of Theodoric was de- stroyed in 129."). Theodoric also built the Basilica Heri-\ilis, baths, and several churches for the Arians, e. g. San Martino, which is now called San Apollinare Nuovo, because the relics of San .\pollinari3 were transferred to that church in the ninth century. This church was near the palace of Theodoric, and was the cathedral of the Arians. Its apse and atrium under- went modernization at various times, but the mosaics of the lateral walls, twenty-four columns, and an ambo
are preserved. The mosaics of the right side represent
a scheme of twenty-six saints going to receive their
crowns, towards a group representing Christ, beard-
less, enthroned amid four angels; which latter group
is the best. This picture contains a schematic repre-
sentation of the palace of Theodoric. After the Gothic
government had passed away, this composition was
somewhat transformed, as is shown by some hands
that remain near a colimin. On the left are the vir-
gins moving from the city of Classis towards the
group of the Madonna witia the Bambino on her lap,
and surrounded by four angels; on the two sides are
the lines of windows, between which are mosaics
representing six-teen saints (Doctors of the Church?)
that have much more individuality than the figures
already mentioned. On the third story are repre-
sented twenty-six scenes of the life and passion of
Christ, in which latter, however, the crucifixion is
lacking; between each two scenes there is the image
of a saint. In another part of the church there is a
rough mosaic containing the portrait of the Emperor
Justinian.
The Church of Santo Spirito (formerly San Teo- doro) was the private church of the Arian bishops; near it is Santa Maria Cosmedin, the baptistery of the Arians, the mosaics of which correspond to those of San Giovanni in Fonte; this baptistery also is an octagonal structure with a cupola. The Church of Sant' Andrea, which was built by Theodoric, was de- stroyed by the Venetians in 1447. After the Byzan- tine conquest the Arian churches were consecrated by Archbishop Agnellus for Catholic worship. The mausoleum of Theodoric, a decagonal structure, cov- ered with a great monolith thirty-sLx feet in diameter, is the monument that reveals Roman art in its purest form, at once austere and graceful. In the Middle Ages the sarcophagus that was used as a church (Santa Maria della Rotonda) was removed, and there appeared in its place a Benedictine monastery. To Theodoric's patronage of the arts was due also the Churches of San Vitale, built by Archbishop Ecclesius (526-34), and San Apollinare in Classe, built by Archbishop Ursicinus (535-39); San Vitale, which is a work of the architect Julianus Argentarius, is an octagonal structure of nearly 114 feet in diameter, with an apse for the altar and presbytery. In 1898 it was restored to its original shape, there being pre- served however only the frescoes of the cupola, which are by Barozzi and others; between the eight columns that surround the central space there open eight niches of two stories, the upper one of which was a tribune for women {matronwum) . The columns, which are placed by pairs between the single pilasters, above and below, are embellished with exquisitely beautiful capitals. The mosaics of the apse and the lateral walls are better than those of the epoch of Theodoric, although not equal to those of the period of the em- pire. In the apse is represented a juvenile Christ, seated upon the orb, and surrounded by two angels, St. Vitalis, and the Archbishop Ecclesius; below to the right is represented the Empress Theodora with her suite, and to the left Justinian and his suite, there being in the latter the Archbishop Maximianus, in whose time (546-56) the mosaics were executed.
Other representations are of Abraham extending hospitality to the three angels; the sacrifice of Isaac; the sacrifice of Abel; the Eucharistic Sacrifice (table with bread and wine), and the sacrifice of Melchisedec (these have a dogmatic value); there are also repre- sentations of Moses, of the prophets, of the Apostles, and of other saints. Among the ancient sarcophagi, a notable one is that of the Exarch Isaac (641), in the Sancta Sanctorum, which must be a work of the fifth century, with representations of Daniel, of the adora- tion of the Magi, and of the resurrection of Lazarus. San Vitale was the model of the palatine chapel of Charles the Great of Aachen. San ApoUinare in
