Talk:Mausoleum of Galla Placidia
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[edit] Old Talk
The Mausoleum of Galla Placidia Augusta, daughter of emperor Theodosius I, sister of emperors Honorius and Arcadius, and mother of emperor Valentinian III, stands in Ravenna adjacent to the Basilica of San Vitale. The Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, built between the years of 425 and 450 C.E., is constructed of brick and mortar, a style common to the years following the fall of Rome to Alaric; years in which the technique of building with concrete was all but lost to the western world. The Mausoleum, thought to be originally intended as a chapel, is designed in the shape of a Latin cross and, although the exterior of the Mausoleum is plain, unadorned brickwork, the interior is renouned for the vivid mosaics that adorn the lunettes and cupola. The interior mosaics, in the cupola, depict a gilted, starry sky comprised of concentric circles around a central cross with the insignia of each of the four Evangelists adorning each of the four corners while the lunettes are adorned with depictions of the eight remaining Apostles and nature scenes. While adjacent to the Basilica of San Vitale, which itself contains rich mosaics depicting the emperor Justinian and empress Theodora and was constructed employing the same materials and in a similar manner as the Mausoleum, the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia predates the Basilica by roughly a century making it the oldest example of Early Christian architecture in Ravenna. It is not certain whether the remains of Galla Placidia Augusta reside within the Mausoleum.
Vito P. Quattrocchi sicboi81@hotmail.com
