Ravenna: Mausoleo Galla Placidia

A good night’s rest. A simple, self-catered breakfast. At 8:55a, we left the B&B and walked across the road to today’s first timed-entry to see more of Ravenna’s UNESCO-listed mosaics.

And, boy did we see some truly breathtaking ones … even though we only had 5 minutes to feast our eyes on the mosaics. (As the first group in this morning, we might have been given a few extra minutes before the second group arrived … but ssh, don’t tell anyone!)

One of the oldest buildings in the city, the mausoleum, which dates to after 426 AD, was commissioned by Empress Galla Placidia … daughter of Theodosius the Great, who ruled the Roman Empire in the late 4th century. The de facto ruler for 12 years as regent for her son, she is considered to be one of the most powerful figures of the Western Roman Empire.

It was Galla Placidia’s desire to be laid to rest here with her second husband, Constantius III, who was named co-emperor by her brother Honorius. She died in Rome, however, and was laid to rest there. The sarcophagi in the niches of the mausoleum are all empty.

From the outside, the building is small and inconspicuous, and is no longer connected through a narthex with the Church of Santa Croce … now outside the fenced in property where the mausoleum is located.

It’s a different story inside. The mausoleum is a treasure trove of mosaics … that take on a golden hue where the sunlight shines through the alabaster windows. The blue mosaic dome is studded with golden stars, giving one the impression of being under the canopy of the night sky.

The whole interior is amazing, but if you don’t look up as you cross the vestibule to exit the mausoleum, you can easily miss one of the best mosaics … that of Christ as the good shepherd. The details are truly amazing.

Turns out that Cole Porter, the American jazz master, visited the mausoleum when he was in Ravenna on his honeymoon. The magnificent mosaics left such an impression on him that it is said that they were the inspiration that led him to compose his famous song, “Night and Day.”

No musical compositions from us, but perhaps Mui will someday sketch his interpretation of one of the mosaics.

(For those interested in more information about the mosaics … https://www.ravennamosaici.it/en/mausoleum-of-g….)Leggi altro