The Mausoleum of Galla Placidia is a Late Antique

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...

building in

Ravenna Ravenna ( , , also ; rgn, Ravèna) is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. It was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire from 408 until its collapse in 476. It then served as the c ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

, built between 425 and 450. It was added to the

World Heritage List A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

together with seven other structures in Ravenna in 1996. Despite its common name, the empress

Galla Placidia Galla Placidia (388–89/392–93 – 27 November 450), daughter of the Roman emperor Theodosius I, was a mother, tutor, and advisor to emperor Valentinian III, and a major force in Roman politics for most of her life. She was queen consort ...

(d. 450) was not buried in the building, a misconception dating from the thirteenth century; she died in Rome and was buried there, probably alongside Honorius in the Mausoleum of Honorius at

Old Saint Peter's Basilica Old St. Peter's Basilica was the building that stood, from the 4th to 16th centuries, where the new St. Peter's Basilica stands today in Vatican City. Construction of the basilica, built over the historical site of the Circus of Nero, began dur ...

History

Mausoleum of Galla Placidia mosaics (Ravenna)

The "mausoleum" of Galla Placidia, built 425–450, is a cruciform

chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common type ...

or oratory that originally adjoined the

narthex The narthex is an architectural element typical of early Christian and Byzantine basilicas and churches consisting of the entrance or lobby area, located at the west end of the nave, opposite the church's main altar. Traditionally the narth ...

of the Church of the Holy Cross (''Santa Croce'') in Ravenna. It was probably dedicated to

Saint Lawrence Saint Lawrence or Laurence ( la, Laurentius, lit. " laurelled"; 31 December AD 225 – 10 August 258) was one of the seven deacons of the city of Rome under Pope Sixtus II who were martyred in the persecution of the Christians that the Roman ...

. Aelia Galla Placidia, the likely patron of the building's construction, was the daughter of

Theodosius I Theodosius I ( grc-gre, Θεοδόσιος ; 11 January 347 – 17 January 395), also called Theodosius the Great, was Roman emperor from 379 to 395. During his reign, he succeeded in a crucial war against the Goths, as well as in two ...

and Galla, the daughter of

Valentinian I Valentinian I ( la, Valentinianus; 32117 November 375), sometimes called Valentinian the Great, was Roman emperor from 364 to 375. Upon becoming emperor, he made his brother Valens his co-emperor, giving him rule of the eastern provinces. Val ...

. Raised by Serena, wife of

Stilicho Flavius Stilicho (; c. 359 – 22 August 408) was a military commander in the Roman army who, for a time, became the most powerful man in the Western Roman Empire. He was of Vandal origins and married to Serena, the niece of emperor Theodosiu ...

, she was made '' nobilissima'' in her youth and granted a palace by her father in

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...

. She received an advanced education both secular and religious, as is evident from her letters. She married Athaulf, King of the

Visigoths The Visigoths (; la, Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, Wisi) were an early Germanic people who, along with the Ostrogoths, constituted the two major political entities of the Goths within the Roman Empire in late antiquity, or what is k ...

in 414 in Spain after moving to the West, though he soon died and she married the '' patricius'' Constantius (later

Constantius III Constantius III was briefly Western Roman emperor of the West in 421. He earned his position as Emperor due to his capability as a general under Honorius, achieving the rank of ''magister militum'' by 411. That same year, he suppressed the r ...

) in 417. Their children were

Justa Grata Honoria Justa Grata Honoria, commonly referred to during her lifetime as Honoria, (born ''c.'' 418 – died ''c.'' 455) was the older sister of the Western Roman Emperor Valentinian III. She is famous for her plea of love and help to Attila the Hun, wh ...

and

Valentinian III Valentinian III ( la, Placidus Valentinianus; 2 July 41916 March 455) was Roman emperor in the West from 425 to 455. Made emperor in childhood, his reign over the Roman Empire was one of the longest, but was dominated by powerful generals vying ...

. Constantius III was elevated as co-emperor of the West in 421 by Honorius, who lacked an heir, and Galla Placidia was made '' augusta''; Constantius died the same year and Galla Placidia fled to Constantinople. When Honorius died in 423, the '' primicerius notariorum''

Joannes Joannes or John ( la, Iohannes; died 425) was western Roman emperor from 423 to 425. On the death of the Emperor Honorius (15 August 423), Theodosius II, the remaining ruler of the House of Theodosius, hesitated in announcing his uncle's d ...

succeeded as ''augustus'' in the West; thereafter

Theodosius II Theodosius II ( grc-gre, Θεοδόσιος, Theodosios; 10 April 401 – 28 July 450) was Roman emperor for most of his life, proclaimed ''augustus'' as an infant in 402 and ruling as the eastern Empire's sole emperor after the death of his ...

, ''augustus'' in the East, moved to instal Galla Placidia's son Valentinian as emperor in the West instead, appointing him ''caesar''. The building dates from after 425; in that year the six-year old Valentinian III took office as ''augustus'' in 425 and Galla Placidia's title as ''augusta'' was again secured – she ruled as regent for her son for twelve years. Her political influence waned with the growing maturity of her son and the rise to prominence of the ''patricius''

Flavius Aëtius Aetius (also spelled Aëtius; ; 390 – 454) was a Roman general and statesman of the closing period of the Western Roman Empire. He was a military commander and the most influential man in the Empire for two decades (433454). He managed pol ...

in the 430s, but she remained powerful until she died in 450. She was an active patron of religious institutions, building churches at Ravenna, Rome, and Jerusalem. She contributed to the refurbishment of Saint Paul's outside-the-walls (''San Paolo fuori le Mura''), as recorded in an inscription there. A basilica in Ravenna dedicated to Saint John the Evangelist (''San Giovanni Evangelista'') was also built by Galla Placidia after 425; it commemorated the ''augusta'''s and her children's deliverance from a threatening storm during a sea-voyage and was adorned with portraits of her and other members of the

Theodosian dynasty The Theodosian dynasty was a Roman imperial family that produced five Roman emperors during Late Antiquity, reigning over the Roman Empire from 379 to 457. The dynasty's patriarch was Theodosius the Elder, whose son Theodosius the Great was made ...

. The basilica did not survive the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

. According to the mediaeval ''

Liber Pontificalis Ecclesiae Ravennatis Andreas Agnellus of Ravenna (c. 794/799 – after 846) was a historian of the bishops in his city. The date of his death is not recorded, although his history mentions the death of archbishop George of Ravenna in 846; Oswald Holder-Egger cites a pap ...

'', an inscription on the

apse In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an '' exedra''. ...

of that basilica recorded the buildings status as an ex-voto in gratitude for Galla Placidia's survival at sea.'''' The ''Liber Pontificalis'' also claims her burial was at the ''monasterium'' of Saint Nazarius at Ravenna''.'' This claim, originally probably made in Rome, is the probable origin of the misconception that Galla Placidia was buried in Ravenna, rather than in Rome, which culminated in the Ravennates' claim that she was buried in the chapel now known as her "mausoleum". The building was formerly the oratory of the Church of the Holy Cross and now contains three

sarcophagi A sarcophagus (plural sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a box-like funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from the Greek ...

. The sarcophagus to the right is attributed to Galla's brother, Emperor Honorius. The one on the left is attributed to her husband, Emperor Constantius III, and her son, Valentinian III. The largest sarcophagus was thought to contain the remains of Galla Placidia herself. Her embalmed body was reportedly deposited there in a sitting position, clothed with the imperial mantle, and visible through a peep-hole. In 1577, however, the contents of the sarcophagus were accidentally burned when children inserted a lighted taper. The mausoleum was once connected to the

of Santa Croce, but now in ruins.

Architecture and decoration

The mausoleum is laid out in a cruciform floor plan, with a central

dome A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...

pendentives In architecture, a pendentive is a constructional device permitting the placing of a circular dome over a square room or of an elliptical dome over a rectangular room. The pendentives, which are triangular segments of a sphere, taper to point ...

and barrel vaults over the four

transepts A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform ("cross-shaped") building withi ...

. The exterior of the dome is enclosed in a square tower that rises above the

gabled A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...

lateral wings. The and decorated with blind arcades. Light enters through window panels. The interior of the mausoleum is covered with rich mosaics. The inside contains two famous mosaic lunettes, and the rest of the interior is filled with mosaics of Christian and Apocalyptic symbols. Mosaics composed of glass ''tesserae'' cover the interior walls of the vault, the

lunettes A lunette (French ''lunette'', "little moon") is a half-moon shaped architectural space, variously filled with sculpture, painted, glazed, filled with recessed masonry, or void. A lunette may also be segmental, and the arch may be an arc taken ...

and the

cupola In architecture, a cupola () is a relatively small, most often dome-like, tall structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome. The word derives, via Italian, f ...

; the adornments are of high quality. Above the entrance portal is a mosaic depicting Christ as the Good Shepherd among his flock. The barrel-vaults of the four arms of the cruciform chapel bear vegetal mosaics consisting of acanthus and vine scrolls. In the western arm's lunette a mosaic represents

deer Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the re ...

approaching a spring, perhaps a reference to ''

Psalm 42 Psalm 42 is the 42nd psalm of the Book of Psalms, often known in English by its incipit, "As the hart panteth after the water brooks" (in the King James Version). The Book of Psalms is part of the third section of the Hebrew Bible, and a book ...

'', whose

incipit The incipit () of a text is the first few words of the text, employed as an identifying label. In a musical composition, an incipit is an initial sequence of notes, having the same purpose. The word ''incipit'' comes from Latin and means "it b ...

is ''"As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God."'' In the southern transept's lunette is a mosaic depicting a male saint carrying a cross accompanied by a burning gridiron and an opened cabinet containing the four canonical Gospels, identified by the names of the Four Evangelists in Latin. Unidentified figures of white-robed martyrs decorate the lunettes of the east and west transepts. The interior of the dome at the centre is decorated as a starry sky, with a regular mosaic of golden stars on a dark blue background, with a gold

cross A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines or bars, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a s ...

represented at the apex of the dome and the four symbols of the Evangelists (or the " living creatures" of ''Revelation 4:7'') at the corner

. The four lunettes below the dome, between the arches springing from the four central

piers Piers may refer to: * Pier, a raised structure over a body of water * Pier (architecture), an architectural support * Piers (name), a given name and surname (including lists of people with the name) * Piers baronets, two titles, in the baronetages ...

and the arches of the pendentives above them, have mosaics each depicting two

Apostles An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to send off". The purpose of such sending ...

with their right arms raised in acclamation likely directed at the male saint in the southern transept's mosaic. The sky with stars or clouds was often depicted as decoration of domes, apses, and ceilings of churches. The basilica in Rome of Saint

Pudentiana Pudentiana is a traditional Christian saint and martyress of the 2nd century who refused to worship the Roman Emperors Marcus Aurelius and Antoninus Pius as deities. She is sometimes locally known as Potentiana and is often coupled with her s ...

(''Santa Pudenziana''), built in the late 4th century, is an example predating Galla Placidia's building, while later buildings at Ravenna repeated the motif, including the

Chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common type ...

Saint Andrew Andrew the Apostle ( grc-koi, Ἀνδρέᾱς, Andréās ; la, Andrēās ; , syc, ܐܰܢܕ݁ܪܶܐܘܳܣ, ʾAnd’reʾwās), also called Saint Andrew, was an apostle of Jesus according to the New Testament. He is the brother of Simon Pete ...

(c''apella Sant'Andrea'') in the Archiepiscopal Palace and the 6th century basilica of Saint Apollinaris in ''Classe'' (''Sant'Apollinare in Classe'').

North entrance mosaic - the Good Shepherd

The figure of the Good Shepherd and pastoral scenes were familiar to Christian thought; depictions of a young man, the ''criophorus'', bearing on his shoulders a sheep were known in the ancient world from the 6th century BC and was adopted from the late 3rd century AD into Christian art, especially in funerary contexts. The shepherd was understood to represent Christ, as in ''John 10'':11-17 and ''Luke 15'':4-7. Here the beardless figure of the shepherd is in imperial garb, wearing

purple Purple is any of a variety of colors with hue between red and blue. In the RGB color model used in computer and television screens, purples are produced by mixing red and blue light. In the RYB color model historically used by painters ...

and gold and bearing a cruciform staff in place of the usual

shepherd's crook A shepherd's crook is a long and sturdy stick with a hook at one end, often with the point flared outwards, used by a shepherd to manage and sometimes catch sheep. In addition, the crook may aid in defending against attack by predators. Wh ...

. He holds an imperial staff joined to the Christian cross, .

South transept lunette - male saint

The art historian Gillian Mackie argues that this panel represents the Spanish

Saint Vincent of Saragossa Vincent of Saragossa (also known as Vincent Martyr, Vincent of Huesca or Vincent the Deacon), the Protomartyr of Spain, was a deacon of the Church of Saragossa. He is the patron saint of Lisbon and Valencia. His feast day is 22 January in the C ...

rather than the Italian Saint Lawrence. Mackie cites Galla's connection to Spain; in addition, St. Vincent was martyred by drowning at sea, and Galla and her children had been delivered from shipwreck. The panel seems to be an illustration of . In the poem St. Vincent is ordered to disclose his sacred books to be burned. This explains the cupboard containing the Gospels, which has no satisfactory explanation in the story of St. Lawrence.

Musical association

The mausoleum is reputed to have inspired American songwriter

Cole Porter Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway and in film. Born to ...

to compose " Night and Day" while on a 1920s visit.Annelise Freisenbruch, ''Caesars' Wives: Sex, Power, and Politics in the Roman Empire'', New York: Free Press, 2010, p. 232.

References

External links

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Galla Placidia Mausoleum
{{DEFAULTSORT:Galla Placidia, Mausoleum Of Buildings and structures completed in the 5th century Mausoleums in Italy Cemetery art Palaeo-Christian architecture in Ravenna Byzantine sacred architecture Christian buildings and structures in the Roman Empire Christian organizations established in the 5th century Tourist attractions in Emilia-Romagna Early Christian art