Ravenna

We are back in one of my favorite places in the world, the city of Ravenna in Italy. For someone interested in church history this town is like Disney World. There are still two churches here that come from the closing days of the Roman empire, the church of San Vitale and the church of Saint Apollinare Nuovo. The Emperor Theodoric was actually a German whose tribe was eventually incorporated into the Roman Empire. He built his imperial chapel, San Vitale, here in the late fifth century. It’s wonderful mosaics were designed to dazzle the observer into remembering the Biblical story of salvation history. Even the position of the tiles make them sparkle. Each of the millions of golden flecks is set tilted slightly downward so that they will reflect the light down to the observer and glitter like a jewel. Consider it late Roman cinematography, designed to tell a story so that it would be remembered. The Church of Saint Apollinare was built half a century later when Byzantine tastes froze all of the figures into frontal rigidity. Even so, its mosaics are also stunningly beautiful.

Although the first of these churches was Trinitarian and the second was Arian, both depict the Christ as a young, vibrant man fresh from his resurrection. There is no depiction of the crucifixion in either of them. Panels showing the life of Christ jump from his betrayal and arrest to the first Easter morning. The theme is neither suffering nor penitence, but rather joy.

These lovely mosaics, like the early Christian faith, include many women. The Church of Saint Apollinare has all of its men—prophets, priests, kings and martyrs—running down one side of the nave. The other side contains only women—the widow giving her mite in the temple, the woman at the well, and, of course Mary, the mother of Jesus. It is also interesting to see the Emperor Justinian taking his place among the men, and the Empress Theodora among the women.

I love the victorious, optimistic faith these mosaics describe. For them Christianity is all joy.Read more